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Tony Economopoulos

Head Coach

Tony Economopoulos was hired as the sixth head coach in Mercer women’s soccer history on Feb. 22, 2012. In his 11 seasons at the helm , Economopoulos has led the Bears to a 115-77-31 overall record, 53-26-17 mark in conference action (Southern Conference & ASUN Conference) and the best winning percentage in program history (.577). With a 2-0 win over Furman in the 2019 regular season finale, Economopoulos won his 100th career match. As a head coach, he is 125-118-31 (.510) at two institutions. 

In his eleven seasons in charge, Econompoulos has mentored numerous players that have received both athletic and academic accolades. Off the pitch, he has coached three CoSIDA Academic All-District selections in Jordyn Ebert (Spring 2021), Maddie Clark (2016) and Maggie Cropp (2015). Clark was also named a NSCAA Scholar All-South Region selection in 2016.

On the field, Economopoulos has had a player represented on the All-Conference teams in the Southern Conference and Atlantic Sun 37 times while seeing his players represented on All-Tournament teams 19 times. Additionally, his student-athletes have been honored with Player of the Week accolades 17 times with Kendall Cook being the most recent selection on Feb. 23, 2021. During Mercer's time in the Atlantic Sun under Economopoulos, the Bears had four all-academic selections.

Email: wsoccer@mercer.edu
 
Collegiate Coaching Experience

  • February 2012-Present – Mercer University
    • Women’s Head Coach
  • 2009-12 – Georgia Southwestern
  • Women’s Head Coach
  • Women’s Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
  • Men’s Assistant Coach
  • Interim Men’s Head Coach
  • Recruiting Coordinator
  • Men's Assistant Coach
  • Men's/Women's Goalkeeper Coach
  • Recruiting Coordinator
  • 2007-09 – Oklahoma State University
  • 2003-07 – Bowling Green State University
  • 2001-03 – Western Illinois University

Coaching Accolades at Mercer

  • 2022
    • Lead Mercer to a 9-4-7 (4-1-4 SoCon) record that featured a trip to the SoCon conference semi-final appearance
    • Undefeated at Home
      • Seven wins, three draws
      • 34-7 goal differential
    • Instructed five All-SoCon Performers
    • First Team All-SoCon: Jada Moorman
    • Second Team All-SoCon: Nicole Icen, Ciara Whitely, Kylie Buchanan
    • All-Freshmen: Lindsay Bell, and Jada Moorman
    • Jamie Hlebec
    • Lindsay Bell
    • Kylie Buchanan, Mackenzie Gassie, Jamie Helbec
    • First team All-SoCon
    • 2x SoCon Offensive Player of the week
    • 7 goals and 2 Assists
    • Started in all 20 games of the Season 
    • 83.2% save percentage and 94 saves
    • SoCon Defensive Player of the Week 
    • Trained two SoCon All-tournament Team members
    • Coached three Academic All-District team
    • Mentored Jada Moorman to stellar freshmen season
    • Aided in the development of Goalkeeper Lindsay Bell.
    • Six shutouts this season
  • 2021
  • Led Mercer to 7-6-5 record that featured an appearance in the SoCon Tournament Semifinal
  • Mentored Jordyn Ebert, who was second in the SoCon in shutouts (7) and fifth in saves with 78
  • Ebert and Payton Schurr were tabbed to the all-Tournament team following the SoCon All-Tournament
  • Instructed six All-SoCon performers
    • Second Team: Kylie Buchanan (Defender), Ally Fordham (Forward), Schurr (Midfielder) and Ciara Whitely (Midfielder)
    • All-Freshman: Chandler Lewis-Jenkins and Lana Whitfield
  • Recorded eight shutouts on the season

 

