Former UNCW men’s soccer standout defender Shaun Utterson, who started 76 games over four seasons for the Seahawks from 2008-11, completed his third season as a member of the coaching staff at his alma mater in 2020-21.
Utterson, 30, joined Head Coach Aidan Heaney’s staff after serving one season at state rival Appalachian State.
Utterson also worked as an assistant coach at Wingate for three seasons after playing semi-professionally in the English Conference North and professionally for the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro division.
“I’m delighted that Shaun is returning home,” said Heaney. “We had some really high level applicants in an extensive search, but Shaun was a great choice to fill some pretty big shoes.
“I recruited Shaun here to UNCW, so I know the strengths he brings to the position. He shares the same values we have in our program and will go the extra mile to pursue further success for UNCW and help our players develop. He has high standards for our players and I’m certain they will enjoy working with him and learning from him.”
A Newcastle upon Tyne, England native, Utterson played a key role in 2017 as Appalachian State improved its RPI 39 points against a stronger schedule. The Mountaineers recorded six shutouts and fielded the second-best defense in the Sun Belt Conference, including outstanding statistics for save percentage (.765), goals allowed (1.21) and goals against average (1.12).
Utterson was an assistant coach at NCAA Division II school Wingate from 2014-16 and was responsible for the domestic and international recruitment, scouting and analysis of opponents and team training sessions. The Bulldogs won the NCAA Southeast Regional and NCAA Championships in 2016, the SAC Tournament Championship in 2015 and three straight SAC regular season titles from 2014-16.
In 2016, Utterson helped Wingate’s undefeated national champions lead the nation in winning percentage and goals against average as part of a coaching staff that won the NSCAA Southeast Regional and National Staff-of-the-Year awards.
During his time at Wingate, Utterson coached seven all-Americans, 17 All-Region selections, 22 All-SAC selections, three SAC Players-of-the-Year, two NCAA Final Four MVP’s and one National Player-of-the-Year.
Utterson was a four-year starter at UNCW from 2008-11 before playing with the Blyth Spartans in 2012 and the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro division in 2013-14. Utterson made 50 appearances with the Spartans, scoring two goals as a defender. During his time with the Hammerheads, he made 20 starts in his rookie season.
At UNCW, Utterson started 76-of-77 games, scoring three goals with three assists. He helped the defense finish in the Top-10 nationally in goals-against-average in 2009-10 as the Seahawks won the Colonial Athletic Association title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Heaney added, “Shaun was a winner as a player here and played an integral part in our first CAA championship. He’s also been a winner as a coach, helping Wingate win a national title in 2016. He knows our players and our system and has established recruiting contacts in North Carolina and overseas. I’m confident he will help us to continue to attract the highest quality players and people to our program.”
Utterson earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in economics from UNCW in 2011 and completed his Master’s Degree in Sports Management from Wingate in 2016.
Utterson holds English Football Association Level 1 & 2 Coaching Awards and Youth Module 1 qualifications, as well as NSCAA Premier, Advanced National, Director of Coaching and Diversity & inclusion Diplomas.
