Ian Carry, who has worked as an assistant for the last four seasons, has been named head coach of the University of Kentucky women’s soccer program.
Mitch Barnhart announced the hire earlier this morning.
Here is a release from UK:
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ian Carry, who has been with the Kentucky women’s soccer team the past four seasons as an assistant coach, has been named the third head coach in Kentucky program history, UK director of athletics Mitch Barnhart announced on Tuesday.
“After careful consideration, I am pleased to name Ian Carry the head coach of Kentucky women’s soccer,” Barnhart said. “He has a proven track record as a recruiter and possesses the technical skill that will translate in all areas as a head coach. I believe his leadership will provide us the chance to reenergize our program and return us to where we want to be in the SEC and nationally.”
“I’m blessed to be afforded the opportunity by Mitch Barnhart to lead my dream program and facilitate these extraordinary young women.” Carry said. “I can’t wait to work with those who are already within the program, and the women who are committed over the next few years. We want to develop the complete student-athlete at Kentucky so that when our players graduate, they will have not only been successful on the playing field, but prepared for life as well.
“We will create a championship environment at Kentucky, which will culminate in Southeastern Conference titles, deep runs within the NCAA Tournament and ultimately National Championships. When a player commits to Kentucky, they will develop the physical and mental mindset necessary to fit into our championship environment, which will result in banners and trophies on and off the field.”
Carry, a native of Dunshauglin, Ireland, joined the Kentucky coaching staff in 2013 after a two-year stint with the Central Michigan Chippewa’s, where he also served as an assistant coach. Carry has spent more than 15 years in both professional and college coaching, where he has built a strong reputation for his unwavering work ethic and goalkeeper training skills.
The contract for Carry is a two-year agreement with a school option for two additional years. The contract was agreed to and signed on Monday.
He has an extensive playing career at the highest levels of international soccer, having played on the Irish National Team from 2010-11, and club stops with the Shamrock Rovers and Sporting Fingal of the Emerald League. He then took his goalkeeping abilities into coaching, where he has trained top-flight goalkeepers at Celtic FC in the Scottish Premier League as part of the academy, as well as Carlisle United and Dundee FC.
Carry, who will be married next month in Lexington to his fiancé, Stephanie, has seen Kentucky blossom into one of the top-tier programs in the Southeastern Conference over the last few seasons while continuing to recruit at a high level, including two top-10 nationally-ranked classes the last five seasons. He was involved in the design and building phases of the state-of-the-art Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex, which opened in 2014. He was part of the staff that helped lead Kentucky to an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and two second round appearances. He also helped lead CMU to the NCAA Tournament in his time with the Chippewas.
While with the Republic of Ireland National Team, he worked with the nation’s U-15 girls, U-18 boys and U-19 women’s senior quads. He was responsible for player identification, recruitment, monitoring and evaluation, scheduling and administering of elite training sessions, scheduling of both friendly and competitive matches, video analysis and apparel management.
As a coach, Carry helped lead the U-15 girls Irish team to the Bob Docherty International Trophy in 2008 and 2010. His U-18 boys squad earned the Celtic Cup in 2008 and 2009, as well as the International Centenary Shield in 2008 and 2010. Carry was also a National Development Officer for Schools for the Football Association of Ireland from 2007-11 where he promoted football nationally within educational establishments, planned and coordinated pilot projects at the national level within school venues, and implemented programs aimed at primary school children to develop technically stronger players.Prior to his time with the Republic of Ireland and FAI, Carry coached professionally from 2001-07, including stints as the head coach of West of Scotland’s U-13, U-14 and U-15 girls’ squads and as the academy goalkeeping coach for the Celtic FC of the Scottish Premier League.
A graduate of the Bell College of Technology in Hamilton, Scotland, Carry graduated in 2001 with honors with a bachelor’s of arts degree in leisure management.
The Carry File
Playing Career Team or Club League/Position
1993-95 Longford Town FC League of Ireland Premier Division Club
1995-98 Home Farm FC League of Ireland First Division Club
2000-01 Queens Park FC Scottish Second Division Club
2009-10 Sporting Fingal Emerald League
2010-11 Shamrock Rovers Emerald League
2010-11 Republic of Ireland International
Coaching Career
2000-04 Scottish Football Association Community Coach
2001-02 St. Mirrens Boy’s Club GK Coach
2001-04 KC Kilmarnock Women’s Club Assistant Manager/GK Coach
2001-04 West of Scotland Girls Head Coach (U-13, U-14, U-15)
2001-04 West of Scotland Boys GK Coach (U-13, U-14, U-15)
2004-06 Celtic FC – Scottish Premier Academy Goalkeepers Coach
2005-06 Carlisle United FC First Team Goalkeepers Coach
2006-07 Dundee United FC Pro Youth Goalkeepers Coach
2006-07 SFA Regional Women’s Squad Goalkeepers Coach
2007-11 Republic of Ireland GK Coach (U-15G, U-18B, U-19W)
2011-12 Central Michigan University Assistant Coach
2013-16 University of Kentucky Assistant Coach
2016-Present University of Kentucky Head CoachFor the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer team, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
