NEWS

NC COURAGE’S  PAUL RILEY- 2017 COACH OF THE YEAR

North Carolina Courage Coach Paul Riley Was Voted the National Women’s Soccer League Coach of the Year for the 2017 NWSL Season

Riley, 54, led the North Carolina Courage to the NWSL Shield with a record-tying 16 wins as they posted a 16-7-1 record in the club’s first year since relocating to North Carolina.

It is the fourth consecutive year the coach of the team with the best regular-season record has been honored with the award.

Paul Riley is one of the best coaches coaching today. With an ability to motivate players to reach for the stars and create a shared confidence and passion to accomplish the daunting desires of the brave, Riley deserves this recognition.

Regardless of the highs and lows in the game of women’s soccer, Paul Riley has been a steadfast supporter. A man who clearly cares more for the game and appreciates the big picture, it is with great joy that we share this tribute.

Here is the scoop from NC Courage‘s Press Release:

North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley was voted the National Women’s Soccer League Coach of the Year for the 2017 NWSL season, the league announced Monday.

Riley, 54, led the Courage to the NWSL Shield with a record-tying 16 wins as they posted a 16-7-1 record in the club’s first year since relocating to North Carolina. It is the fourth consecutive year the coach of the team with the best regular-season record has been honored with the award.

NWSL Soccer News: Paul Riley to Serve as NC Courage Head Coach — The original social media graphic welcoming Paul Riley at the beginning of the season

The Liverpool, England native helped his team become just the fourth side in NWSL history to average more than two points per game with 49 points from 24 matches in 2017. He and his players spent 147 of 169 days during the regular-season in first-place – aided by an NWSL single-season record seven victories by the score line of 1-0.

The Courage also set an NWSL single-season record with 12 shutouts and conceded just 22 goals in 24 games during the 2017 regular season – with their 0.92 goals against average the fourth-best in the history of the league. Five of Carolina’s 12 shutouts in 2017 came away from home to equal the record for most clean sheets on the road set by Portland Thorns FC in 2013.

Riley and his players had two separate winning streaks of four games or more during the 2017 season – with their five consecutive victories during August tied for the longest winning streak in the NWSL this year.

The Courage reached the NWSL Championship a year after Riley led many of the same players to the 2016 NWSL title as the Western New York Flash, but were unable to come away with the league championship this time as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against the Thorns in the final at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

List of NWSL Coach of the Year winners:

Year Coach Club