JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- Tusculum College alumnus Dr. Adam Sayers has been named the new women's soccer coach at East Tennessee State University announced officials this week.

Sayers, who graduated from Tusculum in 2000, served as the top assistant coach at the University of South Florida for the past two seasons. As the top assistant for head coach Denise Schilte-Brown at USF, Sayers helped guide the Bulls to 14 wins and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and national postseason win in 2010. Additionally, USF finished ranked in a national poll for the first time in school history following the 2010 campaign.

While at USF, Sayers oversaw many aspects of the USF Women's soccer program, including all on-field physical training, fitness testing and monitoring, and recovery and regeneration strategies. He also contributed to the development and implementation of team tactics, and video analysis and opponent breakdowns, along with other day-to-day operations.

Prior to USF, Sayers spent five seasons with the Middle Tennessee State University soccer program - three years as a full-time assistant and two years as a graduate assistant. He was a part of five straight winning seasons at MTSU as the Blue Raiders established numerous school records in each of those campaigns and won the first Sun Belt Championship in program history in 2004.

Sayers has a well documented recruiting pedigree. He was part of three consecutive signing classes (2006-08) rated among the Central Region's top 25 by Soccer Buzz, and was responsible for recruiting several players who proceeded to win conference, regional and national honors.

Sayers' first season as a full-time assistant at MTSU began with a bang as the Blue Raiders set the school record for wins (17) and also established new single-season marks for points, goals, and assists. Middle Tennessee State was No. 3 nationally in scoring offense in 2006.

While at MTSU, Sayers obtained a Ph.D. in Human Performance in December 2006. His research addresses various physiological aspects of the game of soccer. He has presented at national and regional conventions, including the ACSM national meeting and NSCA National Sport-Specific Training Conference. He is also a published author in this field, contributing several soccer-related articles to peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as several coaching journals and websites.

Before arriving at MTSU, Sayers served as a youth soccer coach with U.K. Elite Soccer in New Jersey. Before that Sayers spent two years as an assistant in football development with the Football Association of Wales. His duties included coaching in centers of development and centers of excellence for elite youth players and implementing soccer education programs in local schools.

Originally from Birmingham, England, Sayers lettered at Tusculum from 1996-99 as he led the Pioneers to four straight winnings seasons, culminating with his senior squad's magical run to the 1999 South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship in the Pioneers' first season in the league. TC entered the SAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed and proceeded to eliminate the top three seeds, including No. 6 nationally ranked Wingate University, 1-0 in the championship final. For his efforts during the league postseason, he was named to the SAC All-Tournament Team.

During his collegiate playing career, the Pioneers posted a 47-22-7 record, including a 14-2-2 worksheet in his rookie campaign (1996). Sayers played in 73 matches at Tusculum, including 52 starts where he accounted for 40 goals, 17 assists for his 97 total points. He was an excellent student where he was a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, while majoring in Sport Management and Business Management. He also worked in the TC Athletic Media Relations department as a student assistant.

Sayers then went on to complete his master's degree at Eastern Kentucky University in 2001.

Sayers holds both the UEFA "A" Coaching License and the USSF "A" Coaching License. He is also an NSCAA qualified goalkeeper coach. In addition to his coaching qualifications, Sayers is also an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He has served as a coach educator within the USSF Coach Education Program, instructing on the USSF "B" License, and also with Tennessee State Soccer Association, instructing on "D" and "E" Coaching Licenses. He is also an Olympic Development Program (ODP) state head coach.

Sayers and his wife, Brandi, have two children.

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