| Matt Potter |
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Entering his sixth season at the helm of the Washington State women's soccer program, head coach Matt Potter has built the Cougars into one of the top programs in the Northwest while competing in the prestigious Pacific-10 Conference. WSU has won 12 conference matches over the last three seasons, more than any other Pac-10 school outside of California.
In 2007, Washington State recorded an 11-5-3 mark, its
best record since the 2000 campaign when the Cougars reached the NCAA Tournament. WSU posted its fourthstraight winning season, a first for the program since
1993. The Cougars were 4-4-1 in the Pacific-10, their third-straight record of .500 or better in conference play, and knocked off 2007 national champion USC.
In 2006, the Cougars compiled a 9-7-4 overall mark. After blanking eight opponents in 2005, the WSU defense tied the school record with 10 shutouts in 2006. WSU also
posted its second-best Pac-10 finish and best since 2002 after finishing fourth place with a 4-3-2 record.
In 2005, the Cougars were 11-7-2, their best record since
the same mark in 2002. It was third time since Pac-10 play began in 1995 that Washington State registered double-digit victories.
In his five years at WSU, Potter has compiled a 45-37-15 overall record and 17-20-8 league mark. He has coached 14 all-conference honorees and 61 Pac-10 All-Academic award recipients.
"I've been very blessed with the staff I have to work with as well as all those in the athletic department," Potter said. "I feel very fortunate to be in my position and I am cognizant of the fact that we are here to win soccer games. On a more important level, however, we are here to develop studentathletes and young women that can go on to bigger and better things when they leave. I truly believe our
total package makes Washington State a unique and unparalleled experience for any student-athlete."
Potter is a USSAF "A" licensed coach and is currently
the Region IV Olympic Development Program (ODP) head coach for the girls '88 age group and has been on the regional ODP staff since 1998. Potter earned the Preliminary and Teaching Awards from the English Football Association.
Before coming to WSU, Potter was the head of the Scottsdale Community College women's soccer team. In just one season at Scottsdale, he led the Artichokes to a 9-7-1 record and to the 2002 ACCAC playoffs.
Potter spent eight years with the Sereno Soccer Club in Arizona where he served as a head coach and trainer. He led his '88 girls team to a Region IV regional second place finish, three third place finishes and four Arizona state titles. His '88 team was consistently ranked as one of the top 10 teams in the nation, and both his '88 team and '84 girls squad were ranked as top 10 teams in Region IV over a five-year period. His '84 team took state seven years in a row. Nine of Potter's players made the Region IV regional team and three made the youth national team pool.
As a central midfielder, Potter competed at the top level of soccer, playing professionally for the Watford F.C. in England. He was a member of the West London squad that won the National British Colleges title in 1991 and played on the Great Britain Students squad,a team made of top college players. Potter also represented England at the U-19 International level. Potter also worked as a community director with the Brentford Football Club in London.
Befitting his educational background, Potter places much emphasis on academics and guides his players on how to excel in the classroom as well as on the playing field. After graduation from West London College in 1992 with an honors degree in physical education and religious, social and moral education, Potter took a position with Noga Soccer in New York and Arizona in 1993, coaching, establishing and developing a curriculum and coordinating clinics and camps.
Potter, a native of Mere, England, is married to Olga and has three stepdaughters, Marissa, Andrea, Valerie and a daughter, Cassidy.
