Reigning Southland Conference and LSWA Coach of the Year Christopher McBride is coming into his fifth season as SLU women's soccer head coach.
Last season under McBride, SLU won the Southland Conference Tournament title for the fifth time in program history. After starting the season 1-2, The Lady Lions went on an 11-match unbeaten streak (7-0-4) where they outscored their opponents, 18-3, before falling to 22nd-ranked Rutgers, 1-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 11-match unbeaten streak was the second longest in program history and longest since 2003 as they recorded eight shut outs during the stretch.
SLU had five players named to the All-Southland Conference team including Emma Jones, Dalton Fish and Megan Gordon to the first team and Makenzie Maher and Mya Guillory to the second team. Gordon, Fish and Guillory were also recongized on the Academic All-Southland team. The on-field success translated off the field as the Lady Lions had a cumulative GPA of 3.75 under McBride's leadership.
Gordon became the first SLU women's soccer player since Chelsea Villaescusa (2013) to be named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region team.
Jones was also selected as the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year while Maher was named Newcomer of the Year for the conference.
In his third season with SLU, McBride guided the Lady Lions (7-7-4, 4-4-3 Southland) back to the Southland Conference after a one-year hiatus. SLU allowed just 19 goals (third least in the conference) in 18 matches in 2018 while battling reigning conference tournament champion, Lamar in the first round before falling, 3-2.
Under McBride, the Lady Lions proved to be one of the most disciplined teams in the conference in 2018. SLU had the least amount of yellow cards (4) called against them in the Southland.
In McBride's first season, SLU allowed just 25 goals in 18 matches (1.38 GPM) in 2017.
McBride was officially named the fourth head coach in the history of the Southeastern women’s soccer program on Nov. 28, 2016
McBride follows Kim Stewart (1995-97), Blake Hornbuckle (1998-2016) and Matt Muia (interim, 2016) as head coaches of the Lady Lions.
McBride comes to Southeastern from the University of South Alabama where he served one season as an assistant coach under head coach Graham Winkworth. The Jaguars captured their fourth straight Sun Belt Conference Tournament title this past season after finishing with a 7-3 conference mark during the season. USA advanced to the NCAA Tournament, losing to 11th-ranked Auburn, 4-0, in the first round to finish the season at 15-6-1 overall.
McBride previously was at North Alabama for four seasons, helping lead the Lions to a 50-21-6 record and three NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. In 2015, he worked with UNA goalkeepers who recorded eight shutouts and a 0.75 goals against average as the Lions won both the Gulf Coast Conference regular season and conference titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament with a 15-3-2 record.
UNA had a 0.57 GAA, posting 11 shutouts — including a streak of seven straight — in going 14-4-1 with a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014. In his first season, McBride helped the Lions record a 13-6-1 mark that included a 1-0 victory over Valdosta State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. UNA tied for second in the GSC that year with a league record of 6-2-1, finishing third in the conference with seven shutouts.
McBride is a 2011 graduate of Martin Methodist, serving as team captain twice in a four-year career during which time the RedHawks won one TranSouth Conference regular-season championship and one league tournament title in addition to advancing the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Tournament.
As a senior in 2010, McBride — who was selected a TranSouth scholar athlete on three occasions — was named an Academic All-American while receiving both the Tom Read Academic Award for the highest grade-point average by a male student-athlete and the Royce Hughes Physical Education Non-Licensure Award.
Serving as an assistant coach in 2011, he helped MMC to a 14-2-2 overall record as the RedHawks would claim the TranSouth regular-season championship while advancing to the final 16 of the NAIA Tournament.
A native of Scotland, McBride earned his master’s degree in health and human performance from the University of North Alabama in 2013. He received a bachelor’s degree from Martin Methodist in physical education with a minor in biology, graduating with magna cum laude honors.
McBride was one of 30 coaches selected from more than 300 applicants in August to the 2017-18 United Soccer Coaches 30 Under 30 Program, a year-long education and mentorship opportunity for a select few up-and-comers who have made soccer coaching their career of choice.
McBride holds a Scottish Youth F.A. level “E” and “D” License as well as Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Licenses in Goalkeeping from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, in addition to an NSCAA National Diploma and has also helped coach the Alabama Olympic Development Program. He completed the United Soccer Coaches Advanced National Diploma this summer.
McBride and his wife, Sally, have a son, Aidan.