  • 2020-21 (COVID-19 forced the season to span the fall and spring semesters)
    • Led the Bears to an 8-10-1 record and 5-3 mark in SoCon play. 
    • Helped the Bears to a SoCon semifinals appearance as the No. 4 seed
    • Coached six All-SoCon performers
      • First Team All-SoCon: Brie Pavol (Defender)
      • Second Team All-SoCon: Jordyn Ebert (Goalkeeper), Ally Fordham (Forward), Aliah Kitchens (Forward) and Ciara Whitely (Midfielder)
      • SoCon All-Freshman Team: Kendall Cook (Forward)
    • Trained two all-tournament honorees, Nicole Icen and Payton Schurr
    • Led a team that ranked first in the Southern Conference in points (103), goals (36), assists per match (1.63) and saves (96)
    • Aided in the development of Fordham who scored nine goals. Fordham's nine scores placed her 27th nationally, and her five match-winners led the conference and tied her for second in the country.
    • Coached one of the Southern Conference's best newcomers, Kendall Cook. Cook was 38th nationally with six assists, scored 20 points to lead the conference, had a hat trick against Wesleyan (Feb. 11), was the league's Offensive Player of the Month in February and a SoCon All-Freshman team member. 
    • Guided Ebert, the SoCon's leader in saves with 96. Her 96 stops ranked fourth nationally, and her 5.05 saves per match placed her 59th among all NCAA Division I student-athletes. 
  • 2019
  • Went 16-4-0 overall and 7-2 in SoCon play
  • Named the 2019 SoCon Coach of the Year
  • Guided the Bears to a single-season program record 16 wins
  • Mentored the first Bear to earn SoCon Player of the Year honors in Nicole Icen
  • Eight players earned All-SoCon Honors
    • All-SoCon First Team: Nicole Icen, Abigail Zoeller
    • All-SoCon Second Team: Ciara Whitely, Megan Delmonico
    • SoCon All-Freshman Team: Amaya Evans, Nicole Icen, Ciara Whitely
    • SoCon All-Tournament Team: Elizabeth Hargis, Payton Schurr
  • Earned a program best 65th ranking in the RPI
  • Finished the season with a perfect 11-0 mark at Betts Stadium. The Bears were one of seven teams to win every home match they played.
  • One of 16 teams with 16 or more wins on the season
  • Under his guidance, Mercer recorded nine shutouts
  • Led the Bears to a 9-7-4 (4-3-2 SoCon) record
  • Three Players earn All-SoCon honors
    • All-SoCon First Team: Abigail Zoeller
    • SoCon All-Freshman Team: Kylie Buchanan and Payton Schurr
  • Program earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award
  • Guided Mercer to a 10-10-1 (3-5-1 SoCon) record
  • Three Players earned All-SoCon honors
    • All-SoCon Second Team: Megan Delmonico
    • SoCon All-Freshman Team: Sarah Adcock, Ally Fordham
  • Earned the NCAA Public Recognition Award
  • Mercer placed seven student-athletes on the Fall Academic All-Conference Team
  • Guided Mercer to 10-9-1 (6-3-0 SoCon) record
  • Team was one win away from reaching third consecutive SoCon Tournament title match
  • Ended the regular season on a six-match win streak (five shutouts) after starting the season 3-8-1
  • Three players earned All-SoCon honors
    • All-SoCon First Team: Maddie Clark, Corinne Wooten
    • SoCon All-Freshman Team: Megan Delmonico
  • Mentored Maddie Clark to stellar senior campaign (14 goals, 30 points, five game-winning goals)
  • Saw Clark earn NSCAA Scholar All-South Region Third Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, All-SoCon First Team and SoCon All-Tournament Team honors
  • Program earned its 15th consecutive NSCAA Team Academic Award
  • Led all SoCon women’s soccer teams with 13 student-athletes named to Fall Academic All-Conference Team
  • Went 9-8-4 and advanced to Southern Conference Tournament Championship match for the second time in as many seasons
  • Six players earned All-SoCon honors
    • All-SoCon Second Team: Maddie Clark, Maggie Cropp, Katelyn Dimopoulos
    • SoCon All-Freshman Team: Jorden Christensen, Haley McDuffee
    • SoCon All-Tournament Team: Maddie Clark, Maggie Cropp, Sarah Daane
  • Program earned its 14th consecutive NSCAA Team Academic Award
  • Maggie Cropp named CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection, becoming the first player in program history to earn first team honors
  • Captured SoCon Tournament title in Mercer’s first year as a league member en route to the program’s second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance
  • Set program single-season wins record with 14-6-2 mark
  • Ended season with highest RPI in program history
  • Four players earned All-SoCon honors
    • All-SoCon First Team: Maggie Cropp
    • All-SoCon Second Team: Sarah Daane, Washida Blackman, Lauren Gassie
    • SoCon All-Tournament Team: Maggie Cropp (Tournament MVP), Washida Blackman, Sarah Daane, Lauren Gassie
  • Finished season ranked in NSCAA Southeast Region (No. 9) for the first time in program history
  • Program earned its 13th consecutive NSCAA Team Academic Award
  • Went 10-8-3 overall en route to a runner-up finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship
  • Three players earned All-ASUN honors
    • All-ASUN Second Team: Washida Blackman, Lauren Gassie
    • ASUN All-Tournament Team: Washida Blackman, Rachel Buffalo
  • Program earned its 12th consecutive NSCAA Team Academic award
  • Brianna Stampler earned ASUN Academic All-Conference Team honors
  • Set a then-program record for most wins in a single season after guiding Bears to a 13-5-3 record in his first season as Mercer head coach
  • Advanced to ASUN Championship title match for fifth time in six seasons after finishing second in conference’s regular season standings
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012

Past Coaching Accolades:

  • Georgia Southwestern
    • Guided team to program’s conference wins record in 2010
    • Set GSW program record for most wins over a three-year span (2010-12)
    • Saw his 2011 team earn NSCAA Team Academic Award & NSCAA Ethics Sportsmanship Silver Award, the first time in program history for each award
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Helped guide Cowgirls to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2007, 2008) and a program-best No. 7 national ranking in 2008
  • Team claimed its first-ever Big 12 Conference regular season championship (2008)
  • Mentored & trained four 2008 All-Big 12 players, including three All-Big 12 First-Team selections
  • The 2008 team set program record with 18 wins while leading nation in goals per match and ranking third nationally in goals scored (74)
  • Served as the program’s top assistant for four seasons
  • Also served as the program’s recruiting coordinator
  • Was the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Regional Chair
  • Helped BGSU reach the Mid-American Conference Tournament title match in first year on staff
  • Briefly served as Interim Head Coach in 2004, helping Falcons earn recognition as one of the most improved NCAA Division I women’s soccer teams in the country
  • Nominated for the AFLAC Insurance National Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2002 after helping lead WIU to the 2002 Mid-Continent Conference Tournament title match
  • Bowling Green State University
  • Western Illinois University

Coaching Awards/Licenses

  • 2019 Southern Conference Coach of the Year
  • 2002 AFLAC Insurance National Assistant Coach of the Year nominee
  • USFF National “B” License
  • USFF National “C” License

Professional Playing Experience

  • USISL
  • Oklahoma City Slickers
  • Oklahoma City Warriors
  • Greek Super League
  • Olympiakos F.C. (Trials)
  • A.E.K. Athens (Trials)

Collegiate Playing Experience

  • 1993-96 – Oklahoma City University

Education

  • 2004 – Western Illinois University (M.S., Sport Medicine)
  • 1997 – Oklahoma City University (B.A., Communications)