JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida Director of Athletics Nick Morrow has announced multi-year contract extensions for four head coaches in Jamie Davies (men’s soccer), Eric Faulconer (women’s soccer), Jeff Pigg (cross country/track and field) and Kirsten Wright (volleyball) on Thursday afternoon.
“We have an incredible team of coaches here at North Florida,” Morrow said. “They are positively impacting the student-athlete experience, while navigating through unprecedented times in college athletics. I’m thrilled to be able to retain a talented group of coaches who understand the challenges of the current landscape, but also see the great opportunity that lies ahead for North Floria Athletics. I look forward to working with each of these coaches to position ourselves for long-term success under the new NCAA model.”
Jamies Davies | Head Men’s Soccer Coach
Head men’s soccer coach Jamie Davies was extended through the 2029 season after he delivered hardware in his debut season at North Florida with ASUN Regular Season and Championship titles in 2024.
“I’m very grateful to Director of Athletics Nick Morrow and our administration for placing their trust in me and our coaching staff,” Davies added. “I’m proud of what we accomplished last year in a short amount of time and even more excited for the future of our program and our athletic department. We have an amazing group of young men here and they are creating memories that will be remembered for their rest of their lives. I’m very honored to be a part of their journey.”
Davies, the 2024 ASUN Coach of the Year, guided a unit that was selected to finish last in the preseason poll by the conference’s head coaches and won the ASUN Championship Tournament crown as the No. 2 seed at Hodges Stadium.
He led the program to its first conference title since 2015 and its second NCAA Tournament berth, where North Florida battled West Virgina.
Senior Joaquin Acuna, who was named ASUN Championship Tournament MVP, clinched the second tournament title in program history with his penalty kick to down Central Arkansas, 3-3 [4-3]. Davies coached Acuna to ASUN Championships Tournament MVP, ASUN All-Tournament Team and unanimous First Team All-ASUN honors.
He coached senior midfielder Rentaro Miyakawa, freshman midfielder Anton Khelili and senior defender Nick Kishenko to Second Team All-ASUN and Khelili and freshman defender Rafa Rios to All-Freshman accolades.
In his debut season at the helm of the Ospreys, Davies notched a 6-7-3 overall, 4-2-1 ASUN record.
Davies orchestrated the highest-scoring team in the ASUN with 1.625 goals per game overall with 26 total games, in addition to 2.286 goals per game and 16 goals in conference action. He also developed the conference’s individual leaders in goals and assists, overall and in conference games.
Davies coached five straight ASUN Player of the Week honorees, two ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honorees and an ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week honoree. In the postseason, North Florida received four ASUN All-Tournament selections, including Acuna, who inked a contract with USL League One squad, AV Alta FC.
Eric Faulconer | Head Women’s Soccer Coach
Head women’s soccer coach Eric Faulconer received a two-year extension through the 2026 season.
“I’m extremely fortunate to work in an athletic department and institution that shares my professional and personal values. That is exactly what North Florida has provided me,” Faulconer said. “I’m very grateful for the support of our Director of Athletics Nick Morrow and our entire athletic and campus administration for their belief in our program. I’m proud of the success we have achieved on and off the field over the last six seasons and of the student-athletes in our program, who continue to amaze me each day as true ambassadors of North Florida. I’m excited to build upon this foundation with our coaching staff and to continue to elevate our program in the years to come.”
Faulconer concluded 2024 with a winning record for the first time since 2021 at 9-4-7 overall, 6-1-4 ASUN. North Florida earned an ASUN Championship Tournament berth for the first time since 2021.
Faulconer guided graduate student Zara Siassi to 2024 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year honors and coached her become the program’s first-ever United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I All-American distinction. Siassi played and started in 82 career games, which is the most in the program’s Division I era.
North Florida saw six selections to the All-ASUN teams with Siassi, Sarah Frazer, Amanda Hartmann, Paige McSwigan, Sofia Miliancano and Bella Pontieri all receiving postseason laurels last season. He also notched a program-high six Osprey selections to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team with Brialyn Anderson, Kayla Bond, Chloe Lynch, Hartmann, McSwigan and Siassi.
North Florida earned its first-ever win over a Power Four school, when it took down Miami (Fla.), 1-0, on the road on Aug. 15. Later in the season, Faulconer led the Ospreys to a 10-match unbeaten streak, which was the longest run in the program’s D-I era.
Faulconer has posted a 47-32-22 overall record, 26-15-14 ASUN in his six-year tenure at UNF. He has made the postseason in the ASUN in four of the six seasons.
