(left to right) Brad McCarty, Garth Pollonais

Erskine College Head Women's Soccer Coach Returning to Alma Mater; Men's Coach Pollonais to Serve as Interim

Erskine College has announced that Head Men's Soccer Coach Garth Pollonais will also coach the women's team on an interim basis in 2001, replacing former coach Brad McCarty.

McCarty has left Erskine after one year to accept the position of Assistant Athletic Director/Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., according to Chip Sherer, Erskine Athletic Director.

The Lady Fleet were 10-7-1 and lost in the quarterfinals of the CVAC tournament under McCarty, who came to Erskine from Hesston College in Hesston, Kansas.

Pollonais has coached women's soccer for nine years, coming to Erskine from Ravenscroft High School in Raleigh, N.C., where he spent five seasons coaching both the girl's and boy's varsity teams, and boy's and girl's club teams. Before that, he was a volunteer assistant with the N.C. State women's soccer team.

"Coach McCarty recruited a strong freshman class , so I feel the team is in good shape for the future," said Pollonais, who was named CVAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year in his first year at Erskine last year. Sherer said, "I am very saddened to lose Coach McCarty, but pleased Coach Pollonias has agreed to serve the women¹s team in this interim capacity. We will conduct a national search with plans to have an individual in place by the first of 2002."