Soccer
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 205-348-0526
Energetic, passionate and hardworking are all words that can be used to describe Alabama head coach Wes Hart as he enters his third season at the helm of the Crimson Tide women’s soccer program. Hart previously spent two seasons (2013-2014) as an assistant coach at Florida State, and helped lead the Seminoles’ to their first national championship season in 2014.
“After two years at Alabama, I feel very good about where our program is at and where it is headed,” Hart said. “We had a rough first year, but we knew going in, that it was going to be difficult, having lost so many good players from the previous season. I was very pleased with the progress we made from year one to year two. We went from last place in SEC to ninth and beat the 6th, 7th, and 8th-place teams. This year we have even higher expectations. We have more talent this year than ever and we are finally at a point where players understand our system, style of play, expectations and the demands that are being placed on them. I’m excited to see what we can do this year.”
In 2016, Hart implemented drastic improvements nearly doubling the previous year’s number of wins and registered his first winning season at the Capstone with a 9-8-2 record. Alabama finished ninth in the conference and made their first postseason appearance at the SEC Tournament since 2014. On Sept. 9, the Crimson Tide topped the Tennessee Lady Vols, 5-1, marking the first SEC road opener victory since 2014, and carried that momentum into late September by shocking then-No. 14 Texas A&M, 2-1. It was the first victory over a ranked SEC opponent since 2014 and the first win over a top-25 contender under Hart.
After an outstanding junior year, Kat Stratton and Lacey Clarida were tabbed 2016 NSCAA NCAA Division I Women’s All-South Third Team honorees and were the first Alabama soccer student-athletes to be named to the regional list since 2014. Also, Chatham DeProspo was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week (9/12) and ESPNW Soccer Player of the Week (9/15) after logging a first half hat-trick in Alabama’s 5-1 victory over Tennessee (9/9), the first hat-trick under Hart.
Home game attendance increased significantly in Hart's two seasons, as the Tide averaged over 719 fans per game – the largest average since the 2012 season. The Alabama Soccer Complex saw a crowd of 1,575 for its first game against Troy (Aug. 23, 2015), the second-highest single-game home attendance in program history. Fans then answered the call to keep attendance in quadruple digits later that week against Wake Forest (Aug. 28, 2015), when 1,007 fans packed the Soccer Complex.
Hart’s inaugural season in 2015 saw a major focus on transition and the future of the program. Other highlights from his first year included Hart’s first win as a head coach in the home opener against Troy (Aug. 23) handing Wake Forest its first shutout of the year (Aug. 28), giving LSU its first loss of the season (Sept. 11) in a 3-2 double overtime comeback win and a hard fought double-overtime win at Georgia (Oct. 16), which marked Hart’s first road win.
Inside the classroom, senior captain Abby Lutzenkirchen was named the Southeastern Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year. It marked the second consecutive year an Alabama player claimed the award, as Laura Lee Smith earned the honor the previous season. The only other Crimson Tide women’s soccer player to earn the prestigious recognition was Libby Probst in 2005. Lutzenkirchen was also named to the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District 4 First Team. Alabama also saw 15 players named to the 2015 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Lutzenkirchen and junior midfielder Celia Jimenez were named All-SEC second team performers during the season. The awards marked the seventh consecutive season the Tide had a player named to the league’s all-conference team, which tied the school record set from 1994-2000. Freshman forward Emma Welch was named to the SEC All-Freshman squad after she recorded the most ever assists (4) in a season by a freshman in program history. Welch was also the first Alabama player to be named to the All-Freshman team since 2012.
Prior to Alabama, Hart spent two years at Florida State. Those two seasons included the Seminoles’ first national championship season in 2014 and an overall record of 47-3-4 as an assistant coach.
Hart was instrumental in leading Seminoles to their first national championship in 2014, his second season on the staff. His primary responsibilities with the Seminoles included planning the offensive attack, assisting with player development and video analysis, along with other recruiting and scouting duties.
In just two seasons at Florida State, Hart helped develop a balanced offensive attack that resulted in 407 points on 129 goals and 149 assists. The Seminoles won two back-to-back ACC championships, made two College Cup appearances, and posted a national runner-up finish and a national title. Two Seminoles garnered All-America honors during Hart's time in Tallahassee: Dagny Brynjarsdottir (2013 & 2014) and Cheyna Williams (2014). Brynjarsdottir went on to post career highs in points (38), goals (16) and shots (87) in her final season at Florida State, finishing as the runner-up for 2014 MAC Hermann Trophy.
"Wes is an outstanding coach with a great background in the game," said Florida State head coach Mark Krikorian. "He is a hard worker and I am fully confident that he will bring the Alabama program to new heights. Wes undoubtedly played an integral part in helping us win the national championship.”
During FSU's run to the national title in 2014, the Seminoles ranked in the top three in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in every major offensive category, while leading the league with a school-record 90 assists. Florida State scored multiple goals in 18 of 26 games, including four times during the NCAA Tournament.
A native of Littleton, Colo., Hart began his coaching career after spending eight years (2005-12) in a variety of roles with the Colorado Rush, one of the premier soccer clubs in the country. In his final three years with the Rush, Hart held the title of Director of Coaching Academy where he oversaw the girls ECNL teams and the boys US Development Academy teams. During his time with the Rush, Hart was involved in four national championships, including three as an assistant and one as head coach. He has coached several US Youth National Team players, including Lindsey Horan, who now plays for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in France.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Hart played six seasons of professional soccer in MLS (Major League Soccer). He was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2000 MLS Super Draft by the Colorado Rapids. In four seasons with the Rapids (2000-03), Hart appeared in 68 regular season games making 60 starts. He also started seven of 10 MLS playoff games during that time. His final two seasons in MLS came with the San Jose Earthquakes as he appeared in 25 games making 14 starts. Hart was honored as the MLS Humanitarian of the Year in 2000 and 2001.
"My background as a player has certainly helped me in my coaching," said Hart. "I know what is realistic and what is not. I know exactly what type of commitment it takes to be a successful college soccer player and what it takes to be a pro. I'm fortunate to have played for a variety of coaches along the way. I played for three different coaches in college and three in MLS. Much of what I do as a coach today is based off of my playing experiences with those coaches."
Hart began his collegiate playing career at the University of Wisconsin before transferring to the University of Washington for his final two seasons (1998-99). With the Huskies, Hart garnered third team All-America accolades in 1998 and second team honors in 1999. He was honored as a first team Scholar All-American by the NSCAA in 1999, was a two-time first team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) honoree and was named the MPSF Player of the Year in 1999.
Hart is married to the former Jamie Martini. The couple are the parents of two children, Dominic and Grace.
