Men's Soccer | June 10, 2024
AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken, in conjunction with head men's soccer coach
Nick Sakiewicz, is excited to announce the hiring of
Ajay Murray as graduate assistant men's soccer coach.
"I am very excited to add Ajay Murray to our Men's Soccer staff here at USCA," Sakiewicz stated. "Ajay has very good experience in coaching goalkeepers along with a successful playing career. We are both very eager to get started together this season and build a new culture here!"
"I'm excited for the opportunity to assist the men's soccer program at USC Aiken, working with head coach Nick Sakiewicz, to lead the program on and off the pitch," Murray stated. "I'm grateful for the opportunity and I can't wait to get started."
Murray comes to USC Aiken after serving as the head boys soccer coach at Fayetteville H.S., in Fayetteville, Tenn. There, he oversaw all aspects of the team, including assisting student-athletes with techniques, helping them understand the technical and tactical aspects and assisted with their development in the classroom.
Murray was also a coaching consultant for the University of Tennessee Southern in 2024, helping with ID camps and training sessions. During that time, he assisted with goalkeeping incites and ran goalkeeper sessions.
A former standout at the University of Tennessee Southern from 2021-23, Murray helped the team to the 2022 Mid-South regular-season championship. A first-team Mid-South Conference selection in 2022, Murray posted 200 saves, 15 shutouts and a .714 save percentage in 52 career matches. He also picked up Mid-South Player of the Week honors once.
While at Allen County C.C. as a student-athlete, Murray was a first-team all-Jayhawks Conference selection and led the program to the conference and district championship. For his career, he played in 25 matches, posted 73 saves, sported a .785 save percentage and registered 11 shutouts. Murray picked up NJCC National Player of the Week honors and two-time KJCC Player of the Week accolades.
He holds an associate of science in pre-engineering degree from Allen County C.C. and sports a bachelor of science degree interdisciplinary studies from the University of Tennessee Southern with a primary concentration in mathematics and a secondary concentration in psychology.
