Danny McBride
Hamilton Heights Christian Academy has announced the addition of men’s soccer to its athletic program in the 2018-2019 academic year.
“We are excited to add this global sport to our athletic program. With the national success of our women and men’s basketball programs, we feel the addition of soccer is a natural fit for the mission of Hamilton Heights Christian Academy,” said Duke Stone, the head of school at Hamilton Heights. “Our goal is to provide opportunities for students to grow academically, spiritually, socially, and physically.”
In recent years, Hamilton Heights’ academic and basketball programs have developed to a level where a high percentage of graduates are able to continue their educational pursuits at the collegiate level through academic and athletic scholarships.
The school has had 36 student-athletes receive college basketball scholarships the last six years; 15 at the NCAA Division 1 level.
“We plan to build a soccer program with the same level of excellence,” Stone said.
The school announced that Danny McBride will lead the new program as the head coach. McBride is currently one of the directors at Chattanooga Football Club (FC) Academy where he also coaches 2001 boys and 2004 girls.
In addition, he oversees the academy's college recruitment program. He has coached teams to Tennessee State League finals, and has helped prepare Tennessee and Region III Olympic Development Program team members. His previous club experience was at Brevard (Fla.) Soccer Alliance as Director of Junior Academy, and at FC Dallas and TRI Soccer Club in Kingsport, Tennessee, as Academy Site Director.
At the collegiate level, McBride was an assistant women’s soccer coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, men’s assistant coach at Eastern Florida State College, and men and women’s assistant coach at his alma mater, King University. McBride has also been a head coach in the Tennessee Olympic Development Program (ODP) since 2011 and he holds a USSF National ‘B’ License and NSCAA Level 1 Goalkeeping License.
McBride also played with Chattanooga FC's NPSL team in 2016. Prior to his time with the club, he was a four-year starter, all-American, and Scholar-Athlete at King University, winning multiple conference and regional championships.
Before his time in the United States, McBride represented the Scotland Under-18 Schoolboys National Team and played in professional youth academies for Dundee FC and Arbroath FC.
“I am truly excited to lead the new soccer program at Hamilton Heights. It is a special and unique opportunity to build a program from scratch,” McBride said. “The success of the men’s and women’s basketball programs have set high standards.I am eager to embrace the challenge to take the soccer program to the same level of national prominence. I am blessed with the opportunity to impact young men’s lives locally, across the nation, and around the globe. The opportunity to mix local players with elite international talent truly makes me believe we can quickly develop a high-caliber program.”
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)