Rice University Athletics
Soccer: Nugent Named Assistant Coach
1/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nugent joins the Rice staff after spending the past year as a graduate assistant at Florida State University. He has over 10 years of coaching experience at all levels, including high school, college, club teams, the Olympic Development Program and soccer camps. He will begin his new duties on Feb. 1.
"I'm excited to have Steve join the staff," Huston said. "He came highly recommended, and he has the experience to help build a top notch program. Steve is a great fit for Rice."
Before joining the staff at Florida State, Nugent worked as an assistant coach at Lynn University from 1994 to 1997, helping the Knights to the 1994 and 1995 NAIA National Championship. Lynn gained NCAA Division II status in 1996, and competed in the championship game in its first year. Nugent left Lynn in 1997 to concentrate on development of youth players and became the Associate Director of Coaching for Team Boca, one of the most nationally recognized soccer clubs in the southeast region. Most recently, Nugent coached the U-15 and U-18 girls teams to the Florida state championships in June 2000. He was recognized five straight years from 1996-2000 by the City Council of Boca Raton and the mayor for outstanding commitment to the sport of soccer and to the development of children within the community.
"I'm excited to work with Chris," Nugent said. "She is one of the brightest and most dynamic coaches in the game today. I'm looking forward to being a part of the building process, and I think Rice will attract the type of student-athletes to build a strong, national contending team."
Nugent is also responsible for designing and implementing a website for participating teams in the Orange Classic Soccer tournament, one of the more widely recognized female soccer tournaments in the country, and he continues to enhance that site today.
Nugent is a 1996 graduate of Florida Atlantic University, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in sport administration.
The Owls begin their first year of competition in the fall when they open play against Army on August 31.
