College Men’s Soccer News – Cory Speed Named Head Coach at Guilford College

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Former Virginia Tech assistant Cory Speed was named head men’s soccer coach at Guilford College Thursday.

Cory Speed

Speed, the Quakers’ 17th recorded head coach, replaces Jeff Bateson, who resigned in July after 10 seasons to join the men’s soccer coaching staff at the neighboring University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

“We are really excited to have Cory as our head coach,” said Guilford athletics director Tom Palombo. “He has a tremendous amount of energy and knowledge of the game. He’s a great fit for us at Guilford.”

A Nederland, Texas, native, Speed has coached at all three NCAA divisions and in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and high school ranks. In six seasons coaching college teams, his squads have compiled a 55-39-13 record with four winning campaigns. He starred as a three-year starting goaltender for NAIA-member Sterling College in Kansas, where he also began his coaching career. Speed earned honorable mention All-America and Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Goalie of the Year recognition as a senior in 2007.

“Having spent time at every division in the NCAA and NAIA, Division III provides the best college experience for student-athletes,” Speed said. “Division III students are every bit as invested mentally and emotionally in the success of their programs, yet able to strike a better balance between academics, athletics, and social life. I look forward to working at Guilford to elevate the Quakers into perennial men’s soccer contenders in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).”

Speed earned his degree in language and literature from Sterling in 2008 and started his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater that fall. He spent 2010 as head boys’ soccer coach at Hutto (Texas) High School before returning to the college ranks to assist Brian Young at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. The Hilltoppers posted a 12-3-3 record and were 24th in the final 2012 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) NCAA Division II Rankings. St. Edwards’ goalie John Kaschak was one of four St. Edward’s students named to the 2012 Daktronics First Team All-South Central Region Team. Kaschak also was named Heartland Conference Goaltender of the Year and ranked ninth in Division II with a 0.713 goals against average.

Speed headed east in 2013 to join Guilford’s league-rival, Roanoke College, on new coach Ryan Pflugrad’s staff. The Maroons went 24-10-4 in Speed’s two seasons, including 15-3-2 in 2014. Pflugrad won 2014 ODAC Coach of the Year laurels and forward Mark Dinkel was named the league’s top player and a second-team All-American. Roanoke had four all-region and 13 All-ODAC performers during Speed’s two years on staff.

Speed moved down the road in February 2015 to work with another former ODAC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year, Virginia Tech mentor Mike Brizendine. Speed coached goalies for the Division I Hokies and also had practice planning, recruiting and monitoring academic progress. Virginia Tech went 5-9-3 in Speed’s lone campaign on staff.
Speed has club-coaching experience with the Austin Texans, the Roanoke Star and New River United. He has earned his National Diploma and Level III Goalkeeping Diploma from the NSCAA.

Speed inherits five starters among 22 letter winners from last year’s 5-11-1 unit. Preseason practice is slated to start August 18 in advance of Guilford’s September 4 season opener with visiting Piedmont College at 2:00 p.m.