Arguably the greatest coach in the history of college athletics has said goodbye to nearly half a decade of dominance.
Anson Dorrance, the long-time UNC women’s soccer head coach and 21-time NCAA national champion, announced his retirement just days before the start of the new season, per a release by UNC Athletics Sunday.
“I am a proud son of the University of North Carolina,” Dorrance, 73, said in a press conference Monday. “I have loved every day that I’ve been here, and I’ve appreciated everyone that’s made a contribution to allowing me to be a part of this extraordinary community.”
According to the release, Dorrance told UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham his intention to retire Friday, and he told the team Sunday afternoon. He said in the press conference that he waited to tell the team because Lee Roberts was announced as the UNC’s new chancellor Friday, and the university wanted to avoid competing news cycles.
The Tar Heels opened their season Thursday at Denver with associate head coach Damon Nahas taking over as the interim head coach. Nahas will fulfill the interim role for the rest of the year.
In a statement included in the release, Dorrance said he went by his mentor and former UNC men’s basketball head coach Dean Smith’s thinking on his decision to retire.
“He would re-evaluate his tenure, not after the season, but after he had time to recharge his batteries prior to the next season,” Dorrance said. “When he didn’t, he retired. After last season, I initially was excited about the chance to bolster our roster, which we most certainly have done, but as preseason training camp went on, I realized I didn’t have the same energy it takes to give 100% to this year’s team.”
Said Dorrance, “The players and staff, the university, Carolina athletics and our great fans deserve more, and the respect I have for the amazing legacy the current and former players have built led me to make this decision at this time.”
When he did have the energy, Dorrance coached with one of the greatest competitive spirits ever seen in athletics.
As the first and only women’s soccer coach at UNC, Dorrance achieved a 934-88-53 record across 45 seasons from 1979-2023.
The women’s soccer team won 22 national titles, including the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championship in 1981 and 21 NCAA championships. Dorrance’s NCAA championship count is the most by a head coach in any Division I sport in college athletics history.
Alongside his wins and national championships, Dorrance’s 147 NCAA Tournament wins and 31 College Cups are the most in women’s soccer history. In regard to player achievements, Dorrance coached 19 players who won National Player of the Year.
From 1977-88, Dorrance was also the head coach of the men’s soccer team, achieving 172 wins and an ACC title and NCAA Final Four appearance in 1987.
“The numbers and accomplishments are staggering and will be hard for any coach or program to replicate or exceed,” Cunningham said.
Even with all he accomplished at one school, Dorrance’s impact on women’s soccer goes well beyond Chapel Hill and college athletics.
Dorrance, who coached the United States Women’s National Team from 1986-94, led Team USA to the first-ever Women’s World Cup title in China in 1991, and 59 Tar Heels ended up playing for the USWNT.
Part of those 59 were all-time greats, including Cindy Parlow Cone (current and first female president of U.S. Soccer), Kristine Lilly, Heather O’Reilly and Mia Hamm.
And, in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dorrance had two former Tar Heels, midfielder Crystal Dunn and defender Emily Fox, play the entire gold medal match for the USWNT as it beat Brazil, 1-0.
“We have had some amazing athletes come here to represent this great university,” Dorrance said. “I’ve loved every single day of watching them achieve their potential.”
Prior to coaching, Dorrance played on the UNC men’s soccer team under head coach Marvin Allen, who Dorrance credits for setting the standard for which he followed. He was a three-time All-ACC selection from 1971-73 and graduated in 1974.
Dorrance assured attendees of Monday’s press conference that the Tar Heels will be in good hands following his retirement.
“Damon Nahas is the best coach I’ve ever seen,” Dorrance said. “I think he’s the best soccer coach in the country, and I include myself in that circle.”
Dorrance said he’s going to be “heavily” involved with UNC women’s soccer immediately after his retirement.
“I’m going to be supporting Damon and these extraordinary women,” Dorrance said.
