Women's Soccer

Zac Shaw is entering his sixth season as the head coach of the University of Rhode Island women's soccer program. Shaw arrived in Kingston in 2005 and, since then, has led the Rams to a 42-34-5 overall mark, including a 22-15-2 mark in Atlantic 10 play. Prior to arriving at URI, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Florida during the 2004 season. In that role, he helped to coordinate the training of the Gator goalkeepers, in addition to other coaching and recruiting responsibilities. That season, Florida finished with a 16-4-6 overall record (7-2-2 SEC), advancing to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the conference crown. He also served as assistant coach at Wisconsin in 2003 and two stints at Penn State, from 1998-2000 and again in 2002. During that time, the Nittany Lions advanced to the NCAA College Cup in 1999 and 2002, while also reaching the NCAA quarterfinals in 1998 and 2000. In 2001, Shaw was one of the founding coaches in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) - a professional women's soccer league that featured the top American and International stars. He spent the first two seasons with the league coaching the Carolina Courage and the New York Power - teams that featured U.S. National Team Players Carla Overbeck, Danielle Fotopolous and Tiffany Millbrett as well as National Team players from China, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Canada. Shaw began his coaching career as the Men's Assistant Coach at Division III Nazareth College and Ithaca College and has been on the Region I Olympic Development Staff since 1998. A first-team All-American in 1991 and two-time team captain at Ithaca College , Shaw was inducted into the Ithaca Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. The 1991 ISAA Division III Goalkeeper of the Year, Shaw was named the Empire Athletic Association Athlete of the Year in 1991-92 and was a first-team all-conference selection in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Shaw played professionally with several teams in Belgium in 1993-96. He began his professional playing career with the Division I Club Brugges in the spring of 1993 and ended with the Division II K.V. Kortijk in the spring of 1996. He returned to the United States and played for the Rochester Raging Rhinos and the Atlanta Ruckus in the A-League before finishing his playing career with the Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Soccer League. He also worked as the Director of Museum Operations at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y., from 1997-98. Shaw received his bachelor's degree in psychology/neuroscience from Ithaca in 1992. updated: 10/15/10