Women's Soccer
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Steve McKenna recently wrapped up his fifth season as an assistant coach with the NC State women's soccer, as he has assisted in the team building upon its success after a breakthrough 2016 season.
In his five seasons with the Wolfpack, NC State has earned an NCAA Tournament berth every fall, including a pair of Sweet Sixteen appearances. The program has also finished with a .500 record or better, including three 10+ win seasons, every fall season that McKenna has been on staff.
In 2017, his first year, the Pack finished with a 15-5-2 mark for the most overall wins since 1995, and its 6-3-1 record in ACC play tied the most wins in school history against league opponents. Additionally, its third-place finish in the regular season standings that year was a program best. The 2018 season proved to be another successful one for the Pack, as it reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the second time in three years and earned quality results over five top 20 opponents while finishing with a top 25 RPI.
The 2019 campaign saw the program finish fifth overall in the conference standings, its second time in three years earning a top five finish, and its 4-2-4 ledger marked the fewest losses in league play since the expansion of the conference in 2004. NC State is 1 of 12 teams in the country from 2016-20 to be ranked in all three final top 25 polls every year, advance to three NCAA Sweet Sixteen rounds and advance to at least NCAA Second Round every year.
Since McKenna’s arrival to Raleigh, the squad finished nationally ranked in at least one major poll in the 2017, '18 and '19 seasons. NC State also made history each of those years in the final NCAA rating percentage index (RPI), notching a program best number in each of those seasons. The 2019 squad boasted an RPI of 15 - the highest ever for the Pack.
After not competing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, McKenna saw the Pack return to the national spotlight in 2021 as it reached the NCAA Second Round for the fifth consecutive fall season and defeated three top 25 opponents, including wins over No. 3 North Carolina and No. 4 Duke, which had never been done before in program history. NC State was one of three teams in the 2021 campaign to earn two wins over top five opponents. He also helped to guide one of the youngest rosters in the nation, which featured seven freshmen in its starting lineup, through the second toughest schedule in the NCAA.
Thanks to strong play against ACC foes, NC State has earned an ACC Championship berth and advanced to the semifinal round in two of the last four fall seasons, and reached the semifinals both times (2017 and '19).
Along with its successes at the national stage, the Pack was selected to host the NCAA First Round at Dail Soccer Stadium for three consecutive seasons (2017-19). Prior to 2017, NC State women’s soccer had never hosted an NCAA Tournament round.
Prior to NC State McKenna served as assistant coach at Loyola University (MD) from 2014-16. Prior to Loyola, McKenna spent 2013 as an assistant coach at Georgetown, where the Hoyas went 16-3-2 and made a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
"Steve is a great fit for this position and for this program," head coach Tim Santoro said upon McKenna's hiring. "I was very patient with this search but after the time spent together and the sharing of ideas, I quickly realized that Steve is the experienced person we need. He will hit the ground running in all facets of our program and make an immediate impact at NC State."
The Northern Ireland native, who holds his United States Soccer Federation "A" license, brings a wealth of knowledge from his international experience before arriving in the U.S., having worked for the Irish Football Association. McKenna led the Centre for Excellence's Grassroots and Primary School programs.
Before arriving at NC State, McKenna worked with Bethesda soccer club ECNL and Maryland ODP.
