For the first time since 1990, the DePauw women's soccer program will not have coach John Carter running the show next season. After 24 seasons, seven NCAA Championship appearances, and six conference championships, Carter has decided to resign from the University. The news came to players in the form of an e-mail on Jan. 24. Senior forward Sophia Da Silveira, who has known Carter since she was twelve years old, said that while the move wasn't a shock to her, the timing was unexpected. For athletic director Stevie Baker-Watson, there was no prior knowledge that Carter intended to resign from his long-standing position.
"I wasn't aware before January that this was the route to go,' said Baker-Watson. "I meet with him at the end of the season. As we had this conversation to recap, he saw that he'd accomplished a lot and he still has coaching in him, but he was ready to move on to something new."
DePauw University reports that Carter left the position to pursue other career activities. Both Da Silveria and Baker-Watson suspect that Carter will continue his involvement with the Olympic Development Program, a national program that trains youth players to compete in soccer competitions.
Carter currently serves as the director of Indiana Soccer. Last season, the coach led the Tigers to a 10-9 record, with a roster that featured 11 freshmen. Da Silveira, who has played under Carter for four years, was the lone senior on last season's team. Even with their inexperience, the Tigers held first place in the NCAC standings before losing their last three regular season games. At the season's end, five players were selected to the All- North Coast Athletic Conference team, including sophomore forward Megann Lear, who led the NCAC with eight assists.
From a coaching standpoint, last year had to be one of the most challenging for Carter during his DePauw tenure. Carter lost almost all of his starters from 2012, forcing him to constantly make adjustments to the line-up. Along with having to deal with freshmen players challenging transition from high school to college, the Tigers also faced early-season injuries that left crucial players out of the line-up. Last season's team also showed resilience, however, winning eight out of ten games after starting the year 0-4. Nevertheless, Da Silveria saw a coach that was ready for the next step.
"Our team (last season) peaked too soon, the winning streak happened when the freshmen gained their confidence," said Da Silveira. "It was one of those moments where we all peaked at onceand couldn't keep up that level of play (at the end of the season). By that last third, we were all burnt out."
For freshman players who were recruited by Carter a year ago, the news of the coach's resignation was bittersweet. Elizabeth Seewer, a freshman from Louisville, Ky., says that while Carter's resignation was saddening, she is excited for the team to move in a new direction. Seewer's six goals and 15 points led the team last season.
"The season had its ups and downs," Seewer said. "It was amazing when we were doing well. When we lost, the mood definitely changed in a negative way."
Prior to the devastating losing streak that ended the Tigers season, Carter saw a team reminiscent of the one he had in 2012. That year, the team won six of the season's final eight games, earning a bid to the NCAA Division III Championship in the process. The team suffered a 2-0 loss to Emory in the first round of the championship.
Over his tenure, Carter received national attention for his coaching abilities and was named Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year two years in a row, in 1995 and 1996. Carter was also awarded SCAC Coach of the year twice, in 1999 and 2003. In the 13 seasons that DePauw was in the SCAC, Carter led his teams to three conference titles. In 2003, Carter's team was 15-5-1 overall, and won all nine conference games. The team made it to the NCAA semifinal, where they lost to Chicago in two overtimes.
Carter, who graduated from Earlham College in 1986, leaves the program with a 255-155-24 record over almost a quarter century of coaching DePauw women's soccer. He is only the second women's soccer coach in DePauw history.
As of now, athletic director Stevie Baker Watson is preparing the hunt for a new head coach. The team is under interim coach Lisa Link, DePauw's assistant athletic director. Chloe Jacob and Ryan Konicek, two returning seniors for next season's roster, will lead captain practices. According to Baker-Watson, the rising seniors will play an instrumental role in hiring the Tigers' next head coach. Like Seewer, Baker-Watson is also excited for the change.
"I think when you have a change in leadership, there's a change in expectation," said Baker-Watson. "We've been able to bring valuable people to campus. I'm not concerned about reputation, we've ended up in a better place than we started.".
Baker-Watson will have a meeting with the team this Friday to start the coach recruitment process. As for new player recruits and assistant coaches on Carter's staff, the team is keeping their fingers crossed that they will stay committed to DePauw soccer. As for the next head coach in DePauw women's soccer, Carter has left 24 year-old shoes to fill.