5/10/2023
Alecia McNiff is in her third year as the assistant women's soccer coach at USC Aiken.
USC Aiken recorded its highest finish in the PBC since 2006 (5th), which was the best finish for the program since being 4th in 2006. She guided the program to eight shutouts, tying the school record. Additionally, the eight-point increase in PBC play was the biggest jump by the program in school history and was the biggest increase of any PBC school in 2022.
She coached Megan Gettys, who became the program's first PBC Freshman of the Year. Additionally, it was the first time in program history anyone garnered an "of the year" accolade.
Gettys and defender Mackenzie Cochrane picked up all-conference honors. Cochrane earned second-team honors while Gettys was a first-team selection. It was the first time USC Aiken had two all-league players since 2006.
During her first year with the program, she helped USC Aiken to the PBC Tournament for the first time since 2017. The No. 7 seed marked the highest for the program in the event since 2008.
She coached all-tournament team honoree Tashiana Kwatowski.
She arrived at USC Aiken with head coach Tina Murphy after spending the previous season at Montreat. She helped the Cavaliers to an 8-3-3 ledger.
In 2020, McNiff was the assistant women's soccer coach at Marshall University. There, she assisted with practice and game plan development and implementation. McNiff was responsible for designing plans and training goalkeepers and pregame keeper preparation.
The Marietta, Pa. native previously coached as an assistant at Saint Francis University in her home state for five seasons. From 2015 through 2019, McNiff guided the Red Flash soccer players and program to numerous accomplishments after playing with the school all four years of her undergrad. While with SFU, she was in charge of goalkeeper training.
Under five-time Northeast Conference (NEC) Coach of the Year, Brenda van Stralen, McNiff mentored a pair of NEC Player of the Years, two NEC Golden Boot winners, an NEC Midfielder of the Year, 18 all-conference players and nine all-rookie athletes. In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the Red Flash won the NEC Championship and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
She holds US Soccer Federation Grassroots Licenses for 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 as well as a United Soccer Coaches Level 1 Goalkeeper Diploma, United Soccer Coaches Level 2 Goalkeeper Diploma.
As a player with the Red Flash from 2010 to 2014, McNiff notched three NEC Defender of the Year honors, becoming the first NEC player to win multiple Defender of the Year awards in a career. McNiff, who was a captain her senior season, led a back line that held opposition scoreless in 34 matches throughout her four years with the team.
Her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, McNiff earned recognition as an all-region defender, while being named a Scholar All-American by the National Soccer Coaches' Association her final two years of play. McNiff celebrated a pair of NEC Championships as a player in 2010 and 2013, prior to earning her bachelor's degree in exercise physiology from Saint Francis in 2014.
