SMU hires Petrucelli

May 31, 2012

DALLAS (SMU) - Two-time National Coach of the Year and 1995 NCAA Championship Coach Chris Petrucelli has been named SMU’s Head Women’s Soccer Coach, Interim Director of Athletics Tim Leonard announced today. A veteran of 20-plus years as a head coach, Petrucelli was named the NSCAA National Coach of the Year in both 1994 and 1995 and was lauded as the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2006. In 22 years as a head coach, Petrucelli has compiled a 340-110-36 record. His career win total and winning percentage (.737) both rank eighth among active Division I coaches. 

“We are very excited to bring Chris on to lead our women’s soccer program,” said Leonard. “He is one of the top coaches in the nation and we know he can lead our program back to national prominence.”

The six-time conference coach of the year comes to the Hilltop after spending the last 13 seasons as head coach of the Texas women’s soccer program where he compiled a 165-88-26 mark and signed some of the nation’s top recruiting classes. Under his tutelage, Texas captured back-to-back Big 12 postseason titles (2006-07) and the program's first Big 12 regular season title in 2001. He guided the Longhorns to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances (2001-08, 2010-11), including runs to the third round (round of 16) in 2004, 2006 and 2007.