McAlister Joins Women's Soccer Coaching Staff

March 18, 2003

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara University women's soccer head coach Jerry Smith has announced the addition of Curtis McAlister to the Bronco coaching staff. McAlister will focus on leading the goalkeepers, as well as on campus recruiting responsibilities and summer camps.

McAlister replaces Janine Szpara, who coached the goalkeepers through the fall season. McAlister's duties will focus on coaching the Bronco netminders, but will include all aspects of the program.

Curtis McAlister


"We are extremely lucky to get somebody with Curtis' background and experience as an addition to our program-in any capacity," Smith said. "I feel like we now have three outstanding assistant coaches that will manage our team successfully in all aspects of the game."

A native of Modesto, McAlister comes from Washington State, where he spent the past four years as an assistant, working primarily on defensive organization and with the goalkeepers, as well as coordinating recruiting.

In addition to being a USSF licensed coach, McAlister brings seven years of professional soccer playing experience to the Bronco program.

McAlister played professionally for the Dallas Sidekicks, Monterrey La Ra Za and the Detroit Neon of the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1993-96. In 1995, McAlister was a member of the United States National Futsal Team. He also played with the Major Soccer League champion San Diego Sockers during the 1991-92 season.

While playing professionally from 1991-94, McAlister spent the off-season coaching goalkeepers on both the men's and women's teams at his alma mater, San Diego State. He also served as head coach for a variety of youth club teams in Dallas, Modesto and Canton, Mich., from 1994-1996. Since 1997, McAlister has been a summer camp instructor at Santa Clara.

McAlister is also currently the head goalkeeper coach for the Olympic Development Program West Region and has served as an assistant with U.S. Soccer National Youth Teams.

McAlister, a 1991 graduate of San Diego State with a bachelor of arts in economics, earned three varsity letters on the Aztecs from 1988-90. McAlister played his freshman year for Fresno State in 1986, before transferring to SDSU. That year the Bulldogs lost to Akron 1-0 in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I College Cup.