Dave McDowell, the part-time head coach of Queen's women's soccer for three decades, will kick off the 2017 season as the team's first full-time bench boss. He will serve as the  technical director for both the men's and women's soccer programs, providing overall vision, leadership and administrative continuity while capitalizing on years of university experience and knowledge of high performance sport.

"We are thrilled to have Dave in this new full-time role, and look forward to continued excellence for our soccer programs with him at the helm," says Sean Scott, Director, High Performance Sport Operations.

The 2017 season will be McDowell's 30^th as head coach of the women's team. A two-time U SPORTS Coach of the Year and the 2012 winner of the OUA Fox40 Coach of the Year award, McDowell has guided the Gaels to three national championships, in 1988, 2010 and 2011, as well as five provincial titles, in 1988, 2001, 2002, 2011 and most recently in 2015. Under his guidance, Queen's has posted a combined record of 312-92-82, including OUA and U SPORTS playoffs, for an impressive 0.726 winning percentage.

"I am very grateful and excited for the opportunity that this new position offers," says McDowell. "Our team has been working hard to prepare for the fall schedule and we are looking forward to continuing to build on the success of the past few years."
 
During McDowell's tenure, the Gaels have built a solid defensive foundation, allowing  10 or more goals only eight times in the regular season, and are consistently among the league leaders in offence in the nation, highlighted by a team-record 55 goals in 2012.
 
"This shift to full time leadership, and the establishment of a technical director role, will undoubtedly build on our soccer program's current success, enrich the student-athlete experience and position us well for the long-term competitive growth of our programs," says Leslie Dal Cin, Executive Director, Athletics and Recreation.
 
Queen's recently announced it was establishing full-time coaching positions for both its men's and women's soccer and rugby programs, creating opportunities for sustained excellence and strategic planning for both sports. For more information about the new positions, click here.
 
The women's soccer team begins its 2017 season at Richardson Stadium on Sept. 2 against the Laurentian Voyageurs. Full schedule