FMU searching for new women’s soccer coach

FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University athletic officials announced on Monday (Jan. 19) that women’s soccer head coach Marty Beall has resigned his position to take the head coaching job with High Point University.

FMU director of athletics Murray Hartzler said a national search for Beall’s successor will begin immediately.

Beall recently completed his sixth year at the helm of the Patriot women’s program and owns a 56-44-7 coaching mark. He guided the program in its recent move from NCAA Division II to Division I membership.

“I want to thank Coach Beall for his hard work and dedication to the Francis Marion University women’s soccer program over the past six seasons,” Hartzler said.

In the program’s first year (2007) as a full-fledged Division I independent, the Patriots were 10-7-1, while this past fall FMU was 6-12-1 against a schedule that included five opponents that made the NCAA Tournament the year before.

Four times in his six years, Francis Marion posted double-digit wins. His 2007 squad finished as the 15th highest scoring team in Division I, and three players earned Scholar All-Region honors. His 2006 team was 11-5-3 and recorded the fourth most improved record in NCAA Division I according to Somis Sports. Under his guidance, the program earned a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award for the 2006-07, 2005-06, 2004-05, and 2003-04 school years.

Beall guided the 2004 Patriots to the Peach Belt Conference regular-season championship and he was named the PBC Coach of the Year.

Beall served as an assistant coach at FMU for four years prior to taking over the head coaching reigns in 2003. He attended both the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore and Montgomery (Junior) College before earning his undergraduate degree from Francis Marion.
He has also been involved with the South Carolina Olympic Development Program (ODP) and Florence Youth Soccer Association.

In 14 all-time seasons, the Patriot women own an all-time record of 165-79-11 mark, including 12 seasons of double-figure wins and an imposing 93-18-6 home record.