If you look at the landscape of female youth soccer, it is going to become much harder to build A&M back to where they were in the 2000-2015 era. Even with DFW being one of the two (southern California the other) hotbeds for girls soccer, we have struggled recruiting the area. TCU is on the rise and have made a commitment to fully fund their women's soccer program and SMU is now in the ACC and gives the top players a chance to play in that league without having to leave Texas. Overall, the SEC is seen as a league who puts recruiting athletes over soccer players and the play follows suit. The top players in the DFW area aren't really considering any Texas schools and, when they do, it will begin to transition to TCU and SMU over A&M or Texas (the Missimo years were an anomaly because of Ange's connection with Derek from their UNC playing days - Derek sent most of his Solar team to Texas). If we can't find a way to penetrate the DFW market (6 of the 23 U17 USYNT players from the World Cup were from DFW), we will continue to struggle. Texas Tech went in and got Sam Courtwright from DKSC and she's on the U20s - the other U20 from Texas was committed to UNC prior to going pro. The talent pool in DFW is very deep but we seem to struggle to recruit those girls.
Head Coach Hot Board
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Last: 13 hrs ago by MookieBlaylock
G has 6 girls committed (for now) for the 2026 class, 5 are from California and only 1 is from Texas
Lot of passion for the program on here. Wish TA saw that. I do agree the program needs a complete rebuild. While we're not getting that w/ G staying, but there is 1 positive outlook on next years roster.
This squad will feature more field players from the top ECNL programs in the country compared to players who saw the bulk of minutes last year.
Why does this matter? These girls have received the best training and have played the best competition in the country for years.
Our style of play and technical skills should be much better than prior years solely based on this.
This squad will feature more field players from the top ECNL programs in the country compared to players who saw the bulk of minutes last year.
- 2 freshman from FC Dallas
- 1 freshman from Slammers
- 1 freshman from legends
- 3 returnees coming off injury from Solar
- 1 transfer from Solar
Why does this matter? These girls have received the best training and have played the best competition in the country for years.
Our style of play and technical skills should be much better than prior years solely based on this.
What scares me is the inexperience (replacing 15 girls so far) and our strength and conditioning… from last spring there were approximately 7 or more girls with lower leg injuries. It's been a recurring issue and I'm afraid what this 2025 roster will look like if injuries are a factor
taylorswift13_ said:
G has 6 girls committed (for now) for the 2026 class, 5 are from California and only 1 is from Texas
Which is sad because in my opinion it only increases the likelihood of transfer portal if the trajectory of this program doesn't change quickly.
Whoever is the next HC (whenever that time comes) must have deep ties to recruiting hotbeds within the state.
There should also be be changes to the strength & conditioning program and its philosophy
That change has been made. We'll see how it goes.
Chris Henderson has his Top 60 D1 coach rankings released. This is for head coaches only. criteria is based on a 5-year average record and a minimum 3-year run at the current school as the head coach.
Here's the list.
Eric Bell is in the Top 10.
Lamar and East Texas A&M have FAR better head coaches than our Aggies do by this list.
Here's the list.
Eric Bell is in the Top 10.
Lamar and East Texas A&M have FAR better head coaches than our Aggies do by this list.
So 13 brand "NEW" coaches and 5 formerly Not ranked coaches have moved ahead of "G". That is downright pitiful.
Absolutely embarrassing, our team couldn't crack top 60 in the RPI and our coach isn't currently a top 60 coach
Oh yeah final RPI after the championship has us at 65. Pre season G called this one of his most talented teams ever.
SEC Schools
6. Arkansas
9. Mississippi State
18. South Carolina
21. tu
26. Vanderbilt
27. Auburn
31. Kentucky
43. Georgia
49. Oklahoma
51. Tennessee
56. LSU
65. Texas A&M
In State Schools
17. TCU
21. Texas
41. Texas Tech
54. SMU
60. Rice
65. Texas A&M
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-women/d1/ncaa-womens-soccer-rpi
SEC Schools
6. Arkansas
9. Mississippi State
18. South Carolina
21. tu
26. Vanderbilt
27. Auburn
31. Kentucky
43. Georgia
49. Oklahoma
51. Tennessee
56. LSU
65. Texas A&M
In State Schools
17. TCU
21. Texas
41. Texas Tech
54. SMU
60. Rice
65. Texas A&M
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-women/d1/ncaa-womens-soccer-rpi
And 15 girls have left this 65th ranked squad
Our returners bring back a total of 3 goals in 2024
that should be in the contract that if you fall out of the top 60 you're automatically fired for causejessexy said:
Chris Henderson has his Top 60 D1 coach rankings released. This is for head coaches only. criteria is based on a 5-year average record and a minimum 3-year run at the current school as the head coach.
Here's the list.
Eric Bell is in the Top 10.
Lamar and East Texas A&M have FAR better head coaches than our Aggies do by this list.
