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Jay Yelton enters his sixth season as an assistant soccer coach at Samford University. During his tenure, he has helped guide the Bulldogs to four regular-season conference championships, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2005 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title. Before becoming a full-time assistant, Yelton worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Samford for two seasons. In the spring of 2008, he was promoted to the role of top assistant coach for the Bulldogs.
Yelton's primary responsibility at Samford is goalkeeper training. He also plays a primary role in Samford's summer youth and team camps, and assists with on-field coaching. Under his tutelage, the Bulldogs' goalkeeping corps has continually improved and has evolved into one of the top goalkeeping units in the country. In 2003, Samford's goalkeeping squad was ranked ninth in the country in shutout percentage (.619), tied for fourth nationally with 13 team shutouts and posted a 0.66 goals-against average. During the 2005 campaign, the Bulldogs compiled 12 shutouts and tied a school record by allowing only 13 goals. Samford led the OVC in both goals-against average (0.54) and shutouts, while surrendering only five goals in 11 matches versus conference opponents. In 2004, Yelton's goalkeepers recorded 10 shutouts and allowed a conference-low 14 goals. Samford rattled off five consecutive shutout victories and finished with a 7-1 league record for a second straight year. The Bulldogs also led the OVC in goals-against average (0.77), and allowed only two goals during their eight-match conference schedule. During the 2006 season, Samford once again boasted the top goalkeeping corps in the OVC as the Bulldogs only allowed 14 goals in 18 matches. Yelton's group finished with nine shutouts as Samford once again led the conference in goals-against average (0.73).
In 2007, the Bulldogs earned the athletic department's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in school history, and only allowed 16 goals in 21 games. Samford's goalkeeping core was led by all-conference performer Cayley Winters and compiled an OVC-best, goals-against average of 0.73. Since taking over his duties at Samford, Yelton has groomed a trio of highly talented starting goalkeepers in Crystal Royall, Emily Morris and Winters. Also emerging as one of the top goalkeepers in Samford soccer history is sophomore Alyssa Whitehead. As a freshman in 2008, Yelton help guide the 6-foot-3 native of Hattiesburg, Miss., to All-Freshman Southern Conference honors after she concluded the Bulldogs' inaugural season in the esteemed conference with a 1.07 goals-against average and a 5-3-2 record in goal. Royall, who played under Yelton's tutelage from 2001-04, set school records for season and career goals-against average, season and career shutouts, and consecutive shutout minutes. She was also the first player in OVC history to be named both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. In 2003, Royall also garnered national attention by being awarded with third-team All-Southeast honors by Soccer Buzz magazine. Yelton, who hails from Piney Flats, Tenn., began his coaching career as the goalkeeping trainer for the junior varsity and varsity teams at Parkview High School in Atlanta, Ga. The varsity team, coached by his brother and current Samford head coach Todd Yelton, won the 4A state championship in 1999. After one year at the high school level, Yelton accepted an assistant coaching position at Georgia State University, where he stayed from 2000 to 2001. He then became head soccer coach at Lees-McRae College, a Division II school in Banner Elk, N.C., where he led the team to a 19-3 mark in 2001. At King College in Bristol, Tenn., Yelton turned in an impressive four-year playing career, and was named team captain in both his junior and senior seasons. He was an All-Conference selection both years and was named the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior. In 1998, he completed a bachelor's degree in history and graduated with honors. Yelton was married to the former Graham Holt on July 27, 2005. |
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