In his career, Faulconer has produced 13 All Americans, 14 Scholar All Americans, 67 All Region selections, 90 All Conference Selections, six Conference Players of the Year, one Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, one Conference Defender of the Year, two Region Players of the Year and two Freshman of the Year. His squads have earned 19 United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards as well.
Faulconer owns winning season records in 20 of his 23 years as a head coach. He currently ranks 30th among active Division I coaches in winning percentage.
Jeff Pigg | Director of Cross Country / Track & Field
Head men’s and women’s cross country/track and field coach Jeff Pigg was extended through the 2028 season amid another successful season at the helm of North Florida.
“North Florida is a fantastic place to work, and I’m grateful for the chance to continue leading the cross-country and track and field programs. We’ve been fortunate to have many wonderful student-athletes in our program, and spending time with these teams is one of the highlights of my day. Director of Athletics Nick Morrow and his staff are diligently working to enhance the student-athlete experience. The family-like environment fosters growth in all aspects of their lives. Having spent thirteen years here, I have witnessed significant growth, and I’m excited to be part of North Florida’s bright future as the institution continues to thrive.”
In his 13th season, one of the longest-tenured coaches at North Florida, Pigg continues to reach new heights each season. He mostly recently led senior Smilla Kolbe to First Team All-American honors, the first such honoree in program history, with a fifth-place finish in the women’s 800-meter race at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The development of Sixth Year Aidan O’Gorman, in addition to Kolbe, has also been a huge part of Pigg turning the program into what it has become. Both have made appearances over the past two years at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, while O’Gorman clinched a spot in the 10K race at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
A total of 13 school records for indoor and seven records for outdoor have been surpassed since the start of 2023. Cross Country has been nothing short of stellar with all of the men’s top 10 D-I times for the 8K and 10K races eclipsed over the past four seasons.
During his tenure, the six-time ASUN Coach of the Year has racked in 122 First Team All-ASUN, 131 Second Team All-ASUN and 98 Third Team All-ASUN selections, in addition to 97 ASUN All-Academic distinctions. This includes 16 ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees, including five between O’Gorman and Kolbe, and 24 superlative awards from the conference between most valuable athlete, runner of the year and freshman of the year.
Kristen Wright | Head Volleyball Coach
Head volleyball coach Kristen Wright received a two-year extension through the 2026 season.
“I’m grateful to be in a community and at a university that values and supports volleyball,” Wright said. “I’m specifically grateful to President Moez Limayem and Director of Athletics Nick Morrow for the trust they put in me to lead our program. In these uncertain times in college athletics, it is important to have the right leadership to navigate these unknown waters. I’m thankful for the belief and am excited to continue chasing championships with this team and staff.”
Wright completed her seventh season at the helm of the volleyball program in 2024 and holds an 103-99 overall record and 60-48 ASUN conference record in her tenure. The winningest coach in the program’s DI era, Wright became the first head coach to eclipse 100-career wins in North Florida volleyball’s DI stint.
The Ospreys extended their program-record streak of winning seasons in conference play to five in 2024 and have notched a conference-tournament appearance each season under Wright. North Florida has also protected its home court under Wright with a winning home record each of the last six seasons.
Wright guided senior outside hitter Amy Burkhardt to 2024 Third Team All-ASUN distinction after she surpassed her previous career-highs in five different statistical categories. Burkhardt was the sixth outside hitter to earn all-conference honors and the 16th All-ASUN honoree under Wright.
Wright was crucial in the recruitment and development of four-year libero Rocio Moro, who cemented her name in conference and program history with a conference-record four-straight ASUN Defensive Player of the Year honors and four-straight ASUN First Team All-Conference selections. Moro finished her career in 2023 with 2,778 digs, the most in ASUN history.
The 2021 fall season marked the winningest season in Division I program history with a 25-8 record, 12-4 in the ASUN. The 25 wins and 12 conference wins set a North Florida Division I-era record. The run included record highs for RPI, conference wins and overall wins. The Ospreys concluded the year with a No. 75 RPI and advanced to compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
The Ospreys started off the season 7-0, the team’s best start through seven games in the Division I-era. UNF ranked in the top-ten nationally for winning percentage for the majority of the season. The program also earned its first Power-Five win against Virginia Tech in 2021.
Under Wright, outside hitter Gabby O’Connell became the first ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year in program history in the spring 2021 season. Wright also led Mahalia White to the 2022 Honda Inspirational Woman of the Year award.
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