Anson Dorrance is retiring after leading the University of North Carolina's women's soccer program to an NCAA-record 21 national championships. After 45 seasons of directing the program, he informed Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham of his decision on Sunday, four days before their season opener at Denver.
Associate head coach Damon Nahas will take over as interim head coach while Cunningham conducts a search for their next manager.
Dorrance decided that it was time for him to depart from his role, saying in a statement: “As many of you know I modeled our program after Dean Smith’s basketball program, and retiring at this time is a credit to his thinking, as well. He would re-evaluate his tenure, not after the season, but after he had time to re-charge his batteries prior to the next season. When he didn’t, he retired.”
Dorrance was the first, and only, head coach to ever lead the women's program at UNC, guiding them to a 934-88-53 record in 45 seasons (1979-2023). For 11 years, he also led the men's program from 1977-88, winning 172 matches while leadning the Tar Heels' to an ACC title and NCAA Final Four berth in 1987.
As women's head coach, Dorrance claimed 22 national titles, and played in six other national championship games. His 934 wins, 21 NCAA titles and 147 NCAA tournament victories are the most in women's soccer history at the Division 1 level.
“Anson is an all-time soccer, coaching and Tar Heel legend,” Cunningham said. “The numbers and accomplishments are staggering and will be hard for any coach or program to replicate or exceed. His impact on the development and growth of women’s sports across the country and around the world has been profound.”
On top of his accolades at the collegiate level, Dorrance was the head coach of the U.S. women's national team from 1986-1994, helping them to the inaugural Women's World Cup title in 1991 in China.