Carl Rees

Title:

Head Coach

Email:

crees@fairfield.edu

Phone:

ext. 3422

Class:

13th Season


 Carl Rees made his mark on the Fairfield University soccer program over the years with 10 winning seasons and many national rankings. But now that mark has become indelible after leading the Stags to their second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship and subsequent NCAA tournament berth in the last three years.

 He was the first Fairfield University coach to win a NCAA tournament game with a 2-1 win over the University of Connecticut in the first round of the 2006 event. He was the first to coach a Fairfield University team into a top 25 ranking (1998), as the Stags reached number 24 after posting an 11-game unbeaten streak (10-0-1). He was the first to lead his team to an unbeaten conference schedule (2005).

 During his 13 seasons at the helm, Rees supervised his squad to 10 winning seasons, including double-digit win totals in eight of his 13 campaigns.

 The 2007 season saw the Stags earn another national ranking, checking in as high as 17th, and receive a spot in the top 20 RPI ratings.

 In 2006, the Stags captured the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)  regular-season and tournament title, one year after winning the MAAC regular-season title with an 8-0-1 mark.

 Rees posted his 100th career win in 2005, defeating Niagara University in the conference tournament for the prestigious victory. That same season, Fairfield went unbeaten during the month of October (8-0-1), which helped it earn a spot in the NSCAA top 20 poll.

 The program has excelled in MAAC play, posting a .710 winning percentage during his 11 seasons. He coached the Stags to its first MAAC tournament title and the program's first NCAA play-in berth in 1999, one year after earning MAAC and NSCAA New England Coach of the Year awards.

 Fairfield has advanced to the MAAC tournament final six times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2006).

 Prior to accepting the Fairfield position, Rees spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Hartwick College. During his four seasons, the Hawks posted better than 50 wins and advanced to the NCAA tournament, reaching the national quarterfinals in 1993.

 NCAA postseason play was not a new experience for Rees. He also spent four years as a starter for Hartwick, helping the Hawks reach four NCAA tournaments and two national semi-finals. While on the team, he played in all of the team's 83 games as the program posted a 56-20-7 overall record.

 Originially from Bebington, England, Rees was Hartwick's team captain for his junior and senior seasons. He was a three-year starter on defense before moving to forward as a senior. He led the team in scoring that season with 10 goals and four assists, raising his career scoring total to 24 goals and 13 assists.

 He earned All-Region honors twice during his career and received a spot on the Soccer America All-Freshman team in 1984. A Dean's List student and a 1988 graduate of Hartwick, Rees earned a degree in psychology and philosophy.

 Rees played two years with the Albany Capitals of the American Professional Soccer League while holding down an assistant coaching position at Plattsburg State. He earned a master's degree in education from Frostburg State where he was also the graduate assistant coach for the men's soccer team. He later joined the roster of the Albany Alleycats of the USISL in the summer of 1995.

 As a coach, he was a Region I Olympic Development staff coach and holds a United States Soccer Federation "B" coaching license. Rees also holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of America advanced national diploma.

 His playing experience also extends to the international level, playing with the Everton and Liverpool Football Club youth teams before deciding to attend Hartwick College in 1984. He was inducted into the Hartwick Hall of Fame in June, 2007.


Phil Murray

Title:

Assistant Coach

Email:

pmurray@fairfield.edu

Phone:

ext. 3149


 Phil Murray joins the Fairfield University soccer staff as an assistant coach, after making the trip north from Florida Southern College, where he had been an assistant for the previous three years. His duties primarily focused on the day to day operations of the team, including training the players, scouting and video analysis of opposition, organizing and scheduling of travel, and recruiting. 

 Murray also coached for Lakeland Soccer Club, acting as the head coach for the U12, U13 and most recently U18 premier teams, in addition to working several area soccer camps and serving as the Assistant Camp Director for Florida Southern.

 A native of Manchester, England, Murray played his collegiate career at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he tallied 20 goals and 5 assists for a total of 45 points. He captained the Eagles in both his junior and senior year, and was twice named to the All-Conference First Team, in addition to being an All-Region and All American selection as a senior.

 Prior to Embry-Riddle he played for Blackburn Rovers' Youth Academy (1997-2001) and for the Stockport County first team in 2001.

 Murray earned a Bachelors of Science in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle in 2005, and a Masters of Business (MBA) from Florida Southern College in 2007. He also holds an USSF ‘D' License and an English FA Level 1 badge.