SMU Athletics

Two-time National Coach of the Year and 1995 NCAA Championship Coach Chris Petrucelli enters his ninth season (2020) as SMU Head Women’s Soccer Coach. A veteran of 20-plus years as a head coach, Petrucelli was named the NSCAA National Coach of the Year in both 1994 and 1995 and was lauded as the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2006. In 30 years as a head coach, Petrucelli has compiled a 415-178-52 (.684) record.

In his eighth season (2019), Petrucelli led SMU to a 12-7-1 overall and 4-5 conference finish. The Mustangs made an appearance in the postseason at the American Athletic Conference tournament semifinal match. Conference honors for SMU included two First-Team, two All-Rookie and two All-Tournament Team selections. Other recognitions included a CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team honoree and two United Soccer Coaches All-Region selections.

In 2018, Petrucelli guided the Mustangs to a third-consecutive 10-win campaign with a 10-6-2 overall mark and a 5-4 record in the American Conference. The Mustangs earned three All-Conference honors including first team recognition for Allie Thornton and Rookie of the Year for Courtney Sebazco. On September 23, SMU defeated UConn for Petrucelli’s 400th career victory, one of eight division one coaches to reach that mark.

In 2017, SMU recorded eight shutouts, the most since 2006. The 2017 season also brought the 400th program win for SMU women’s soccer and was ranked as high as No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Seven players on the 2017 team received post season, All-American/Region/Conference/Academic accolades.

In his fifth season at the helm (2016), the veteran coach guided the Mustangs to a 13-7-2 overall record en route to the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006. After finishing third overall in the regular-season (19 pts, 6-2-1), SMU finished as runner-ups at the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The Mustangs were ranked top-25 nationally in total goals (17th NCAA, 1st AAC), total assists (17th NCAA, 1st AAC), total points (18th NCAA, 1st AAC), points per game (18th NCAA, 2nd AAC), scoring offense (19th NCAA, 2nd AAC) and assists per game (24th NCAA, 1st AAC). Petrucelli was named the AAC Co-Coach of the Year, and five student-athletes were named to AAC All-Conference teams, including Vanessa Valadez and freshman Allie Thornton who earned first team honors. Following the AAC Championship, four members were named to the AAC All-Tournament Team.

In 2014, Petrucelli guided a young team to seven wins and the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship. Freshman Claire Oates was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year and second-team all-conference.
 
In his second season on the Hilltop (2013), SMU won nine games and had two players earn All-American Athletic Conference recognition. He also won his 350th career game as a Division I head coach in SMU’s 6-1 victory over ULM on Aug. 23, 2013. In his first season at SMU (2012), Petrucelli led the Mustangs to an undefeated record at home (5-0-2) and four Mustangs took all-conference honors.
 
The six-time conference coach of the year came to the Hilltop after spending the previous 13 seasons as head coach of the Texas women’s soccer program where he compiled a 165-88-26 mark and signed some of the nation’s top recruiting classes. Under his tutelage, Texas captured back-to-back Big 12 postseason titles (2006-07) and the program’s first Big 12 regular season title in 2001. He guided the Longhorns to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances (2001-08, 2010-11), including runs to the third round (round of 16) in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
 
Prior to heading to UT, Petrucelli constructed the Notre Dame women’s soccer program into one of the nation’s best. He guided the Fighting Irish for nine years (1990-98) and was honored by the NSCAA as the National Coach of the Year in both 1994 and 1995 en route to becoming the only collegiate coach to win the award in consecutive years. During his tenure with Notre Dame, he led the Irish to the 1995 NCAA National Championship, three National Championship title matches (1994-96) and six NCAA Tournament appearances. This included four consecutive national semifinal berths from 1994-97, and eight-straight conference championships. Prior to being honored as the 1996 Big East Coach of the Year and leading the Irish to Big East crowns during each of his four seasons in the conference, Petrucelli was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) Coach of the Year in each of Notre Dame’s four years within that league, as he guided the Irish to MCC titles every year and never lost a league match.
 
A standout teacher of the game, Petrucelli has not only produced championship-caliber teams, but has also developed some of the nation’s top soccer talent as well. He has coached one NSCAA National Player of the Year as well as players who have earned 30 NSCAA All-America honors, 69 All-Region accolades, seven conference Player of the Year awards, eight Conference Rookies of the Year honors and over 100 All-Conference decorations.
 
Besides working with his programs, Petrucelli has served as chair of the NCAA Division I Soccer Rules Committee; been active in the NSCAA; served as a member of NSCAA Coaching Academy staff while sponsoring workshops for other coaches at the convention; and has been a member of the United States Soccer Federation Region I Olympic Development Program staff for boys as well as the Region II staff for girls. In addition, Petrucelli was also the head coach for the United States Olympic Festival in both 1994 and 1995, served as the head coach of the U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team during the summers of 2003 and 2004, and has worked as the Under-16 girls Region II ODP head coach. Of note, he led the Under-21 National Team to back-to-back Nordic Cup titles in 2003 and 2004.
 
During his playing career, Petrucelli helped UNC-Greensboro capture a pair of NCAA Division III titles in 1982 and 1983 and was named the team’s captain as a senior. After earning his degree in business administration in 1984, he spent a year as a graduate assistant at Old Dominion where he then became one of ODU’s full-time assistant coaches in 1986.
 
A native of Orange, N.J., Petrucelli and his wife, Eve, are the parents of daughter Gabrielle and sons Nicholas and Andrew.
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Petrucelli’s Career Résumé
 
Education
UNC-Greensboro, 1984 (Business Administration)
 
Collegiate
NCAA Division III Titles, 1982-1983
Team captain, 1984
 
Coaching Experience
SMU: 2012 - 
Texas: 1999-2011
U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team: 2003, 2004
            - Won back-to-back Nordic Cup Titles
U.S. Olympic Festival: 1994, 1995
Notre Dame: 1990-98
Old Dominion: 1986 (Assistant Coach)
 
Professional Experience
NSCAA National Coach of the Year - 1994, 1995
NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year - 2002, 2006
Conference Coach of the Year - 1991-94, 1996, 2001, 2016 (co-coach)
National Titles - 1995 (Notre Dame)
Conference Titles - MCC (4), Big East (4), Big 12 (2)
NCAA Tournament Appearances (17) - 1993-98, 2001-08, 2010-11, 2016
Ranks No. 6 in victories among active Division I women’s soccer coaches (403)
Ranks No. 27 in winning percentage among active Division I women’s soccer coaches (.686)
Hermann Trophy winner (1) - Cindy Daws (‘96)
Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year (1) - Cindy Daws (‘96)
NSCAA National Player of the Year (1) - Jen Renola (‘96)
NSCAA All-Americans (16 receiving/30 honors); Texas (5/7), Notre Dame (11/23)
NSCAA All-Region Players (28 receiving/72 honors); Texas (12/37), Notre Dame (14/32), SMU 2/3
All-Conference Players (56 receiving /120 honors); Texas (25/46), Notre Dame (22/57), SMU (9/17)
Conference Players of the Year - Texas (1), Notre Dame (6)
Conference Rookies of the Year - Texas (3), Notre Dame (5), SMU (3)