GGC Names First Men's Soccer Coach

announced their new men's soccer head coach Wednesday. Steven DeCou was selected to lead the Grizzlies on and off the field.

DeCou has 15 years experience coaching soccer. For the past five years, DeCou served as head men's soccer coach and assistant director of athletics at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. While at Belhaven, DeCou led the team to spots in the top-25 NAIA poll in 2009-2011. His teams made it to the Round of 16 in the NAIA tournament the last two years. In 2010, DeCou was named Southern States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after finishing the season at 16-2-3.

“Georgia Gwinnett represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” DeCou said in a release. “I’m excited to build a new program at an institution that is growing, and in a location with a great talent pool. GGC is a hidden gem, but the world will know about us in a couple of years.”

“Under Coach DeCou’s leadership, Belhaven became a national force in a short period of time,” said in a release. “We are confident that he will quickly lead the Grizzlies to the same level.”

DeCou graduated from Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga where he played soccer and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education. He then earned a master’s in sports medicine from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, AL.

In addition to coaching, DeCou also serves as president of the NAIA Men’s Soccer Association Executive Committee and is a member of the NAIA Ratings Oversight Committee, NAIA National Tournament Selection Committee, and NAIA National Tournament Games Committee.

In November, GGC hired Lawrenceville resident  to coach their women's team. Both men's and women's soccer will take the field in the 2012-2013 school year. GGC plans to compete in the NAIA.