About the Coaches
Head Coach Paul Smith
Paul Smith enters his eighth season as head coach of the Meredith College Soccer team. Smith was named the 2006 National Coach of the Year of the Association of Division III Independents. The team finished 2007 with a fourth place finish in the USA South Athletic Conference and the 2006 season with 17 wins and their first ever bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer tournament. The 2006 season also included a 12 game win streak, 14 game non-losing streak and 14 shutouts. Five players were named to the USA South All-Conference teams including the rookie of the year.
Smith has rebuilt the Meredith College program to a team capable of consistently playing in the Division III NCAA tournament. Smith came to Meredith from Garner High School where he served as the head men’s and women’s soccer coach. While coaching there, he was named the Region III Coach of the Year four times and the 1995 N.C. High School Coach of the Year. He also coached the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) 1983 Spartan Vipers club team to a #2 national ranking and the CASL 1978 team to a #6 national ranking. Smith served as an N.C. Olympic Development coach from 1989-1996 and has coached 14 National Team players or All-Americans. He has also served as a play-by-play announcer and television analyst for the USISL Raleigh Flyers professional soccer team.
Smith’s college playing experience at Methodist College from 1982-1985 led to his being named three times to the Dixie Conference All-Academic team. He was also named to the NSCAA/GTA Academic All-American team in 1984. Smith was selected as a midfielder to the Dixie All-Conference team and 1983 All South player. He participated in the 1983 USOC Under-20 Olympic team trials and played USISL B league Pro Soccer from 1986-88 with the Molsen Golden and Raleigh United.
Smith is a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators, National Educators Association, United States Soccer Federation, North Carolina Coaches Association, and National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He also holds a USSF national license and is a USSF state instructor. Smith was the featured speaker at the 2006 NCSCA All-State Banquet. He also was the originator of the High School Soccer Jamboree formats adopted by the NCHSAA and the North Carolina Amateur Sports Soccer Showcase for rising high school juniors and seniors.
Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Methodist College. His honors there include graduating Cum Laude, serving as president of Omicron Delta Kappa Society, being named to the Who’s Who of American University and Colleges and serving as president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
In addition to coaching, Smith teaches Honors earth science, physical science, mathematics and freshman orientation at Garner Magnet/IB High School.
Assistant Coach Ashley Riggs
Ashley Riggs enters her second season as assistant coach of the Meredith College Soccer team. Riggs joins Coach Paul Smith in continuing the success of Meredith’s soccer program.
Riggs has a wide range of soccer coaching experience. In 2006, she served as the Boys Junior Varsity Soccer Coach at Leesville Road High School. Previously she coached at Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.) High School in various roles. She was the Girls Varsity Soccer Coach from 2000-2006, Girls Middle School Lacrosse Coach from 2001-2006, Girls Assistant Varsity Lacrosse Coach in 2000, and the Girls JV Soccer Coach from 1999-2000. Her honors include New York State AA High School Coach of the Year 2005, Syracuse Post Standard Coach of the Year 2005, and the Colonial League Coach of the Year 2004 and 2005. She led Cicero-North Syracuse High School to 2005 League champions, sectional champions and the State Final Four.
Riggs was also an accomplished player in college as a member of the University of North Carolina Tarheels team that won three NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships. She served as a team captain her senior year and was a varsity letter winner all four years. As a high school player, she was a N.C. Prep High School All-American leading Sanderson to two North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) regional championships and two NCHSAA 4A finals. She was named the 1991 MVP of the championship team and set a N.C. finals record with four goals. Riggs also was the captain of the Under-16 National Champion Fairfax FC (Va.) team.
Riggs is a health and physical education teacher at Leesville High School in Raleigh, N.C. Riggs graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in physical education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Science in sports management from Illinois State University.
Goalkeeper Coach: Chris McClellan
Athletic Trainer: Sharon Malley
