Soccer
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- donnenwirthr@ecu.edu
- Phone:
- (252) 737-1427
After 19 years at the helm of the ECU women's soccer program, Rob Donnenwirth announced his resignation on November 9, effective Dec. 31, 2017. He compiled a 177-150-44 record with the Pirates and produced nine 10-win seasons.Â
During his time in Greenville, Donnenwirth mentored 86Â all-conference performers, four academic All-Americans and his 177 victories makes him the winningest coach in school history.
In 2017, the Pirates produced their best start in program history with a 4-0-1 mark through the first five matches. ECU posted a 5-2-2 non-conference mark that was capped off with a 0-0 draw against No. 5 Virginia, the Pirates' first tie against a top-5 opponent in program history. Despite an 1-8 American Athletic Conference slate, ECU finished the season 6-10-2. Junior Courtney Cash collected postseason honors, being named All-AAC Second Team.Â
During the 2016 season Donnenwirth led the Pirates to a 5-12-1 record and 1-7-1 ledger in the AAC. Under Donnenwirth's direction senior Lana Spitler earned All-AAC Second Team honors while freshman Jayda Hylton-Pelaia earned All-Freshman Team accolades. The Pirates averaged 1.22 goals per game in 2016 and goalkeeper Caroline Jefferies had a 2.2 goals against average with 74 saves.
In 2015, ECU took part in a handful of high-intensity games, including a pair of double-overtime wins in the final minute of play against Western Carolina and Charlotte, as well as a 1-0 conference victory over UCF on a game-winning goal with just 31 seconds left in regulation. Under Donnenwirth, Kendall Frey was named to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team after cracking the top five in multiple categories in the program’s record book, closing her career at No. 5 in goals scored (22) and points (53). Lana Spitler earned a second-team nod, while freshman Courtney Cash was chosen to the league’s all-rookie team.
The 2014 season was East Carolina’s first as a member of the American Athletic Conference as the club matched the 2012 squad for the single-season program record for shutouts with 11, while compiling a 12-8-1 overall mark and reaching the semifinals of the conference tournament. East Carolina had three all-conference selections in Frey, senior defender Kelley Johnson and senior goalkeeper Erika Lenns who earned second team nods, respectively. Frey and senior defender Kelly Miller also received NSCAA Scholar All-South Region honors.
The 2013 campaign kicked off with a milestone victory for Donnenwirth after he won his 200th-career game in a 2-0 victory at Davidson on Aug. 23. The Pirates won at least nine games for the eighth year in a row en route to a 9-9-3 overall record, 5-4-1 mark in Conference USA games and reached the semifinals of the C-USA Tournament. Caitlin Hite became the first freshman in program history to earn all-conference first team honors, while Kendall Frey and Danielle Romano received third-team recognition.
In 2011 and 2012, Donnenwirth led ECU to double-digit wins both seasons, which included a fourth place regular season finish and a 6-2-3 Conference USA ledger in 2012. Behind the play of a pair of first-team all-league selections in Christiane Cordero and Hali Oughton, the Pirates defense ranked among the top five in all four major defensive categories including a share of second with 10 shutouts.
In 2011, ECU returned to postseason play after a two-year hiatus, finishing fifth in the league standings. The Pirates earned their first-ever victory over UCF in the first round of the C-USA Championships defeating the Knights 2-1, who later advanced to the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament. Their season came to an end following a 3-0 loss in the second round to eventual champion No. 6 Memphis closing out the campaign with an 11-8-1 overall record.
The 2008 season was Donnenwirth's most successful as he led ECU to the best overall record in program history at 14-4-4 and a share of the C-USA Regular Season Championship. That year the Pirates finished the C-USA season with a 7-0-4 mark, good for the first unbeaten run through league play since Charlotte went 8-0-2 in 2002.
East Carolina played in its first C-USA Championship game in 2008, but fell to Memphis, 4-1, and narrowly missed out on making the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. For his efforts, Donnenwirth received his first C-USA Coach-of-the-Year award and was the Soccer Buzz Southeast Region Coach-of-the-Year runner-up.
The conclusion of the 2008 campaign also saw a Pirate agree to the first United States professional contract in program history as Madison Keller signed with the Washington= Freedom of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league. In all, three former players have signed professional contracts under Donnenwirth's tenure at ECU: Amanda Duffy (Sweden `06), Keller and Kimmy Cummings (Ireland, `12).
Prior to arriving at ECU, Donnenwirth spent five years as the head coach at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, N.C. Under his guidance, the Battling Bishops enjoyed tremendous success, going 62-27-9, winning four Dixie Conference titles and making three trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament. In Donnenwirth's first year as the Bishops as head coach, the team advanced to the NCAA Final Four and finished with a 15-3-3 record. Chris Webb and Trish Parker, former ECU assistant coaches, were a part of that squad and Parker was named the Division III National Player-of-the-Year.
In his tenure at N.C. Wesleyan, three Bishop players were named All-Americans, two were chosen Dixie Conference Players-of-the-Year and three were picked as the conference's Rookie-of-the-Year. Donnenwirth was also recognized several times while at N.C. Wesleyan, earning NCAA South Regional Coach of-the-Year twice and the Dixie Conference Coach-of-the-Year three times.
Before heading to N.C. Wesleyan, Donnenwirth served as an assistant with the James Madison men's and women's teams and the University of Massachusetts men's squad.
Outside the college ranks, Donnenwirth has a wealth of experience in Olympic Development Programs (ODP). He has been part of the United States Region III ODP coaching staff and has served eight years as a North Carolina ODP coach with the under-13 and under-15 girls' teams.
He was formerly the director of the Pitt Greenville Soccer Association's traveling and recreational programs and is currently president of Soccer Express, a community soccer camp business that has attracted over 3,000 youth and adult campers in the U.S. and Canada.
As a player, Donnenwirth guided West Virginia Wesleyan College to back-to-back NAIA National Championships in 1984 and 1985 and was named a NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 1987 as a goalkeeper. He earned a B.S. in marketing from West Virginia Wesleyan in 1988 and his M.B.A. from James Madison in 1990.
Donnenwirth and his wife, Rosy, have three daughters: Allison, Madison and Carly.
