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Women's Soccer
Ashton, Greg
Greg Ashton
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- grashton@davidson.edu
- Phone:
- 2818
Entering his fifth year, head coach Greg Ashton has done nothing to disappoint the Wildcat faithful in his first four years at the helm of the women’s soccer program. Davidson has begun to make a name for its self nationally as well as a powerhouse in the Southern Conference.
Ashton's fourth season was one for the record books. Davidson tied the school record for wins in a season with a 14-5-1 mark that included eight- and six-game unbeaten streaks. The 'Cats also finished second in league play with an 8-1-1 record and advanced to the SoCon tournament semifinals for the third time in the past four years. In addition, the 2007 squad tied the school record for shutouts with 10.
The 2006 campaign saw Davidson go 11-7-2 and finish second in the conference with a league mark of 7-3, after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
After an outstanding first year that saw him win Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors while taking the Wildcats to the SoCon finals, Ashton guided Davidson to the school’s first undefeated mark in league play, and its third regular season SoCon title in 2005. The Wildcats also achieved its highest ranking, ninth, in the Soccer Buzz and NSCAA/adidas Southeast Regional poll over the last five years, and a program-best 14-game unbeaten streak. All those accomplishments earned him his second straight coach of the year award as the Wildcats fashioned a 14-5-2 overall mark in 2005.
Ashton’s athletes have also shined under his tutelage with five different players earning all-league honors including Mel Smith, who was the 2005 Freshman of the Year, and standout forward Kara Koehrn, the 2005 Player of Year. Koehrn also was a NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-District performer.
With the arrival of Ashton in 2004, Davidson ushered in a new era of Wildcat women’s soccer. He led the 2004 squad all the way to the tournament finals, earning the native New Zealander with his first SoCon Coach of the Year award. The Wildcats earned recognition as the NCAA’s 16th-most improved women’s soccer program, doubling the number of wins collected in 2003 with an overall record of 12-9-1 while posting a league mark of 7-3-1 to finish fifth in the final SoCon standings.
Eventually falling to rival Furman in the finals, Davidson made history as the second-lowest seed to ever contend for the SoCon Tournament title in the championship game.
Formerly the head coach at Division-III Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, Ashton arrived at Davidson with a remarkable record of success. Twice during his four-year tenure at Trinity Ashton took the Tigers to the NCAA D-III semifinals. His team also won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference crown three times.
Trinity finished the 2003 season with a 16-1-1 record and an 8-1 mark in the SCAC. The conference defeat was Ashton’s lone loss in the SCAC in four seasons, having won 35 straight during his career there.
In 2002, he led the Tigers to a 21-2 record, accumulating the most victories ever during a single season in the school’s history. Ashton was named Coach of the Year for the SCAC and the NSCAA South Region. He finished his tenure at Trinity with an impressive overall record of 71-8-2.
He has coached five All-America honorees, and each of his four Trinity teams received an NSCAA Team Academic Award for excellence in the classroom.
“Greg’s record of success in a highly-selective academic setting makes him a great fit for Davidson,” Athletics Director Jim Murphy said.
Before he became head coach at Trinity, Ashton served as the assistant there for five seasons, during which time the Tigers won the conference title and played in the D-III playoffs four times. Trinity also reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA D-III Tourna-ment twice.
Ashton, who earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas-San Antonio, also holds a business degree from Auckland (New Zealand) Tech. He played soccer professionally in New Zealand from 1985 to 1992, and he represented his country as a Youth National Team member beginning with the U-15 team through the U-19 squad.
Ashton makes his home in Davidson and has two daughters, Taylore (6) and Giselle (4).
Ashton's fourth season was one for the record books. Davidson tied the school record for wins in a season with a 14-5-1 mark that included eight- and six-game unbeaten streaks. The 'Cats also finished second in league play with an 8-1-1 record and advanced to the SoCon tournament semifinals for the third time in the past four years. In addition, the 2007 squad tied the school record for shutouts with 10.
The 2006 campaign saw Davidson go 11-7-2 and finish second in the conference with a league mark of 7-3, after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
After an outstanding first year that saw him win Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors while taking the Wildcats to the SoCon finals, Ashton guided Davidson to the school’s first undefeated mark in league play, and its third regular season SoCon title in 2005. The Wildcats also achieved its highest ranking, ninth, in the Soccer Buzz and NSCAA/adidas Southeast Regional poll over the last five years, and a program-best 14-game unbeaten streak. All those accomplishments earned him his second straight coach of the year award as the Wildcats fashioned a 14-5-2 overall mark in 2005.
Ashton’s athletes have also shined under his tutelage with five different players earning all-league honors including Mel Smith, who was the 2005 Freshman of the Year, and standout forward Kara Koehrn, the 2005 Player of Year. Koehrn also was a NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-District performer.
With the arrival of Ashton in 2004, Davidson ushered in a new era of Wildcat women’s soccer. He led the 2004 squad all the way to the tournament finals, earning the native New Zealander with his first SoCon Coach of the Year award. The Wildcats earned recognition as the NCAA’s 16th-most improved women’s soccer program, doubling the number of wins collected in 2003 with an overall record of 12-9-1 while posting a league mark of 7-3-1 to finish fifth in the final SoCon standings.
Eventually falling to rival Furman in the finals, Davidson made history as the second-lowest seed to ever contend for the SoCon Tournament title in the championship game.
Formerly the head coach at Division-III Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, Ashton arrived at Davidson with a remarkable record of success. Twice during his four-year tenure at Trinity Ashton took the Tigers to the NCAA D-III semifinals. His team also won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference crown three times.
Trinity finished the 2003 season with a 16-1-1 record and an 8-1 mark in the SCAC. The conference defeat was Ashton’s lone loss in the SCAC in four seasons, having won 35 straight during his career there.
In 2002, he led the Tigers to a 21-2 record, accumulating the most victories ever during a single season in the school’s history. Ashton was named Coach of the Year for the SCAC and the NSCAA South Region. He finished his tenure at Trinity with an impressive overall record of 71-8-2.
He has coached five All-America honorees, and each of his four Trinity teams received an NSCAA Team Academic Award for excellence in the classroom.
“Greg’s record of success in a highly-selective academic setting makes him a great fit for Davidson,” Athletics Director Jim Murphy said.
Before he became head coach at Trinity, Ashton served as the assistant there for five seasons, during which time the Tigers won the conference title and played in the D-III playoffs four times. Trinity also reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA D-III Tourna-ment twice.
Ashton, who earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas-San Antonio, also holds a business degree from Auckland (New Zealand) Tech. He played soccer professionally in New Zealand from 1985 to 1992, and he represented his country as a Youth National Team member beginning with the U-15 team through the U-19 squad.
Ashton makes his home in Davidson and has two daughters, Taylore (6) and Giselle (4).
| Year | W | L | T | Pct. | School |
| 2000 | 19 | 2 | 1 | .886 | Trinity |
| 2001 | 15 | 3 | 0 | .833 | |
| 2002 | 21 | 2 | 0 | .913 | |
| 2003 | 16 | 1 | 1 | .916 | |
| 2004 | 12 | 9 | 1 | .568 | Davidson |
| 2005 | 14 | 5 | 2 | .737 | |
| 2006 | 11 | 7 | 2 | .600 | |
| 2007 | 14 | 5 | 1 | .725 | |
| Total | 122 | 34 | 8 | .768 | 7 years overall |
| 51 | 26 | 6 | .651 | 4 years at Davidson |
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