Keidane McAlpine accepts Georgia head coaching position

USC women’s soccer head coach Keidane McAlpine announced Tuesday that he has accepted the head coaching position at the University of Georgia.

“As a young person born in Alabama, I dreamed of being a head coach in the SEC,” McAlpine said in a statement released by UGA.

McAlpine guided the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament in each of his eight seasons at USC and led the program to its second NCAA National Championship in 2016.

“I had a wonderful experience at USC,” McAlpine said. “I’d like to thank Dr. Carol Folt, President Max Nikias, Pat Haden, Lynn Swann, Mike Bohn, Steve Lopes, who made my tenure at SC possible, and my players — past and present — for trusting me and our process.”

McAlpine leaves Southern California as the second-winningest coach in school history, with a cumulative mark of 116-32-20. This season, he became the first USC head coach to take home Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors since 1998.

“The Trojan Family offers its gratitude and congratulations to Keidane McAlpine on his appointment as Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Georgia,” USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn said in a statement.

“We are so grateful for Keidane’s service and commitment to our student-athletes, athletics program, and the university over the past eight years. During his time at USC, Keidane led our team to eight straight postseason appearances, brought home a national championship, received national recognition as an elite coach, and instilled a culture of competitiveness and integrity within our program. Keidane is the model coach, and he will be missed. We wish him and his family all the best in this exciting opportunity!”