DEMOREST — Following the departure of Stephen Andrew, Piedmont Athletics Director Jim Peeples promoted Timmy McCormack as the Lady Lions' new head soccer coach on Wednesday. McCormack takes over after having served as an assistant under Andrew for seven seasons and has been an assistant at Piedmont a combined total of eight seasons.
"We are excited for Coach McCormack to move into this new role in our department as our Head Women's Soccer Coach," Peeples stated. "His work ethic and dedication throughout his career at Piedmont in each role he has played have been tireless and only helped to improve our department. I am confident Coach McCormack will carry that same dedication into being Head Coach of the Lady Lions and continue the rich tradition of our women's soccer program."
The Piedmont College women's soccer team is coming off back-to-back USA South Tournament titles and NCAA National Tournament appearances in 2015 & 2016 with McCormack serving as an assistant coach during each of those campaigns.
"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to take over as the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Piedmont College," said McCormack. "This program has an extremely rich history, and we look forward to continuing our same philosophy of an attacking style that is attractive to both players and fans alike. I would like to thank President Mellichamp, Coach Peeples, and the administration at Piedmont College for having the faith in myself to become this program's next head coach, and I look forward to continuing the tradition that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of for seven seasons as an assistant coach already."
McCormack has been a staple at Piedmont since the fall of 2008 when he served as an assistant for the men's soccer program under Head Coach Jimmy Stephens during a run to the 2008 GSAC Championship Match. McCormack has been on staff at Piedmont for most of the last nine years minus the 2012 season when he served as the head men's soccer coach at Huntingdon College before returning to Piedmont in an administrative role.
In his 8 full seasons combined as an assistant with PC's soccer programs, McCormack has helped guide teams to conference championship game appearances in seven of eight campaigns including four conference titles for the women's side of the program ('11, '13, '15, '16). Working primarily on the defensive side of the squad, McCormack has helped the women's program to some of its best defensive performances in program history including 42 shutouts since returning to the staff in 2013.
During his time with the women's soccer program at PC, McCormack has helped tutor 40 All-Conference performers, 7 NSCAA All-South Region performers, 4 NSCAA Scholar All-South honorees, and four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans including the first in the history of the Piedmont Athletic Department, Justine Clay (2011). Since then, three additional Academic All-Americans have been named from women's soccer at Piedmont including Laura Goodwin in 2013, Kelsey Schaffernoth in 2014, and Savannah Castles in 2016.
In 2016, the Piedmont College women's soccer team won its second straight USA South Tournament title knocking off then 18-1-1 Salem College 2-1 in the championship game making another NCAA Tournament appearance. The Lady Lions opened USA South tournament play with a 4-0 win at home over Huntingdon then had to go on the road to No. 2 seed Covenant and No. 1 seed Meredith before reaching the championship game.
In 2015, McCormack helped the Lady Lions to their finest season in program history with a record 20 wins as Piedmont went 20-2-1 overall with a 10-1-1 conference record on the way to a USA South Tournament Championship and another NCAA Tourney Appearance. McCormack saw another All-Conference selection in the goal with Michaela Gardner taking the honors on the way to becoming a second NSCAA All-Region goalkeeping selection since 2009.
The 2014 season saw the Lady Lions claim a share their first regular season conference title in the NCAA Era (since 2003) posting a 10-1-1 record in USA South play and a 14-4-2 overall record on the year. For the 6th straight season working with the squad, McCormack helped produce an All-Conference performer between the posts with Michaela Gardner earning the 2nd team selection while center back Kelsey Schaffernoth was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
During his return season of 2013 for PC, McCormack helped guide the Lady Lions to a 17-3-2 overall record that saw Piedmont win three straight at the right time to claim the USA South Tournament Championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA National Tournament. For Piedmont, the NCAA appearance was a second in three seasons and second straight for McCormack as an assistant with the program as his last season prior to departing Demorest also resulted in a conference title.
Before heading down to Huntingdon, McCormack spent three years with the women's team at Piedmont helping the Lady Lions make three straight trips to the conference final as well as win the 2011 Great South Athletic Conference Championship Tournament to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA National Tournament, the first in the program's near 20-year history. Overall, the Lady Lions posted a 44-14-1 (.645 winning percentage) during his first term on staff including the 2011 team's 17-3-1 record and .833 winning percentage.
In the fall of 2012, McCormack led his alma mater Huntingdon College to one of its winningest men's soccer seasons in the previous decade including a victory over 5-time defending conference champions Maryville College, a feat the Hawks had not accomplished since 1999. McCormack's squad improved its winning percentage from the previous season and also posted a draw with Rhodes College, an opponent that had defeated the Hawks by a combined score of 15-2 in their previous four meetings.
Prior to joining the Piedmont coaching staff, McCormack spent three years as the head coach for the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School compiling a 44-22-2 overall record including 20 wins over state ranked teams. During his tenure, he mentored a pair of All-State players including the Metro Player of the Year while leading the varsity boys' team to the program's first AHSAA state playoff berth in over a decade courtesy of a program record 17 wins in 2008.
As an active member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, McCormack currently holds a National Goalkeeping Diploma and National Diploma from the NSCAA in addition to a National 'B' License from the United States Soccer Federation. Having been a member of the camp staffs at the University of Notre Dame, Maryville College, and the Cajun Soccer Club, McCormack also served as the Co-Director of the Marshall Soccer School along with Marshall University Head Men's Soccer Coach Bob Gray in the summer of 2007.
The Lady Lions coach spent his playing days at Great South Athletic Conference member Huntingdon College where he was named to the 2003 GSAC All-Freshman Team and the 2006 All-Tournament Team at the Kyle Rote Jr. Invitational. Prior to his arrival at the collegiate ranks, McCormack won a trio of state championships with the Capital City Soccer Club making a pair of appearances in the US Youth Soccer Southeast Regional Championships.
In addition to his duties with the women's soccer program, McCormack also serves as an Assistant Athletic Director at Piedmont and was formerly the Director of Athletic Communications.
