JEFF CARR: Women’s Soccer Founding Coach, Key Player In Developing EFSC’s Sports Programs, Facilities

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

ABOVE VIDEO: Jeff Carr – 2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame

2017 SPORTS DEVELOPMENT INDUCTEE

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida State College Athletic Director and Women’s soccer head coach Jeff Carr knows a thing or two about sports. Growing up in Newcastle, Ontario, Carr played just about everything from hockey to badminton.

While that’s not unusual for a young man to play many sports, what interested Carr the most about sports was a bit unusual, and as it turns out was a pretty good indicator of his future.

As a youngster, Carr followed and rooted for the star athletes that played his favorite sports, but he idolized the coaches, and even wrote letters to the great ones. Chuck Knox, Marv Levy, Scotty Bowman and Don Shula all wrote back to Jeff.

Carr attended Spring Arbor University in Michigan and then received his Masters at Baylor University in Texas. It was at Baylor where he met his wife Donna, to whom he will be married 30 years on May 28.

“Donna is the unsung hero of the family, being a coach’s wife for 30 years, raising three great children, she is the one that belongs in the Hall of Fame, not me,” said Carr.

“Her sacrifice has not gone unnoticed by me.” The Carr’s are the proud parents of three children: John, 26, Emery, 25 and the youngest Kyle, who is 22.

Carr’s love for soccer came from his father, John Carr and his grandfather, who were both from England. But Carr also points out his mother, Mayme, who was instrumental in his career as well.

After Baylor, Carr moved on to coach several high school teams before settling at Donelson Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee where he started the soccer program in 1991.

Carr must have learned something in the letters he received back from those icons of coaching as he led the program for 11 successful seasons, was named the state coach of the year three times, (twice in boys’ soccer, once in girls), regional coach of the year six times, and district coach of the year six times.

Carr’s success led to a five-year stint at Trevecca-Nazarene University in Nashville where he became the school’s third soccer coach in its history. In 2008, his team had the program’s second-best season, and he became the program’s winningest coach.

Carr was hired as the athletic director at Brevard Community College in 2009, and in 2010, become the head coach of the women’s soccer team for their inaugural season. His teams had immediate success, and since the start of the program, have won 80 percent of their matches.

In 2015, the Titans made history with a perfect 13-0 regular season. Their lone loss came in the finals of the NJCAA National Championship Tournament.

In all, the program has been to the NJCAA Division I National Championship tournament the past five seasons, finishing as the runner-up twice in 2012 and again in 2015.

The Titans have posted an amazing 88-16-5 record in seven seasons and have won the Region 8 title in each of the past five. Carr has been the FCSAA/Region 8 coach of the Year six straight years.

EFSC NOW HAS 11 SPORTS, GREAT FACILITIES

Carr’s success extends well beyond the pitch. When he arrived at BCC, the school had just five sports programs. Now, Eastern Florida State College boasts 11 sports, as the growth around the campuses continue for all to see. When asked about his success, Carr quickly deflects to school President and Space Coast Sports Hall of Famer, Dr. Jim Ritchey.

“What Dr. Richey has done for Eastern Florida State is amazing and it is an honor to work for a man that works so hard day in and day out so that we can all be successful.”

Carr is proud of the sporting events that have played at EFSC, such as professional soccer and the NJCAA regional and national championships. Carr says his biggest accomplishment is the student athletes who have gone on to national programs with a great deal of success.

Carr’s favorite all time coach was former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who once said, “It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”

Jeff Carr has certainly accomplished a lot in his career and if as coach Wooden says it’s how he’s accomplished these things that matters most, then let it be said that Jeff Carr’s done it the Hall of Fame way.

THE 2017 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME Banquet and Induction Ceremony will take place at the Cocoa Beach Country Club on Friday, May 12. 

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS 

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT the 2017 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME, call 321-615-8111 or e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com

CLICK HERE to see all the members of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.

Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Announced, Induction Ceremony Set May 12

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced Thursday an impressive array of outstanding individuals to be inducted into the 2017 Class of the Hall of Fame.

Dozens of nominees were considered for the 2017 class in four categories including professional sports, college sports, high school sports and amateur sports.

Special honorary recognition will also be bestowed upon individuals and teams that have made significant contributions to sports on the Space Coast.

Space Coast Daily created the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and has so far inducted more than 100 of Brevard County’s most outstanding athletes, coaches and sports personalities.

Serving on the committee are Space Coast Daily President & Publisher Tom Palermo, Vice President Giles Malone, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jim Palermo, Managing Editor Zach Clark, Assistant Editor Alan Zlotorzynski, local youth sports advocate and promoter Mike Cadore, Friday Night Locker Room Founders Steve Wilson and Orville Susong, former Health First COO Larry Garrison, Cocoa Beach City Manager Jim McKnight and AAU Vice President Rusty Buchanan.

“The list of inductees for 2017 induction include athletes and coaches everybody knows – and some that may have been forgotten with the passing of time,” said Tom Palermo.

INDUCTION GALA & SPORTS AWARDS SET FOR MAY 12

The 2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Sports Awards will be held Friday, May 12 at the Cocoa Beach County Club.

The festivities include a meet and greet with the area’s sports royalty, dinner and the induction proceeding which includes compelling video tributes of each of the inductees.

The 2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction event, and the 2017 High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards, are sponsored by Community Credit Union, First Choice Medical Group, SOAR, Clear Choice Health Care, BioCellular Therapies, Savings Safari, Spectrum Sports, Friday Night Locker Room, Dr. Sangiv Patel, Dr. Mark Pinsky and Rock Paper Simple..

FOR INFORMATION about the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame, or to make a reservation, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-615-8111.

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Tim Wakefield talks about his induction into the first class of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2017

• PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY INDUCTEES:  Joe Kohlbrand, Football; and Cory Philpot, Football

• COLLEGE CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Jason Arnold, Baseball; Michael Coffey, Bowling; Reggie Hannah, Basketball;  Paige Kearns, Swimming; and Charles Wilson, Football.

• PREP CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Kristen Gordon, Softball; Ray Herring, Jr. Football; Katie Jackson, Soccer; and Hunter Pingston, Football.

• AMATEUR/REC CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Richard Chapman, Little League; Todd Erickson, Softball; Al Genchi, Youth Soccer; and David Kilgore, Running.

• COACHING CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Skip Arrich, Soccer; Tom Dooley, Baseball; Chuck Keener, Tennis; Steve Lamontagne, Golf; and Mike Soliven, Basketball.

• SPORTS DEVELOPMENT INDUCTEES: Jeff Carr, Eastern Florida State College; and Steve Englehart, Florida Tech.

• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT INDUCTEES: Linda Anderson, Athletic Director; and Les Stafford, Volunteer

• SPORTS OFFICIALS INDUCTEES: Neely Dunn and Bob Walton.

• SPORTS JOURNALISM INDUCTEES: Hillard Grossman.

• SPORTS AMBASSADOR AWARD INDUCTEE : Gary Gregory, PAL Boxing.

• CHALLENGER AWARDS INDUCTEES: Brevard Special Olympics – Coach Cindy Dropeski, Athlete Chuck Conway and Volunteer Kathi Madden.

• TEAM OF THE YEAR: Cocoa High School 2016 Football State Champions.

• SPECIAL TRIBUTE: Jim Grimes, Basketball, Eastern Florida State College

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

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