The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Petrucelli named NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year
12.23.2006 | Soccer
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas soccer head coach Chris Petrucelli was selected 2006 Central Region Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, announced on Friday, Dec. 22. The 2002 NSCAA/adidas Central Region Coach of the Year is now eligible for the national coach of the year honor.
Petrucelli, in his eighth year at Texas, led the Longhorns to one of the best seasons on record on the Forty Acres. UT finished the year with an 18-4-3 overall record, breaking records for the most overall (18), regular season (15) and road (7) wins in a single season. Texas finished the Big 12 season with an 8-1-1 record and won UT's first Big 12 Soccer Postseason Championship.
Petrucelli coached Texas to its first number one national seed in the 2006 NCAA Women's Soccer Championships as UT tied its furthest advancement into the tourney, playing in the third round for the just the second time ever.
UT ended the season ranked No. 8 in the NSCAA/adidas Top 25 coaches' poll. The eigth-place ranking is the highest position the Longhorns have place to end a season and marks only the third time UT has been ranked among the top 25 programs. It is three spots below UT's 2006 regular season final ranking of fifth, which is also a program-best. In 2002, the Longhorns were rated as the 14th best team in the final poll and in 2004, Texas stood at No. 16 by year's end.
