Jack Marchant was named assistant coach of The Citadel women’s soccer team in February of 2016.
The 2018 season was a breakout year for the Bulldogs as they improved their win total by four from the 2017 campaign, won two Southern Conference games for the first time since 2014 and won a game in the opening round of the Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship for the first time in four years. Along the way, the Bulldogs bested both ETSU and North Florida for the first time in program history and started the season off 3-0 for the third straight year. The Bulldogs defeated VMI at home for the first time since 2004 and went undefeated at home in non-conference action for the first time in program history.
The Bulldogs were featured by NCAA Soccer on Twitter and Instagram numerous times, including two Top-Five Plays of the Week. Freshmen Mel Mikoy and Kessy Bradshaw had the No. 3 play of the week on Aug. 22 with Mikoy finding Bradshaw with a free kick that Bradshaw then put a header into the net. On Oct. 5, Ellie Burgess and Bradshaw combined forces for the No. 2 play of the week where Burgess passed the ball from right of the box in to Bradshaw for the finish.
The Citadel set program team records in three statistical categories, including assists (30), shots taken (334) and corner kicks taken (105), while also tying the program mark for points (98). The ‘Dogs held opponents to the fewest shots in program history (268) and fewest assists (22).
The Bulldogs entered conference play in the top-25 in the nation in six statistical categories, including tied for 14th with an average of 7.88 points per game and 15th with a scoring average of 2.75 goals per contest. The Citadel's 22 goals in the non-conference portion of the season were tied for the 17th-most in the nation and their 63 points to that part of the season had them 21st in NCAA Division I, including the 23rd-most assists (19) and the 24th-most assists per game (2.38).
There were six first-time collegiate goal scorers, matching the program record. Burgess, Bradshaw, Mikoy, Taylor Diggs, Devyn Nyhart and Emily Mason all notched their first-ever goals at the collegiate level, and graduate transfer goalkeeper Kelly Brahmbhatt set a program record for wins in a season with eight.
Bradshaw burst onto the scene with seven goals scored and a pair of assists to finish second on the team with 16 points. For her efforts, she earned the Bulldogs’ first post-season honor, Southern Conference All-Freshman plaudits, since 2014.
In Marchant and Traquair’s second season (2017), the Bulldogs posted a 5-13 record. The mark included winning four of their first five games, something no previous Bulldog team had done before. The Bulldogs saw an uptick in offensive production as they scored 20 goals, eight more than the season before, and the most since the 2014 team scored 34 goals.
In his first year at The Citadel, Marchant helped the Bulldogs post a program-record-tying five shutouts, including three consecutive to start the season, as The Citadel got off to its best start in program history. The 2016 squad was the first in school history to open the season with three straight shutouts.
The Bulldogs finished the 2016 season with the lowest goals against average (1.62) in six years and posted the highest save percentage (.797) in program history. Marchant also guided freshman goalkeeper Logan Leask to a record-breaking campaign as she recorded the highest save percentage (.797) in school history and the lowest goals against average (1.54) in a season. Leask also ranked first in the Southern Conference in saves per game (5.53), second in total saves (94), fourth in save percentage (.797) and fifth in shutouts (4). As a team, the Bulldogs ranked second in the SoCon with 114 saves and sixth with 1.61 goals allowed per game.
Prior to The Citadel, Marchant spent one year at Anderson University as the goalkeepers coach for both the men’s and women’s programs.
While at Anderson, Marchant assisted Coach Traquair to a program-record 14 wins in 2015 and a No. 8 ranking in the final NSCAA Southeast Region poll. The Trojans finished the season in the South Atlantic Conference Championship semifinal round with a 14-4-1 overall record and produced five All-SAC performers, the most in program history. Under Marchant’s direction, Anderson’s Abby Helm finished the season fifth in the South Atlantic Conference with a 0.95 goals-against average.
Marchant was also involved in the Clemson Anderson Soccer Alliance where he held the position of Director of Goalkeeper/Coach. In that role, Marchant oversaw the development of the club’s goalkeepers and developed players based on USSF coaching.
Marchant began his coaching career at his alma mater, University of Rio Grande, in 2013 when he was named the goalkeeper coach for the men’s soccer team. During his time with the Red Storm men’s team, Marchant assisted the program to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. Marchant also coached eight players to Mid-South All-Conference teams and coached his goalkeeper to two NAIA All-American Awards.
In May of 2013, Marchant accepted the position of assistant coach of the women’s soccer program at Rio Grande. During his two-year stint with the women’s team, Marchant assisted the program to its first NAIA National Tournament berth in program history, the school’s first Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship and first KIAC tournament championship. Marchant also assisted the squad to a 22-14 record.
Marchant played five seasons on the varsity squad at Rio Grande and participated in five national championships, making it to the finals, semifinal and quarterfinal. As a player, Marchant earned two all-conference accolades and following his senior season, was named an NAIA Men’s Soccer All-American in 2012. Marchant earned a bachelor of science, business management in 2012 and then finished his masters of business administration in 2014. Most recently, Marchant completed his masters of education with a focus on athletic coaching and leadership at Rio Grande.
The Leeds, England, native played three seasons for Hull City A.F.C as a youth and competed in the FA Youth Cup before moving to the United States in 2008.
