William Carey Football Ground renamed Danny Owens Field

William Carey Sports Information

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – Danny Owens’ name was made immortal Saturday afternoon in Hattiesburg.

William Carey honored the longtime women’s soccer coach by renaming Crusader Field, the home of WCU soccer, Danny Owens Field.

“I am pleased to be able to recognize the tremendous impact Coach Owens had on William Carey University by renaming the football field in his honor,” said WCU President Dr. Tommy King. “Danny has made our women’s soccer program the premier program in the NAIA and one of the best in all of college women’s soccer and I’m so happy to be able to do this for him to recognize everything he’s accomplished. “

Coach Owens has served as the head coach of women’s soccer since 2004. In 2018, Owens led the Lady Crusaders to the school’s first NAIA National Championship in 50 years. During his career, Owens posted fifteen winning seasons with an overall record of 277-65-16 and an overall conference record of 113-18-5. The Lady Crusaders have won ten conference championships in the regular season, made twelve conference finals, and won eight conference tournaments. His Lady Crusaders have made thirteen trips to the NAIA National Tournament with five appearances in the Fab Four and three appearances in National Championship games. Owens’ staff were selected National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2018, 2x Regional Staff of the Year and 9x Coach of the Year. In 2018, Owens was named NAIA Coach of the Year.

Owens has coached one NAIA National Player of the Year (2020, 2021 Ana Paula Santos), nine Conference Players of the Year, 77 All-Conference First-Team Players, 56 NAIA All-Americans, including ten All- NAIA First-Team Americans, 49 NAIA Scholarship Athletes, and 236 Academic Players from all conferences.

A former Crusader men’s soccer player from 1996-1999, Owens earned All-Conference (Gulf Coast Athletic), All-Region (NAIA Region XIII) and All-American 1st Team (NAIA) honors from William Carey. During his college career, the Crusaders qualified for three national tournaments and made two NAIA Final Four appearances. He was also voted team captain and most valuable player in his senior year. In 2013, Owens was inducted into the WCU Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the inaugural WCU Men’s Soccer Hall of Fame and in 2004 he was inducted into the inaugural Wall of Fame at Bishop Sullivan High School (St. Michael’s High School) in Baton Rouge. , THE.

Owens earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from William Carey in 2000. Subsequently, he also earned a master of science degree in psychology with an industrial/organizational concentration.

“I am very honored to have Crusader Field renamed in my name. It was definitely something unexpected when Dr. King told me,” Owens said. There have been so many great players and coaches on the side male and female who have been through the Carey Soccer program so to have Crusader Field named in my name is very humbling There have been many great players who have gone through the program and I have been blessed with the best assistant coaches along the way, so none of this could have been done without these special people who went through the program.

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