"NEW" means new to this list. These coaches have been at their schools for 3 seasons before they can qualify to be rated here.Artimus Gordon said:
So 13 brand "NEW" coaches and 5 formerly Not ranked coaches have moved ahead of "G". That is downright pitiful.
Some valid insight here but any players choosing TCU and playing in the Big 12 vs A&M and playing in the SEC are going to be playing ECRL level conference play. Big 12 competition/talent is well behind the ACC, SEC, Big Ten. Already hearing Bell is open to leaving TCU because he's missed out on top recruits. He knows he needs to be at a school in 1 of the other 3 conferences to get better talent and be a serious contender for a college cup. Hopefully Bell lands in College Station when G hangs it up.King Koda said:
If you look at the landscape of female youth soccer, it is going to become much harder to build A&M back to where they were in the 2000-2015 era. Even with DFW being one of the two (southern California the other) hotbeds for girls soccer, we have struggled recruiting the area. TCU is on the rise and have made a commitment to fully fund their women's soccer program and SMU is now in the ACC and gives the top players a chance to play in that league without having to leave Texas. Overall, the SEC is seen as a league who puts recruiting athletes over soccer players and the play follows suit. The top players in the DFW area aren't really considering any Texas schools and, when they do, it will begin to transition to TCU and SMU over A&M or Texas (the Missimo years were an anomaly because of Ange's connection with Derek from their UNC playing days - Derek sent most of his Solar team to Texas). If we can't find a way to penetrate the DFW market (6 of the 23 U17 USYNT players from the World Cup were from DFW), we will continue to struggle. Texas Tech went in and got Sam Courtwright from DKSC and she's on the U20s - the other U20 from Texas was committed to UNC prior to going pro. The talent pool in DFW is very deep but we seem to struggle to recruit those girls.
Chris is also said going into the the season we're a darkhorse College Cup team.taylorswift13_ said:
Oh yeah final RPI after the championship has us at 65. Pre season G called this one of his most talented teams ever.
That's a pretty short-sided argument. You don't have to look any further than Santa Clara and BYU who were both in the WCC but still produced more NWSL draft picks than any SEC school. Pepperdine probably has more NWSL draft picks than any SEC school other than Florida. Heck Texas Tech has more NWSL draft picks than any other Texas school. Outside of the typical stalwarts in the ACC and Big Ten, it's more about finding a place where the kid can be developed and fits their playing style than any major difference in conferences. TCU had the 10th highest ranked recruiting class in 2024 so it's not like it is a desert recruiting wise for them.GigEm200$ said:Some valid insight here but any players choosing TCU and playing in the Big 12 vs A&M and playing in the SEC are going to be playing ECRL level conference play. Big 12 competition/talent is well behind the ACC, SEC, Big Ten. Already hearing Bell is open to leaving TCU because he's missed out on top recruits. He knows he needs to be at a school in 1 of the other 3 conferences to get better talent and be a serious contender for a college cup. Hopefully Bell lands in College Station when G hangs it up.King Koda said:
If you look at the landscape of female youth soccer, it is going to become much harder to build A&M back to where they were in the 2000-2015 era. Even with DFW being one of the two (southern California the other) hotbeds for girls soccer, we have struggled recruiting the area. TCU is on the rise and have made a commitment to fully fund their women's soccer program and SMU is now in the ACC and gives the top players a chance to play in that league without having to leave Texas. Overall, the SEC is seen as a league who puts recruiting athletes over soccer players and the play follows suit. The top players in the DFW area aren't really considering any Texas schools and, when they do, it will begin to transition to TCU and SMU over A&M or Texas (the Missimo years were an anomaly because of Ange's connection with Derek from their UNC playing days - Derek sent most of his Solar team to Texas). If we can't find a way to penetrate the DFW market (6 of the 23 U17 USYNT players from the World Cup were from DFW), we will continue to struggle. Texas Tech went in and got Sam Courtwright from DKSC and she's on the U20s - the other U20 from Texas was committed to UNC prior to going pro. The talent pool in DFW is very deep but we seem to struggle to recruit those girls.
Exactly why Eric Bell is the top of the Hot Board list in the OP on page 1
The rumors out there are the TCU staff are disappointed the programs recent success has not translated into them landing the 4/5 star talent that other programs they aspire to compete with on a National level (the likes of FSU--where Bell is from, North Carolina, Stanford). To your previous comment, they've lost 4/5 star North Texas talent to TT and TU with previous classes and that trend has continued with recent classes. The question the TCU staff is faced with is whether they can truly get to a College Cup and then be a annual College Cup contender in that conference and at TCU. We've had success hiring other coaches from TCU; that trend may continue with Bell.
my guess is to get those players you have to have good NIL to get them. So TCU would most likely need a sugar donor cause I'm assuming most of their NIL is going to football, baseball, etc.GigEm200$ said:
The rumors out there are the TCU staff are disappointed the programs recent success has not translated into them landing the 4/5 star talent that other programs they aspire to compete with on a National level (the likes of FSU--where Bell is from, North Carolina, Stanford). To your previous comment, they've lost 4/5 star North Texas talent to TT and TU with previous classes and that trend has continued with recent classes. The question the TCU staff is faced with is whether they can truly get to a College Cup and then be a annual College Cup contender in that conference and at TCU. We've had success hiring other coaches from TCU; that trend may continue with Bell.
