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William Carey University

William Carey University Athletics
 710 William Carey Pkwy Hattiesburg, MS 39401
NAIA Mississippi Southeast
Private Small National competitor
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Coaches

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Danny Owens

2023 concludes Danny Owens 19th season at the helm of the William Carey University women's soccer program. In 2023, Owens guided the Crusaders to a 24-1 record and a final ranking of #1 in the Coaches Top 25 Poll. Carey won the SSAC regular season championship, conference tournament championship and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the 15th time in his tenure.


Carey played in the National Championship for the 3rd time in 4 years, falling in penalty kicks. Mariangela Jiminez was named NAIA and United Soccer National Player of the Year and National Tournament Offensive Player. Maria Azarias claimed the SSAC Player of the Year along with the National Tournament Most Valuable Player. Chloe Strickland was named SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. Owens was named SSAC Coach of the Year, and the Staff was named United Soccer South Regional Staff and National Staff of the Year. The Lady Crusaders had 11 players to earn SSAC All Conference Awards and 15 players placed on the All-Academic Team. 4 Lady Crusaders earned 1st Team All-American Honors, while they also placed one on the 2nd and 3rd Team.


Over the last 19 years Carey has posted 17 winning seasons with a 317-69-16 overall record and 131-18-5 overall conference record. The Lady Crusaders have 12 regular season conference championships, have appeared in 14 Conference Finals winning 10 Conference Tournaments and have made 15 trips to the National Tournament. Carey has featured in 4 National Championship games (2018 National Champions), 6 Final 4’s and has advanced to the Quarter Finals or further 10x’s. Owens’ staff were selected as the National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2018 and 2023, 4x Regional Staff of the Year and 11x Conference Coach of the Year.


Individually, Owens has coached 9 Conference Players of the Year, 94 1st Team All-Conference players, 16 1st Team All-Americans, 56 All-Americans in all and 236 Academic All-Conference players. In addition, he has had 49 NAIA Scholar Athletes and his team has been NAIA All Scholar Team multiple times.


Before his time here at Carey, Owens served as head girls' soccer coach at Our Lady Academy (OLA) in Bay St. Louis, MS. His team compiled an impressive 60-12-7 overall record during his stretch as head coach and won three consecutive Mississippi High School State Championships.


A former Crusader Men's Soccer player from 1996-99, Owens earned All-Conference (Gulf Coast Athletic), All Region (NAIA Region XIII), and 1st Team All American (NAIA) honors at William Carey. During his collegiate career, the Crusaders qualified for three national tournaments and had two NAIA Final Four appearances. He was also voted the team captain and most valuable player during his senior year. In 2013, Owens was inducted in the WCU Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted to the Inaugural Hall of Fame for the Men’s Soccer team at WCU and in 2004 was inducted to the Inaugural Wall of Fame at Bishop Sullivan High School (St. Michael’s High School) in Baton Rouge, LA.


Owens earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from William Carey in 2000. Afterwards, he also obtained a Master of Science degree in Psychology with an Industrial/Organizational concentration.


Danny currently holds a USSF National "B" License and United Soccer Goalkeeping I&II License.


Danny is married to Katie Owens, formerly Katie Langlois, and has two boys; Michael Owens (21 years old) and Aiden (17 years old).

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Email coach

Ryan Weir

Coach Ryan Weir completed his 10th season as the Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach at William Carey University, having joined the program in 2014. During his 9 seasons with the program, he has helped guide the Crusaders to an overall record of 193-24-8. Resulting in a 0.877 winning percentage.


He assisted William Carey to their first NAIA National Championship in the 2018 season with a record of 21-3.


NAIA National Championship – 2018


3 NAIA National Runners-up – 2020,2021, 2023


6 SSAC Conference Championships – 2016, 2019, 2020,2021,2022 ,2023


8 SSAC Regular Season Championships - 2015,2017,2018,2019, 2020,2021,2022,2023


10 Consecutive SSAC Conference Championship Games - 2014 - 2023


6 NAIA National Championship Final 4 appearances


United Soccer National Coaching Staff of the Year – 2018


United Soccer Regional Staff of the Year – 2018 & 2021


First #1 MRPI ranking in program history - 2014


First #1 NAIA Coaching Poll ranking in program history –2017


NAIA National Championship record 24-8-1


10 Consecutive NAIA National Tournament top 5 seedings


During his time at William Carey University, Coach Weir has mentored 15 First Team All-Americans, 11 Second Team All-Americans, 13 Third Team All-Americans and 13 Honorable Mentions. He has coached 7 SSAC Players of the Year, 4 SSAC Offensive Players of the Year, 8 SSAC Defensive Players of the Year and 3 NAIA National Players of the Year.


The Crusaders have only been ranked once outside of the top 10 in the NAIA Coaches Poll (#11) since the beginning of the 2014 season when Weir joined the program. The program has been ranked in the top 5 a total of 89 times out of a possible 106 in the NAIA Coaching Polls during Weir’s time and has been ranked the #1 team a total of 30 times.


As a player Weir played for William Carey University from 2008-2011 making 55 appearances. He was part of the 2011 team that reached the NAIA National Championship Final 4, making 14 starts and scoring 7 goals during that season.


From Torquay, England, Weir graduated from William Carey University in 2012 with his Bachelor of Arts in History, and received his Master's in Interscholastic Athletic Administration from William Carey University in 2015. He is married to his wife Samantha Clark and has a son Liam.

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