Radford men’s soccer head coach Marc Reeves has resigned from his position to take on the same role for Elon University, Radford Director of Athletics Robert Lineburg announced on Wednesday, February 22. A national search for Reeves’ replacement will begin immediately.
“We are so appreciative of the job Reevo has done at Radford. He has led this program to tremendous heights on and off the field. We hate to see him leave,” Lineburg said. “However, this is an excellent job and we will have tremendous interest. We have a wonderful group of student-athletes and we will find an outstanding coach that is a great fit for Radford Soccer.”
Reeves served at the helm of the Highlanders for seven seasons, compiling a 75-43-20 overall record and a 42-15-6 clip in Big South play. Radford posted a winning record in six of Reeve’s seven seasons. Under Reeves’ tutelage; Radford won three Big South Regular Season Championships (2014, 2015, 2016) and one Big South Tournament Championship (2016). The Highlanders only had two NCAA Tournament appearances in program history (1999, 2000) until Reeves guided Radford to 2015 and 2016 tournament appearances.
“I would like to thank Robert Lineburg and former president Penelope Kyle for hiring me seven seasons ago. It has been an incredible journey that my family has truly enjoyed,” Reeves added. “I am truly thankful to all my former players, coaching staff and all the support staff that gave so much to the program thru the years. I am very proud of what we have achieved and I truly believe the program is set up for even more success.”
In his seven seasons, Reeves guided 41 players to All-Big South honors while being named the Big South’s Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016. Radford collected back-to-back Big South Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016. The Highlanders racked up a whopping 14 national and regional academic awards, including two CoSIDA Academic All-America honorees.
“Saying goodbye to this team was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. The players and our alumni know that I will always be available to them no matter what or where I am,” Reeves added. “I wish nothing but the best and true success in the future for all of Radford’s athletic programs.”
Known for his defensive mind, Reeves’ Highlanders yielded only 13 goals in 2016, including two in league play. The Highlanders matched a program record with 10 shutouts. Radford ranked ninth nationally with a 0.63 goals against average and 13th with a 0.50 shutout percentage. Finishing with a 0.824 save percentage to rank 10th nationally as a team, Aitor Pouseu Blanco ranked 13th nationally in the individual category. Pouseu Blanco also ranked 10th in the country with a 0.611 goals against average.
This past season, Jo Vetle Rimstad became the first Highlander selected in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft as the D.C. United selected Rimstad with the 43rd overall pick in the draft. In addition, Rimstad was named to the NSCAA All-American Third Team, becoming Radford’s second All-American in NCAA Division I history. Rimstad also earned NSCAA Scholar All-America and All-South First Team honors.
All the success from the 2016 season was built off the 2015 season in which the Highlanders finished with a 14-4-2 record, making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Radford received its first NCAA at-large bid in program history on the strength of its No. 20 RPI. The Highlanders finished the Big South schedule with a 7-1-1 record, securing a share of their sixth conference regular-season championship.
Reeves saw one of his most well-balanced teams in 2015, as the Highlanders were one of the top offensive threats in the country. Radford led the Big South with 44 goals, ranking in the Top 20 nationally. Meanwhile, Radford’s defense was just as impressive, only allowing four goals in Big South play-the lowest recorded in the league.
At the end of the season, six players earned All-Big South honors-five named to the first team, a program record. Daniel O’Keefe became the first Highlander to be named Big South Defensive Player of the Year, after anchoring the backline of a defense that finished with nine shutouts. Sivert Daehlie led the Highlanders and ranked second in the Big South with 13 goals. Daehlie ranked second nationally with seven game winning goals. He finished the season ranked inside the nation’s Top-25 in goals, goals per game, points and points per game.
The successful 2015 season was carried over from a strong 2014 season by Reeves’ Highlanders. Reeves earned 2014 Big South Coach of the Year honors, after Radford posted a 12-5-3 overall record and an 8-1-0 mark in conference play. It was the fourth straight winning season for the Highlanders, which has not been done in nearly 20 years. The Highlanders won seven straight games at one point, which at that time was the longest winning streak in the nation. The team also posted an 11-game unbeaten streak, which is the longest single-season streak as a member of the Big South in school history.
Over the last four years, Radford compiled a 49-20-11 record, including a 24-4-5 record inside Cupp Stadium. During that span the Highlanders only allowed 72 goals for a 0.90 team goals against average.
— Courtesy of RU Athletics
