SBU Bearcats - Women's Soccer: Head Coach Peter McGovern Profile

To those who know Peter McGovern intimately, there was no doubt ever that in time, Southwest Baptist University would have a nationally ranked contender in women's soccer. In just three years, McGovern has taken the NCAA Division II soccer ranks by storm. As the team entered the 2004 season, many people believed that the SBU Lady Bearcat's Soccer program were ready to enter the elite ranks of the division and make championship runs in not only the MIAA Conference and Central Region, but also mount a serious challenge deep into the NCAA Tournament. And challenge they did! McGovern's Bearcats went 16-2-3, the best record in school history, losing only on a heartbreaking penalty kick shootout (4-3) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against regional rival Nebraska Omaha, a two-time Final Four participant. They played a shootout after tying 1-1 in regulation and going scoreless through double overtime. McGovern's Bearcats shattered the record books in 2004, finishing 2nd in the MIAA Conference after going 12-1-1, finishing 3rd in the NCAA Central Region Final Ranking and gaining the program's first berth into the NCAA Tournament. They shattered the MIAA Conference scoring record previously held by Truman State by scoring 61 goals total and were awarded 9 All-MIAA Conference Players in the Conference Awards, including 6 first team players and the MIAA Conference MVP and MIAA Freshman of the Year awards, the latter being awarded to McGovern and SBU for the third year running. They finished the season with a No. 17 Final regular Season Ranking by the NSCAA, after spending an unprecedented 10 weeks ranked inside of the NSCAA Top 25. Also the Bearcats tied the school record for most shutouts in a season (9).

Considered by many to be one of the brightest young 'pure' soccer coaches in the USA, he is quickly carving himself a reputation as a coach who can win at all levels and more importantly, do it the right way, with time and patience, playing the best teams in the country at every opportunity.

Three years ago, the women’s soccer program at Southwest Baptist University was silent in the MIAA Conference and NCAA Division II. They were ranked 192 out of the then 194 teams in the power rankings and had never won a single MIAA game. Then Peter McGovern showed up two days before pre-season training in 2001. With only nine players reporting for pre-season training the season presented more than it's fare share of challenges.

"Yes, that first year was draining, exhilarating, challenging and exciting - all in one! We had to recruit some walk-ons and played games at times without the full 11 players which was, of course, a challenge in itself and worrying too. But to see how the program has evolved and how we have all grown to the place we are at today has been an incredible growing experience. It would have been easy at that stage to just settle for where the program had always been at, but I saw an incredible opportunity to change things and the way they had been here. You always have the choice to be either positive or negative in life. Thankfully the people that mattered most to me encouraged me to be positive and have faith in what I was doing. Thankfully I listened to those people!"

In the past three years, McGovern has produced numerous All-MIAA players and in the 2003 season led the Lady Bearcats to their then best finish in the history of the University with a 13-7 overall record. They also finished second in the fabled MIAA Conference (12-2) and finished with a #8 ranking in the Central Region. Another accomplishment met this season was three Lady Bearcats being named to the All-Central Regional team, a first in the program. McGovern has also helped in the development of three Senior World Cup National Team players from New Zealand. Pip Meo, Priscilla Duncan and current freshman Hayley Moorwood, were all selected to compete in the 2004 Australia Cup, to compete against 1999 World Cup finalist China, North Korea and Australia as well as participate in the 2004 Victory farewell USA Women's tour in Portland and Cincinatti. McGovern has also had one Lady Bearcat, Rachael Neal, recieve the Rex Brown Award for Excellence, the highest award given to a student athlete at Southwest Baptist University.

The past two seasons, the Lady Bearcats have had the #1 schedule in the country playing several top 10 teams including playing the #1 team in the nation both seasons. In the 2002 season, just his second full year, starting 10 freshmen, McGovern was named MIAA Co-Coach of the Year, his squad going from 1-10-1, last place, to 6-4-2 and a fourth place finish in the MIAA Conference.

