NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt head soccer coach Darren Ambrose announced Thursday the hiring of Stacey Balaam as assistant coach.
Balaam joins the Commodore staff after serving as head coach the last six seasons at West Georgia, where she helped guide the Wolves to 40 victories during that span highlighted by the program’s first-ever berth in the Gulf South Conference Tournament championship match in 2021.
“Stacey has been a part of winning traditions at each step of her coaching journey from a player to her current role as head coach at West Georgia,” said Ambrose. “It was easy to see that her personality and player-centered approach to her craft would be an ideal compliment to our staff. She has experience in leading her own program and has shown in her tenure at West Georgia she knows how to create and build a positive culture.
“Stacey is a fantastic addition to our staff and we are excited about the leadership, experience and energy she will bring to West End, as we continue to compete for championships and provide a first-class environment for our program”
In all, Balaam guided West Georgia to four appearances in the GSC Tournament during her time with the program after the Wolves returned to the event last fall. During the 2021 season, she led West Georgia to a 9-8-2 record overall and a 7-6 mark in league play. The Wolves also reached the GSC Tournament each of her first two seasons at the school, going 7-7 in conference action in 2017 and 7-5-1 the following fall.
Balaam previously was an assistant at North Georgia for six seasons, helping the school go 91-24-10 overall while making five NCAA Tournament appearances in that time. Her efforts helped the Nighthawks achieve the school’s highest national ranking in program history after climbing to No. 2 in the NSCAA poll in October 2015, while the following season they advanced to the Southeast Region final in the NCAA Tournament. She also has two season experience as an assistant at Montevallo.
“This is a dream opportunity to work at Vanderbilt University with the women’s soccer program,” Balaam said. “Darren Ambrose and his staff have built a winning culture and there is a clear vision for what they want to achieve. I am really excited to be a part of that. I am grateful that Darren believes in my abilities and I am eager to contribute and add value to the program.
“I would like to thank everyone at University of West Georgia for providing the platform for me…