Jack Marchant, the recently hired head coach for the soccer team at GCSU, gave his first speech at an introductory press conference in the Centennial Center at Georgia College’s main campus on Thursday. The Leeds, England native comes to coach the Bobcats after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Georgia State University, and Director of Athletics Wendell Staton said he feels Marchant was by far the best fit for the team.
“Everything that Jack has been looking for was the same thing that we were looking for. It was a nice marriage of philosophies, desires, and the way we want things to run,” Staton said at the press conference.
The soccer team, which finished the last season with a five-game losing streak that ended in a first-round exit in the PBC tournament, took another massive hit when former coach Tinna Gallagher suddenly left the team after just three seasons for family reasons.
For this reason, the Bobcats decision to hire Marchant makes sense, as his coaching at both Georgia State and The Citadel has led to multiple deep tournament runs. He has also guided players at GSU to 10 All-Sun Belt honors in just three seasons. Prior to his Division I work, he was also the goalkeepers coach for Clemson Anderson Soccer Alliance and his alma mater, the University of Rio Grande.
Although a step down from Division I play, Marchant was excited to be able to take the reins on a team and see what he could do to bring out the full potential in the GC squad both on and off the pitch.
“The thing that really hit home for me was how much this place already felt like home with how everyone already knows my name. I can’t wait to dive into this place with two feet; not only on the soccer field, but in the university and community as well,” said Marchant.
Marchant will get his first look at the team during their first preseason scrimmage Aug. 13, with the first game of the regular season coming two weeks later on Aug. 26.