We may be in the same boat, but we have far bigger donor pool than TCU
Unless you take the UNC, Stanford, FSU, Duke, USC/UCLA job, I don't think you will consistently get those 4/5 star USYNT players. Going to an SEC school or a mid-level ACC/Big 10 school won't change those circumstances. He probably had a very good shot at getting the FSU job when his mentor left but chose to stay at TCU at the time. I'm not positive on which 4 stars you are saying he lost to TT (they haven't recruited DFW very well either), but the Texas recruiting pipeline will probably change a good bit now that Missimo has graduated. Bell was with Krikorian when they weren't getting the big name recruits but were still winning by developing and playing good soccer. They still weren't consistently getting the big name recruits and were relying on supplementing with internationals up until the point Krikorian decided to leave. Penske is the one who has gone after (and has been getting) the big 4/5 star recruits. It will be interesting to see how FSU does going forward. Will they be the UNC from 2013-2021 where they get the big name recruits but flounder at some point because they go to a more direct style of soccer, or will he find a way to meld the Krikorian possession style with his SEC direct style (along with top notch recruits) to win multiple more Nattys. How many of those FSU recruits will make it to campus is another story for another time but I know of several who are actively trying to sign a pro contract.
I do think NIL is beginning to play a small role in recruiting, but I also think it has been way overblown. The Stanfords/UNC/Duke and definitely UCLAs aren't giving out NIL money at this point. FSU may be another story. Will the landscape change as scholarship limits are removed and revenue sharing is introduced - most definitely. Who will benefit from those? That's going to be up to the AD and which secondary sports they choose to emphasize.
I do think NIL is beginning to play a small role in recruiting, but I also think it has been way overblown. The Stanfords/UNC/Duke and definitely UCLAs aren't giving out NIL money at this point. FSU may be another story. Will the landscape change as scholarship limits are removed and revenue sharing is introduced - most definitely. Who will benefit from those? That's going to be up to the AD and which secondary sports they choose to emphasize.
We may have a far bigger donor pool. We also have a far bigger debt to a former football coach.
4 December Graduates for Aggie Soccer
Carolyn Calzada
Mia Pante
Jazmine Wilkinson
Grace McClellan
Carolyn Calzada
Mia Pante
Jazmine Wilkinson
Grace McClellan
Smart to get the degree and transfer for free grad school
Plus get the bonus of playing for a real coach
Plus get the bonus of playing for a real coach
So from what I'm gathering...here are the stats of the offseason additions
Thoughts?
- 1 P4 transfer who is a 2 year starter
- 1 P4 transfer whose only appearances came in preseason as a freshman
- 5-6 transfers from non power 4 programs
- Hired Assistant Coach from non power 4 program
Thoughts?
Welcome to Aggieland👍
— Texas A&M Soccer (@AggieSoccer) December 16, 2024
➡️ California Baptist assistant since 2018
➡️ Mentored 28 conference award winners at CBU, including 3 All-WAC selections in 2024
➡️ 2024 - CBU won its first WAC Tournament title, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament#GigEm pic.twitter.com/oR1UVovAzg
The Fighting Artichokes were a fearsome bunch!GigEm200$ said:Hired Assistant Coach from non power 4 program
Seriously, though Strader and Taylor are connected to each other, so not hard to see that. Need better players though.
Best thing about the new assistant coach is he coached a team called the Fighting Artichokes LOL
Haven't heard about the other transfers though
Similar minds TRM
Leah Diaz - Tulsa 8 goals, 6 assists, although only 5'2 not sure how that'll do in the SEC
https://instagr.am/p/DDpbWVQJSRe
https://instagr.am/p/DDpbWVQJSRe
And speaking of CBU, Bella Lister who was here for a year is one of their goal keepers, so another former Aggie soccer player who made the tourney lol
The transfers in that are public so far are
Trinity Buchanan - UNLV
Leah Diaz - Tulsa
Savannah Hutchins - NC State
Trinity Buchanan - UNLV
Leah Diaz - Tulsa
Savannah Hutchins - NC State
I actually laughed out loud at these bullets.aggietoolman said:Welcome to Aggieland👍
— Texas A&M Soccer (@AggieSoccer) December 16, 2024
➡️ California Baptist assistant since 2018
➡️ Mentored 28 conference award winners at CBU, including 3 All-WAC selections in 2024
➡️ 2024 - CBU won its first WAC Tournament title, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament#GigEm pic.twitter.com/oR1UVovAzg
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