SU Hires Two-Time National Coach of the Year, Patrick Farmer, To Head Women's Soccer Program

SYRACUSE, NY – Patrick Farmer, a two-time national coach of the year honoree, has been hired as the second women’s soccer head coach in Syracuse University program history, according to director of athletics Jake Crouthamel. Farmer replaces April Kater, who resigned to pursue other interests.

“In Patrick Farmer, we have one of the most successful and highly regarded

women’s soccer coaches in the NCAA ranks,” Crouthamel noted. “He has developed winning programs at each stop in his career and has also built a system of that produces successful student-athletes.”

Farmer comes to Syracuse after one season as head coach at Tennessee Tech. Prior to that, he had intercollegiate head coaching stints at Ithaca and Penn State. In 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Farmer has accumulated a 242-68-31 (.755) record. He entered the 2003 campaign tied for ninth in winning percentage among NCAA women’s soccer coaches (all divisions).

Appointed at Ithaca in 1987, he immediately guided the program to its first NCAA Division III play-off appearance. By his second season the team was starting a stretch of four consecutive trips to the NCAA semifinals. Farmer was named the 1989 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III National Coach of the Year. In 1990 and 1991, Ithaca won the Division III national championship. The Bombers made two more trips into the NCAA Tournament under Farmer before he completed his seven-year tenure with a 110-23-23 (.779) record and seven straight appearances in the NCAA postseason. His Ithaca teams produced eight All-America honors. Farmer was inducted into the Ithaca College Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Farmer was hired to start the women’s soccer program at Penn State in 1994. By his second season, he had pushed the Nittany Lions into the NCAA Division I Tournament. Penn State reached the national quarterfinals for the first of three consecutive campaigns in 1998 and then, in 1999, advanced to the semifinals before losing to eventual national champion North Carolina. Farmer was the NSCAA Division I Coach of the Year that season. Overall, his club’s record in his seven seasons was 123-34-8 (.770) and included six consecutive NCAA Tournament invitations and the Big Ten Championship in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Five of his players received All-America recognition.

He moved into the professional ranks in 2001 as head coach of the New York Power in the Women’s United Soccer Association. Farmer led the Power to a third-place finish and the play-off semifinals.

Farmer returned to the collegiate level with his appointment at Tennessee Tech in 2003. The Golden Eagles were 9-11 last fall.

He owns a United State Soccer Federation (USSF) ‘A’ license and a NSCAA “Premier’ diploma, as well as an English FA ‘Prelim’ badge. He has served as a member of the Region I Olympic Development Program Staff for 15 years, including the last 11 as a senior staff member with head or assistant coaching assignments.

A native of Old Forge, N.Y., Farmer earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at St. Lawrence. He was an assistant and later head men's ski coach and an assistant women's soccer coach at St. Lawrence. The Saints’ soccer squad was 13-2-3.

From 1976 through 1987, he was the women's soccer coach and ski coach at the Town of Webb High School. His soccer teams were 106-27-13, captured six league titles and won three sectional championships.

Farmer has two children – Courtney and Cord – who reside in Liverpool and Manlius, respectively.

The Syracuse women’s soccer program first competed in 1996. Under the direction of Kater, the Orangewomen posted six consecutive seasons of double-digit wins from 1996-2001. After slipping to a 3-11-3 mark in 2002, the squad regrouped and posted a 9-8-1 mark this past season. Kater left her position after eight seasons with an overall record of 88-57-8 (.575). The Orangewomen earned BIG EAST Conference Tournament berths in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and participated in the NCAA Tournament in 1998 and 2001. Kater elected to pursue other interests.

Syracuse University Athletics

SU Hires Two-Time National Coach of the Year, Patrick Farmer, To Head Women's Soccer Program

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