MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama athletics director Joel Erdmann on Monday named Graham Winkworth the university’s new head soccer coach, hiring a coach who led Division II North Alabama to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Winkworth spent the past 10 seasons at North Alabama, compiling a 111-81-8 record, the most victories by a coach in UNA program history. The Lions went 65-18-3 over the last four seasons.
Erdmann Cites Program-Building Record
“We considered several highly-qualified candidates as part of our national search,” Erdmann said. “Graham’s record of success, highlighted by his documented ability to build a consistently competitive program, is impressive. We feel he is a tremendous fit to lead our soccer program into the future.”
Winkworth and Erdmann have worked together before. Erdmann previously served as athletics director at North Alabama.
“I’ve had the chance to work with Dr. Erdmann in the past, I really enjoyed that experience so I am looking forward to working together again,” Winkworth said. “When I came down and visited, I saw that there were lovely facilities. Everyone that I met within the department was so friendly, it seems like they are all happy in that environment. I thought I would like to be a part of that and am very excited to be joining the staff.”
Four Straight NCAA Tournament Trips
North Alabama’s turnaround began in 2009, when the Lions went 19-4-1 to set a program record for wins in a season. That team earned UNA’s first Gulf South Conference tournament berth since 1999 and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, and it won its opening NCAA match. The 11-win improvement over the previous season was the largest in the nation, and Winkworth was voted Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year.
The Lions went 16-4-1 overall and 6-1 in the conference in 2010 and returned to the NCAA Tournament. In 2011, they finished 17-4 and 6-1 in league play and earned a share of the regular-season conference title.
Winkworth also guided UNA to a Gulf South tournament championship, a run that included wins over UAH and Valdosta State and ended West Florida’s 54-match conference winning streak.
This season, North Alabama went 13-6-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the conference, reached the Gulf South tournament title match and defeated Valdosta State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
During Winkworth’s tenure, North Alabama produced the first two All-Americans in school history and 33 All-Gulf South Conference selections.
Winkworth Credits His Players
Winkworth said people were the key to his success at North Alabama.
“When I started working at North Alabama, we didn’t have quite the funding that they have now. Dr. Erdmann put some things into place before he left, and Mr. [Mark] Linder continued that process,” he said. “That enabled me to bring in some amazing people, I have been so lucky these last few years to work with and coach some fantastic individuals and lovely young ladies. They were able to create a family-type environment, and with that the girls wore the shirt with pride and would run through brick walls for me.”
“I’m very thankful and very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing young ladies,” Winkworth said. “It’s going to be difficult leaving these girls because they are fantastic young women, but I know that they will continue to be successful because of that.”
Background
A native of Reading, England, Winkworth graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 2000 and earned a master’s degree from North Alabama in 2005. He received his United States Soccer Federation “A” license last fall.
He began his coaching career in England as an assistant with the Preston North End Football Club Centre of Excellence. He then served as assistant men’s and women’s coach at Cumberland in Tennessee during the 2000 season and spent two years as an assistant at Central Arkansas before being hired at North Alabama.
South Alabama’s soccer program competes in the Sun Belt Conference.
