Gavin McKinney Turning UTC Women’s Soccer Team Into a Winning Program

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Mocs coach Gavin McKinney has turned the UTC women’s soccer team into one of the best programs in the Southern Conference. It certainly hasn’t been easy, but the journey has been fulfilling for McKinney.

Before Gavin McKinney took over at UTC in 2015, the Mocs went 0-19 in the SoCon over the previous two seasons.
McKinney:”Yeah it was in a difficult place. We were bottom of the league for two straight years as you mentioned. I don’t think we had beaten a Division one opponent in two-and-a-half years.”
So how did coach sell a brighter future?
McKinney:”You’re selling them a vision right? Lucky for us I think we had a good vision. We’ve got a great city to recruit to. We’re really lucky in that sense.”
Mocs climbed out of the SoCon cellar, and then the recruiting came to fruition.
McKinney:”I think it was probably 2018. We brought in a really nice recruiting class that year. Maggie Shaw was one of them. Maggie ended up being a two-time SoCon defensive player of the year.”
With good players on the field, McKinney led UTC to the school’s first ever SoCon regular season title last year.
McKinney:”Yeah pretty amazing. It was some feat. The Southern Conference is a really difficult league within women’s soccer. Samford University, who I think have won a share of the title maybe eight years in-a-row now. Right? And Furman University is right up there. UNCG. Mercer. You’ve got some really top programs RPI wise in the SoCon. For us to go from where we were in 2015 to winning a title eight years later. It’s a huge, huge feat. Some programs don’t win one in their history.”
And if you’re thinking man, McKinney looks like someone I know. You’re not alone.
Reporter:”Has anybody ever told you that you look like Rick Grimes from ‘The Walking Dead’?”
McKinney:”I get that just about every week. Yeah I get it all the time. Coffee shops. Rembrandt’s when I was leaving one day and came in the next day. The workers told me people were talking at a table that Rick Grimes was in there. Right? I get it all the time. All the time, so it’s okay.”