Longabaugh picks up 300th win at Mississippi College

By Datti Jinkiri

Last month, Mississippi College women’s soccer coach Darryl Longabaugh earned the 300th win of his storied career. Longabaugh’s Lady Choctaws defeated West Georgia 1-0 at home in mid-October, giving the team their second win in a row at that point in the season.

Longabaugh has been the only coach in the program’s history, starting his tenure in 1997. He’s overseen the Lady Choctaws’ transition from Division III to Division II. Longabaugh has led the team to double-digit win totals in nineteen of the program’s twenty-four years, including a streak of twelve consecutive seasons from 2002-2013.

Under Longabaugh, the Lady Choctaws won the 2019 GSC regular season title and have finished as the runner-up in the GSC Women’s Soccer Championship twice. They also won the GSC Spring Championship Series in April.

Longabaugh’s Lady Choctaws have also qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament three times. Their best showing was a Sweet 16 appearance in 2018. During the transition years, Longabaugh led the Lady Choctaws to the 2015 NCCAA National Championship Game, where they lost a heartbreaking game in penalty kicks.

Longabaugh and the Lady Choctaws currently sit in second place in both the GSC standings and the NCAA South Region rankings. They have an 10-3 record overall heading into a two-game homestand this weekend. The Lady Choctaws will face off against Spring Hill on Friday and West Florida on Sunday.