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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Todd Shulenberger named soccer coach at WSU

Shulenberger was assistant last year at Texas Tech

Todd Shulenberger (WSU)
New Washington State women’s soccer coach Todd Shulenberger said he’s impressed by the program’s “ability to keep things rolling and turn negatives into positives.” Now Shulenberger, who spent the past two seasons as associate head coach at Texas Tech, has a chance to do the same. Introduced on Friday, Shulenberger is only the program’s seventh coach but its fourth in only five years following the unexpected resignation last month of Steve Nugent. As Shulenberger sees it, stability and winning go hand in hand. During a phone interview Friday afternoon, Shulenberger used the word “commitment” three times in one sentence and otherwise promised to make the most of his first head coaching job. “I believe Todd to be an outstanding coach and, with the opportunity to run his own program, will continue the progression of one of the Pac-12’s premier soccer programs,” athletic director Bill Moos said. “He is a proven recruiter, has a strong technical background and is a great fit to lead Cougar soccer in the toughest soccer conference in the nation.” Shulenberger, 43, a longtime assistant for successful programs at Clemson, Missouri and Texas Tech, said he plans to continue the Cougars’ recent success. That includes NCAA tournament appearances in six of the last seven seasons, and a fourth straight double-digit-win season (10-5-4) last year. Awaiting Shulenberger is a top-25 recruiting class, according to TopDrawerSoccer.com. “I like the vision that’s in place here,” Shulenberger said, mentioning the Cougars’ new facility in the heart of campus. “I’m very excited to be part of it.” Shulenberger plans to be in Pullman on Tuesday, staying for eight days while catching a pair of spring matches and meeting the players. That will give him a chance to make some more assessments, he said. Shulenberger said he admires the program’s emphasis on defense – the Cougars’ 0.74 goals-against average last year ranked 33rd in Division I. He expects to push the team forward next year. Whether it’s a change in formation, style of play or mentality, he said he would try to improve the Cougars’ scoring chances. Last season, Texas Tech reached the third round of the NCAA tournament and finished 16-4-2. Prior to that, Shulenberger spent four seasons at Missouri, concluding with back-to-back trips to the NCAA tournament in 2011 and 2012. He arrived at Missouri following a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Clemson where he also served as recruiting coordinator. Shulenberger graduated from Robert Morris University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1994. He spent four seasons on the Robert Morris soccer team before a three-year pro career in the National Professional Soccer League from 1994-96 before turning to coaching. Shulenberger and his wife, Christy, have two daughters, Kyla and Camryn, and a son, Owen.