STARKVILLE — Aaron Gordon recognized the challenge of building the Mississippi State women’s soccer program into a contender when he was hired in 2012.
The former assistant and associate head coach at Texas Tech hoped to use his experience in the club, college, and pro games and his ability to recruit to transform the fortunes of a program that had won only 58 games in the nine seasons prior to his arrival.
On Thursday, Gordon learned his time at MSU had run out when he was relieved of his coaching duties and reassigned in the athletic department, MSU Interim Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee announced.
“We appreciate everything Aaron has done and thank him for his commitment to Mississippi State soccer the past four years,” Wetherbee said in a statement released by the school.
Gordon, who declined to comment via text message, went 17-52-3 in four seasons, including a 4-38-2 mark in Southeastern Conference play. In 2016, MSU was 6-12 and 1-10 in league play. The six wins were the most since the 20012 team won nine games. Four of the six wins came against teams — College of Charleston, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, and Alabama — with winning records. Fourteen of MSU’s 18 opponents finished the year with winning records.
Eight of MSU’s losses were by one goal, including three against ranked teams — No. 17 Virginia Tech, No. 4 South Carolina, and No. 20 Florida — that scored in the final 11 minutes.
The statement MSU released announcing the move said the school will begin a national search immediately for a new coach.
Earlier this year, Gordon, who was hired at MSU on Nov. 27, 2012, and his program moved into a new $1.8-million club house on the site of the MSU Soccer Field. The facility includes a 1,000-square-foot player locker room, shower, and bathroom, a 500-foot treatment area, a 600-foot film room/lounge, a 300-foot laundry/equipment room, a 300-foot coaches locker/conference room, and a 250-foot kitchen.
Seventeen of the 30 players on MSU’s roster are underclasswomen. The team, which featured recruits Gordon brought in from France (Tanya de Souza), New Zealand (Johanna Hamblett), and Columbia (Valentina Duque), loses only three seniors.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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