 Earle
Davidson
Head Coach
Earle
Davidson is entering his eighth season at the helm of the Belmont soccer
program and earned Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year honors last season
after helping the Bruins turn the corner in the program’s competitive
life.
Eyeing
a breakout season, Belmont put one together in 2003 under Davidson’s
direction. The Bruins improved their win total by four matches, equaling
the school record for wins with nine, and qualified for postseason play
for the first time since 1995.
Behind
the prolific goal scoring of two-time All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection
Fernando Castellanos, the Bruins won nine matches and finished tied
for second in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Belmont drew Stetson in the
first round of the A-Sun Championship, but an early injury to Castellanos
forced a juggling of the lineup before the team finally fell on penalty
kicks.
The
flash of Castellanos and some of the other offensive threats standout
in the minds of many, but Davidson’s commitment to tightening
up the defensive end helped spark the team’s rejuvenation. Goalkeeper
Matt Renfrow along with Carey Alexander and freshmen starters Chris
Anderson and J.P. Rodrigues led the team to a school record six shutouts
while the team posted their first sub-2.00 GAA since the 1995 campaign.
“Our
patience has paid off and it appears that Earle has the program on the
verge of becoming a yearly contender in the Atlantic Sun,” stated
Director of Athletics Mike Strickland. “The route has not been
easy for the men’s soccer program, but Earle’s enthusiasm
and professionalism has been ingrained within the team. Great things
appear to be ahead.”
In
2002, Davidson’s squad laid the groundwork for last year’s
breakthrough. The Bruins finished 5-10-2, while the team netted 25 goals,
the second most in school history. Four losses came by one goal including
a home match against A-Sun runner-up Jacksonville.
Obviously,
much of the success from the last two years can be attributed to the
recent recruiting efforts. Castellanos, a junior college transfer, finished
his career as the all-time leading scorer in Belmont history and became
the first Belmont player to earn All-Atlantic Sun honors. Channing Twyner
earned a spot on the 2002 A-Sun All-Freshman team, the second straight
year that a Bruin has been placed on the squad.
In
Belmont’s first season as a member of the A-Sun, the Bruins were
competitive but could not get over the hump. Belmont went 0-7-0 in league
play, but lost five of those matches by two goals or less. Davidson
helped develop goalkeeper Matt Renfrow, who was named A-Sun All-Freshman
following the 2001 season.
During
Davidson’s tenure, the Bruins have faced some of the very best
teams in the nation, but they had never encountered the level of competition
seen during the 2000 season. Belmont was accepted as an affiliate member
of the Missouri Valley Conference just as the Valley was hitting its
competitive stride. The Bruins faced three top-25 teams that season,
and nearly half of the conference’s 12 teams were ranked at some
point while a pair of teams reached the NCAA Final Four.
His
career at Belmont began in 1995 when he joined Ronnie Littlejohn’s
staff. Following the 1996 season, the head coaching job came open and
Davidson became the third head coach in school history. In his first
season as Belmont’s head coach, he led the team to a 5-11 record
that was highlighted by a 2-1 victory over the Memphis Tigers who were
at the time ranked in the Top-25 in the nation.
Davidson
has seen four former players begin professional soccer careers, three
with the local A-League team, the Nashville Metros/Tennessee Rhythm
while Chris Van Atta played for an indoor soccer team in Kansas City.
Among those players is current assistant coach Ben Fisher who also played
for the Cincinnati Riverhawks.
Born
in New York City and growing up in New Jersey, Davidson played his high
school soccer at Mendham High School. He graduated in 1985 and decided
to come to Nashville and play collegiately at Vanderbilt University.
His career at Vanderbilt culminated during his senior season when Davidson
received the 1989 McDonald’s Award for Outstanding Performance.
Following
his collegiate playing days, Coach Davidson moved west to Salt Lake
City, Utah and joined the Salt Lake Sting of the now defunct American
Professional Soccer League (APSL). After playing one season out there,
he returned to Nashville to begin a five-year career with the Nashville
Metros, at the time a member of the United States Interregional Soccer
League (USISL).
Following the end of his professional career, Davidson decided to return
his passion for the game by joining the coaching ranks. His first opportunity
at collegiate level coaching came immediately following his playing
days at Vanderbilt when he became the women’s team assistant.
He served double-duty during the 1990 season when he also assisted the
VU men’s team. Davidson also became the Director of Coaching for
the Nashville Sting Club Teams. In addition to these coaching duties,
he has the honor of assisting with Tennessee’s Olympic Development
Program Teams.
Davidson
married former Belmont women’s soccer assistant coach Alexis Hyrup
in May of 2003. The couple resides in Nashville.
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