Chris Earls’ dedication to soccer has paid off as he was selected as the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association’s (GCAA) 2023 Coach of the Year. He has been the coach of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) women’s soccer team for more than two years.
Molly Parker, a player on Earls’ team, said, “Over the past few years, he has grown a lot as a coach, and it was amazing to see him be named coach of the year. He goes above and beyond the job description of coach.”
Earls is originally from Toombs County, Georgia. He has always had a passion for soccer as he began his coaching career in high school as a referee for the Lyons Recreation Department.
In 2018, Earls joined the ABAC faculty before the start of the women’s soccer team, and he taught biology classes and labs.
The dean of students, Alan Kramer, was the athletics director when Earls joined the ABAC faculty. He noticed Earls had a background in coaching soccer and asked if he wanted to coach the women’s soccer team.
“I believe Coach Earls is a great fit for the ABAC soccer program,” Kramer said in a previous press release. “He’s an ABAC alumnus who is talented at engaging and developing students both inside and outside of the classroom. He expects excellence in both and is a fantastic mentor. Chris has been involved with the sport of soccer his entire life.”
Earls’ players have also been recognized for their hard work on the team. Carleigh Scott made first team goalkeeper, Molly Parker made first team defense, Vera Tyre made second team defense and Whitner Bobo was made second team mid-field.
“I think the quality of girls I have playing for me this year allowed me to get Coach of the Year,” Earls said. “One of the biggest things that we work on is team building. When we step on the field, we are one team…You are no longer an individual person.”
The first game of the 2024-2025 season will be in August. Follow @abacsoccer on Instagram for updates on the ABAC women’s soccer team.