Feb. 5, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sharon Young, arguably the most decorated soccer player in Samford history, was officially named an assistant coach at her alma mater Tuesday as Head Coach Todd Yelton filled the vacancy left by Brian Copham.

"Sharon is a quality person and we are very excited to welcome her to our staff," said Yelton. "She was an outstanding player during her time at Samford, but all along she was an even better person. She really loves this University and the fact that she played here will allow her to relate to the players and will help to convey that passion to recruits."

Young, the 2006 Ohio Valley Conference's defensive player of the year, was a four-year starter at Samford from 2003-06 and is the school's all-time leader in games played with 80. Her accolades include First, Second and Third-Team All-OVC honors, as well as a pair of OVC All-Tournament selections.

During her senior season in 2006, Young started all 18 matches for the Bulldogs and led Samford to its fourth-consecutive OVC regular-season title.

Young, a native of Powder Springs, Ga., will return to Samford after spending a year as a graduate assistant coach at Lee University located in Cleveland, Tenn.

"It's a neat opportunity to be able to come back and coach at my alma mater," said Young. "I am thrilled to be back at Samford and to be a part of the coaching staff. The women's soccer program has steadily excelled in its achievements over the past years and I'm excited to be back as an assistant coach and to help the program continue its success."

During her time at Lee, she worked with the Southeast Region Coach of the Year Matt Yelton and helped guide the Flames to a stellar 22-2 record in 2007. Lee was ranked No. 1 in the NAIA national rankings for seven-consecutive weeks and strung together a remarkable 17-game winning streak.

Last season, Young and the Flames advanced to the NAIA national tournament for a fourth-consecutive year and earned both conference and region titles.

During her playing days at Samford, Young was a member of the Bulldogs' winningest class in school history and was named the Co-Player of the Year in the OVC. In December of 2006, she was even named the runner-up for Alabama Athlete of the Month finishing behind LSU's JaMarcus Russell, but ahead of West Virginia's Pat White.

In 2005, Young started in all 23 matches for the Bulldogs and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. After scoring the game-winning goal to lift Samford to its first NCAA Tournament appearance, she was also named the MVP of the OVC Tournament.

"I think it's very special when an alumnus of a school gets the chance to come back and work for University that they love," Yelton said. "It's not only a dream situation for her to be able to come back and work at Samford, but it's a dream situation for me as the coach because I know how much she loves the University and the soccer program."

Academically, Young was a prototypical student-athlete and was named to both the Samford's Dean's List and the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Young was officially hired Tuesday to fill the vacancy left by Copham. Copham, who spent the previous eight years as the top assistant coach at Samford, left to become the head women's soccer coach at Jacksonville University on Jan. 18.