CLEVELAND, Ohio – Mark Sappington has been named head coach of the Cleveland State women's soccer team by Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Garrett.
Sappington will become the fourth head coach in the program's 20-year history and will begin his duties on January 5, 2024.
"We had an outstanding pool of candidates for this opportunity, and we are so pleased to be able to attract Coach Sappington to CSU," shared Garrett. "Mark brings a strong vision for sustaining the personal development and academic success that makes CSU women's soccer special, while climbing our way back into the upper reaches of the Horizon League standings soon. He is a great fit and shares a confidence in our ability to reach new heights as a program."
Sappington arrives after spending the last two seasons as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Morehead State University. In that time, he helped the program to a 7-7-4 record in 2022 and a 9-6-5 mark in 2023, topping the cumulative number of wins in the previous five seasons.
"I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to President Laura Bloomberg, Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Garrett, Deputy Director of Athletics and women's soccer sport administrator Kelsie Gory Harkey, and the entire search committee for providing me with this fantastic opportunity," said Sappington. "I was incredibly drawn to the energy, culture, and passion of the Viking community. The vision and trajectory of Cleveland State Athletics excited me, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I believe wholeheartedly that Cleveland State women's soccer can be a consistent force within the Horizon League. I look forward to integrating myself into the CSU community, and I will work tirelessly alongside the administration, support staff, and our great student-athletes to propel the Vikings into this next exciting chapter. We Are Cleveland State University!"
In his first season with the Eagles, Sappington helped the program to a plethora of accolades; a third-place finish in the OVC, the highest since 2013, seven wins, the most since 2015, and the third-longest unbeaten streak in program history with six. He also recruited and coached a freshman goalkeeper to the program record for best goal-against average (0.84) while being named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team and being ranked nationally in several categories.
Then, in 2023, Sappington helped the program win the OVC tournament championship and make an appearance in the 2023 NCAA tournament, where the team fell to eventual national champion Florida State. Morehead State posted nine shutouts on the year, the second-highest total in program history. For their efforts, the team hauled in five all-conference honors, the most for the program since 1999.
"I want to thank head coach Chris Fox, the community, and the athletic department at Morehead State University for their support and guidance during my time," said Sappington. "I am grateful for the time, energy, and hard work everyone put in leading to the success of Morehead State women's soccer."
Sappington joined Morehead State after spending two seasons at Campbell University as an assistant coach. While at Campbell, he helped the program win the 2020 tournament championship and 2021 regular season championship. During the 2020 season, he aided the team in achieving a No. 22 ranking by Top Drawer Soccer and their first NCAA tournament bid since 1993.
Sappington spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock University, highlighted by winning the 2019 PSAC regular season and tournament championships and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In that time, the goalkeepers held opponents to under a goal per game, while breaking multiple records.
Sappington also spent one season as an assistant coach at the University of Scranton after getting his start in college coaching as an assistant at Shippensburg University. In his second season at Shippensburg, the team advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Sappington played four seasons as a goalkeeper at Wheeling Jesuit University while earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. He later earned a master's degree in sports psychology from Lock Haven University.
Sappington will be joined in Cleveland by his wife Janna.
The search for Sappington's appointment was facilitated by a CSU search committee including Garrett, Deputy Athletics Director Kelsie Gory Harkey, Assistant Athletics Director Brandon Longmeier, Faculty Athletics Representative Rob Kleidman, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Raymond Henry, head men's soccer coach Sinisa Ubiparipovic and former women's soccer student-athlete and current graduate student Helena Novatsidis. Bowlsby Sports Advisors assisted the search committee with prospective candidate recruitment, communication, scheduling, and referencing activities.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT HEAD COACH MARK SAPPINGTON
Kelly Wells, Director of Athletics Morehead State University
"We are excited for Mark and his new opportunity to lead Cleveland State women's soccer. Mark has been an invaluable part of turning the culture and success in the women's soccer program at Morehead State. We wish him the very best as he will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of his student-athletes."
Chris Fox – Head Coach at Bowling Green State University
"I'm so incredibly proud of Mark, and I believe Cleveland State has nailed this hire. I've known Mark for many years and have had the privilege of working with him for the past two. He is a tireless worker, a proven recruiter, and truly cares about people and cultivating relationships. The success we had at Morehead State University would not have been possible without him. I have no doubts that Mark is ready to become a head coach and will lead the Cleveland State women's soccer program to new heights."
Jessica Giegucz – Head Coach at Slippery Rock University
"Cleveland State made an outstanding hire in choosing Mark. The women's soccer team is in great hands with him at the helm. He is dedicated to student-athlete well-being and provides an incredible culture for his teams. I know his program will thrive under his leadership. He has a great connection to the Mid-Atlantic recruiting circuit, and he's opened the doors to some niche recruiting in international areas. Mark's dedication to quality recruitment, his ability to create a common goal amongst a team, and his success competing at high levels make him the right fit for CSU!"
Andy McNab – Head Coach at UNC Asheville
"I am very happy for Mark to be named the next head coach at Cleveland State. Coach Sappington has proven success at every level and in every program, he has been associated with. I look forward to seeing his presence in the program."
Sharif Saber – Head Coach at USC Upstate
"Mark has not only had success at every program he has been a part of, but he is one of the most genuine, generous coaches out there. I cannot wait to see the amazing job he does on and off the field for Cleveland State."
Cameron Fertenbaugh – Assistant Coach at Georgetown University
"I've known Mark for several years now through ODP and coaching workshops and have followed his coaching career. His growth and development over that time have been exponential, and I have no doubt he will continue to excel as a head coach and succeed in this new venture at Cleveland State. The hard work and dedication that he's shown speak to his character. He has a very clear vision for what he wants his program to look like, and I am excited to see the journey."
Jesse Goleman – Assistant Coach at the University of Pitt.
"I met Mark back in 2019 and have admired his work ethic and knowledge of the game from day one. It's no surprise that he's been on winning staffs and will bring that culture to Cleveland State. Mark is extremely deserving of this position, and I'm extremely excited to see how he lifts this program forward."
Ben Munger – Assistant Coach at the University of Texas
"I am so excited for Mark, as Cleveland State is getting a great coach and person. There's no doubt Mark will do an excellent job as the caretaker of the program. The only thing that outmatches his work ethic is his ability to treat people with the highest quality of respect."
