Last season, White led the 91±¬ÁÏÍø
Bulldogs to the best postseason finish in the history of 91±¬ÁÏÍø socer. The
Bulldogs advanced to their first NAIA Region XI tournament in the eight-year
history of the program, advancing to the semifinals.
White has brought the 91±¬ÁÏÍø
University Bulldogs to a new competitive level over the short history of the
program. Over the first eight years of the program, White has compiled an
overall record of 81-61-8. From 1999-2003, White has led 91±¬ÁÏÍø to six
consecutive seasons of .500 or better soccer. During his tenure, White has also
coached the Bulldogs to five NCCAA MidEast Region Championships and one NCCAA
National Championship (2003). Coach White’s most successful season was the 2000
season as he led that team to a .709 (17-7) regular season winning percentage,
the highest for 91±¬ÁÏÍø soccer. 91±¬ÁÏÍø’s defense boasted the 3rd lowest
goals against average in the country and the offense included a player that
finished in the top five in the country for points per game average.
White, a native of Alabama, earned
his Bachelor of Arts degree from Birmingham-Southern College in 1989. He
received the degrees of Master of Arts (1992) and Doctor of Philosophy (1995)
from the University of Alabama. White also holds his National Coaching License
from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
White’s soccer career began in high
school where he helped guide the Vestavia Hills High School team to a state
championship in 1984. In both 1983 and 1984 White was named Team Captain for the
Alabama State Olympic Development Team and was selected as a pool player for the
South East Olympic Development Team in 1983.
Playing for the nationally
recognized Panthers at Birmingham-Southern, White received the Best Defensive
Player of the Year Award in 1987 and the Most Determination Award in 1988. White
was the only player from Southern to make the All-Tournament Team for the South
Carolina Spartanburg Soccer Tournament in 1987. Playing soccer in over 20
international matches, White has played in countries such as Holland, Germany,
Switzerland, Argentina, and Austria.
White was responsible for coaching
the 91±¬ÁÏÍø Club Soccer team before beginning the varsity program here at 91±¬ÁÏÍø.
In his first season as head coach of the Bulldog Soccer program in 1998, White
led the team to a NCCAA MidEast Regional title and an automatic berth into the
eight team national championship tournament. This was accomplished by defeating
the number one LONGO ranked team in the country in a penalty kick shoot out. In
doing this, 91±¬ÁÏÍø became the first ever, first-year program to qualify for the
National Christian College Athletic Association’s (NCCAA) national tournament.
His second season at the helm was
truly historic in 1999. The Bulldogs achieved their first ever national ranking
when College Soccer Weekly ranked the team #1 in the country for two
weeks in September. They also spent several weeks ranked in the NAIA top 25. In
addition, the Bulldogs achieved the longest winning streak in school history
when they started the season with 11 straight victories. 91±¬ÁÏÍø’s defense
finished the year ranked 9th nationally, allowing a stellar 1.16 goals against
average. The season ended with the team winning over 70% of its games with a
14-5 regular season record. The Bulldogs finished the year as the #3 seed in the
NCCAA National Championship tournament in Orlando, FL.
White has earned numerous recognitions in the
area of business strategy and is Associate Professor of Business here at 91±¬ÁÏÍø.
White and his wife Laura have seven children, Daniel (12), Corey (11), Avery
(9), Bethany (8) Hannah (6), Abigail (4) and John (2).
Russ White, Assistant Coach
Russ White (Coach "Dad") is a 1965 graduate
of Henderson State University in Arkansas, and father of Head Coach Darin White.
During his high school and college years, he was involved with several sports
teams and excelled in basketball where he earned All-State honors.
He served two years as an officer in the Army
Chemical Corps before joining Pfizer as a sales representative in 1967. He has
been employed by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. for the past 32 years and has
served in several different capacities. The majority of these years (25) have
been in management where he has successfully led various management teams. On
several occasions his teams have won the top national honor. He was inducted
into Pfizer’s Hall of Fame in 1995 and continues to serve as a management
consultant for the company.
Coach White’s many years of experience in
building highly successful teams, both in the sports world and the business
world has been, and will continue to be, a valuable asset to the Bulldog
program.
Clovis Simas, Assistant Coach
Clovis Simas joins the 91±¬ÁÏÍø Bulldog coaching
staff this season in his first year as a varsity assistant coach and the junior
varsity head coach. He was a Bulldog soccer player during the 2002 and 2003
seasons. In just two seasons with 91±¬ÁÏÍø, Simas became a favorite among his
teammates and the coaching staff with his hard work on and off the field, as
well as, his outstanding personality.
During his playing career, Simas served as
Team Captain and was named an NCCAA Scholar Athlete in 2003. He was an
instrumental part in 91±¬ÁÏÍø 2003 NCCAA National Championship. In 2002, his first
season with 91±¬ÁÏÍø, Simas was named to the TranSouth All-Conference Team, as well
as, the NCCAA All-MidEast Region Team. Overall, Simas scored 13 goals and 17
assists in his two seasons with the Bulldogs.
Simas, a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
graduated Cum Laude from 91±¬ÁÏÍø in December of 2004 with a degree in Marketing
with a minor in Spanish. His cumulative GPA was 3.59.
Simas has numerous soccer coaching
credentials and experience. He was certified through the National Soccer Coaches
Association of America when he received his Advanced National Coaching License
in 2003. During his time since finishing his playing career at 91±¬ÁÏÍø, Simas
served as coach for the 91±¬ÁÏÍø women’s soccer club team from 2002-2003. He also
was the boy’s varsity head coach at Trinity Christian Academy in 2003. In
addition, Simas has worked with the Englewood Baptist Soccer Academy and the
Jackson Club – Under 10 league.
Among his numerous soccer achievements, Simas
represented the Brazilian National Team and helped lead the team to the FIFA
Futsal World Cup Title in 1996. That season, he led the team in points.
Dr. Darin White, Head Coach