George Mason women's soccer head coach Diane Drake has resigned from her position after 11 years as the Patriots head coach, Director of Athletics Brad Edwards announced today.
“I want to thank the university for the privilege to coach the Patriots women's soccer team for the past 11 years,” said Drake. “I've enjoyed the opportunity to have coached so many special young women and I'm proud of the accomplishments our program made during my tenure. I leave with many positive memories of Mason and the program and wish them all the best.
I'm also excited to explore a new career path that will allow me more time to spend with my children and take on new responsibilities, while still coaching soccer but at a different level of commitment.”
“We appreciate Diane's dedication to the student-athletes and the program during her time at Mason,” said Edwards. “We wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors.”
Drake compiled a career record of 90-100-21 (.473) at Mason. She led the Patriots to five postseason conference tournaments in two different conferences. The Green and Gold earned four postseason Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournaments bids and one Atlantic 10 berth during her tenure.
In their inaugural season in the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2013, Drake guided the Patriots to a 7-11 overall record and 4-4-0 league mark. Mason earned the No. 5 seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, falling in the first round to St. Bonaventure. This past season the team was 2-4-2 in the conference.
Drake coached nine seasons while the Patriots were a member of the CAA. She built the Green and Gold into solid contenders and earned berths into the CAA tournament two of the last three years in the conference, including back-to-back in 2010 and 2011 as #3 seeds. Both times the Patriots season ended in the CAA semi-finals, both setbacks finishing on penalty kicks.
In 2009, Drake posted her best record as head coach of the Patriots, leading Mason to a 14-4-2 mark. The team improved by nine wins over the previous season. That nine-win improvement tied the CAA record for greatest single-season turnaround. Mason allowed just 14 goals on the season, the second-fewest in school history.
The Dayton, Ohio native coached 17 players to all-conference teams, seven freshman earned rookie team selections and Sarah Coughlin became the first Mason soccer player selected as CAA Defender of the Year (2004). Three players were selected to the NSCAA All-Region Team—Coughlin, Sarah Wilkinson and Omolyn Davis (twice). The Patriots earned recognition for their success in the classroom under the watch of Drake, earning five NSCAA Team Academic Awards.
Well respected by her peers, the NSCAA tabbed Drake as its College Representative for all divisions of women's college soccer from 2003-2010. Drake also served as the chair of the NSCAA's Mid-Atlantic Region rankings committee.
