A new era of Bulldog soccer has begun. MSU Athletic Director Larry Templeton announced former assistant coach Neil MacDonald would become the Bulldogs’ new head coach following the unexpected resignation of former head coach Neil McGuire.
“It’s a great honor to work for MSU along with the great administration and support from all angles,” MacDonald said. “I’m really excited about coaching, and I think that we have a good group of players, good senior leadership and a good incoming freshman class.”
After joining the Bulldog staff prior to the 2003 Spring season, MacDonald now inherits a confident team that returns seven starters from last season’s 9-8-3 squad.
“We have probably the most difficult schedule that MSU has ever played,” MacDonald said. “We’re just gonna take one game at a time and just see where we end up.”
Despite the sudden departure of McGuire, the girls said they are confident that MacDonald is more than capable of taking this team exactly where it wants and needs to go in 2004.
“We are all very excited that he is our new coach,” senior forward Ngum Suh said. “He’s been with us before so he has seen us practice and he already knows what needs to be done and what things we need to get better at. It couldn’t have been a better situation for us.”
Before entering the coaching ranks, MacDonald was a four-year starter with Augusta State Jaguars where he captained the team during his junior and senior seasons. MacDonald holds the current school career record for games started, missing only one game during his entire collegiate career.
Following his impressive playing career at Augusta State, MacDonald joined Iowa Central Community College’s coaching staff and became head coach in of both the men’s and women’s programs in 1999.
During his time at ICCC, MacDonald guided the Lady Tritons to five consecutive regional championships in each of his five years under the helm while recording an overall coaching record of 149-34-5.
MacDonald and the Bulldogs make their home debut on Aug. 27, as they play host to Middle Tennessee State at 7 p.m. at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.