Coach McGovern's Record at SBU
Year	Overall	MIAA
2004	16-2-3	12-1-1
2003	13-7	12-2
2002	8-8-3	6-4-2
2001	8-10-1	1-10-1
Overall	45-27-7	31-17-4

Prior to SBU, McGovern was at the University of California at Santa Barbara where he was the men’s assistant soccer coach and Director of the camp programs. At UC-Santa Barbara, McGovern was involved with all facets of the soccer program including training sessions, recruiting, fundraising, promotions and the day to day organization and development of a major DIvision I soccer program. He joined a staff that went 13-7 from the previous year's 2-17 reecord. That one year turnaround was one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA men’s soccer history. He also was heavily involved with the recruiting class that has made the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons.

He was a staff coach at the Summer Elite Camps at both Stanford and UCLA from the 1998 to the 2001 season. From 1998-2000 he was the Director of Coaching and Head Coach of Breakaway Soccer Club and coached the U-19 Premier club team. Breakaway Soccer Club won the Snickers National State Cup Championship five times and also won the prestigious Nike San Diego Surf Cup Premier Championship. Breakaway also claimed the Italy Cup in Verona, Italy. On that team, he coached nine USA U-18 Player Pool youth national team members, 13 Region IV Olympic Development Pool players, and all of the seniors on that team received scholarships to NCAA Division I institutions. Internationally, he has been a guest staff coach for two New Zealand national teams in 1999 (U-20 men) and 2002 (senior women). Additionally McGovern coached has also coached in the professional ranks as a guest for the Utah Blitzz in 2004 in the build up to their US Open Cup game against the Portland Timbers.

In 1998-99, McGovern was the Head Coach at Damien High School in Southern California. At Damien, his varsity boy’s team had a 25-2-2 record and was ranked No. 1 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s final national poll and he served on the All-American committee. He also served as the President of the Southern California High School Soccer Coaches Association during that school year.

From 1997-99, he was a staff coach of the women’s Olympic Development Program for Region I. In 1996-97, he was a camp director and director of sports marketing for the USA’s largest provider of soccer education services, NOGA. In 1995, McGovern helped coach the under-16 West Ham United soccer team in the English Premier League. He has also been on as a staff coach with the U.S. Youth National Programs and holds the "B" License from the United States Soccer Federation as well as the Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He is also a holder of the coveted UEFA "A" License, one of a very select few coaches in America to hold that award.

In 1996-97 as a freshman, he played on the St. John’s University NCAA Divsion I National Championship team, playing in 19 games total.

A native of England, McGovern was a member of the youth West Ham United team of the English Premier League, participated in the world-famous English National Soccer Team Training Academy, and played with the English National Schoolboys in the under-15, -16, -17 and -18 programs.

"I took the job at Southwest Baptist University over all of the other opportunities I had been presented with because I wanted to find out how good of a coach I really was and to really find out what it is like to really build a program. I have always said that if you really believe in what you are doing and you allow yourself to explore your passion you will be successful in life. There are far too many people in this world that define success by measuring themselves with wins and losses. I have always believed that coaching is about the people, the relationships you build along the way and the ability to guide and help young people achieve their goals, on and off of the soccer field."

"I believe that the season in college athletics is a very special privilege to be involved with. Some people believe in recruiting , others fundraising etc, etc. I believe that you should put all of your time into the players, exploring their goals and exploring them as people. I also believe that the season is a journey and that you should try to improve from game one all the way through the end of the season. We try to improve from game one through to game twenty and that hopefully we'll be in the hunt for a spot in the NCAA Tournament and therefore peaking at just the right time. Most importantly, we want to have fun and enjoy the experience here at SBU and I think that is a major reason we have made such huge strides here in just a short period of time."

"The people here at SBU are very, very special. It is a pleasure to work around people who are there for you, day in and day out. The athletics administration and President Taylor have been 100 percent behind me and the success of our program from day one. They are tremendously supportive in all areas and we would not be making the strides we are without their help."

"We have created the slogan: "Building a Tradition - Chasing a Championship." - I really believe we can win a Conference Championship here at SBU and then, who knows, possibly a run deep into the NCAA Tournament? One thing is for sure, whether we do or we don't, we are going to have an enormous amount of fun trying along the way."