By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – New University of Tennessee at Martin head soccer coach Mike Varga has announced the first hire on his staff as Rachel Gries joins the Skyhawks as an assistant coach.
Gries comes to UT Martin from Gardner-Webb University, where she coached under Varga for the past three seasons. She spent her first two years as a graduate assistant before being elevated to a full-time assistant coach in 2022, helping the Runnin’ Bulldogs make an appearance in the Big South Conference Tournament championship match after posting a 9-7-5 overall record.
“Rachel is an extremely hard worker who is a rising star in the coaching profession,” Varga said. “She brings a familiarity in all aspects of how we will run this program and I’m thrilled to work alongside her once again.”
During Gries’ tenure at Gardner-Webb, Gries oversaw 10 student-athletes who nabbed All-Big South Conference postseason accolades, including the program’s first-ever Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. Off the pitch, she also helped the program earn a United Soccer Coaches National Team Academic Award in each of her three seasons in Boiling Springs, NC.
Gries played collegiately under head coach Steve Holeman at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. During her freshman campaign, she started all 14 matches at goalkeeper and produced three shutouts. She made a career-best 13 saves in her collegiate debut against Texas State.
Hailing from Katy, Texas, Gries has worked extensively with numerous youth soccer clubs in the past five years as well as the North Carolina Olympic Development Program and the Olympic Development Program South Region coaching staff.
Gries graduated with a degree in business administration from Lamar in 2020 and obtained her Master’s degree in sports education from Gardner-Webb in 2022.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information