Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Women’s Soccer – Coach Ryan Joiner
On today’s episode, I speak with Joiner from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Women’s Programs in Perkinston. We talk about how they recruit on almost a D1 timeline. He describes the high-end athletic facilities as well as other new buildings on campus. Lastly, we discuss how he maintains a roster size that allows players to play, not just watch. Learn more about Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Women’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi, everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer today. I’m lucky enough to be joined by coach Ryan Joiner from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Welcome, coach.
Coach: Hey, thanks for having me. I appreciate it.
Matt: Yeah, thanks for being here. Just, uh, not, not too far away from me up on that Gulf Coast. I’m just on the Tampa side of that Gulf Coast, but, um, We’re talking kind of mid July.
Um, are you still trying to squeeze in some 20, 20, 20 fours or, uh, when did you wrap up your recruiting class? If that’s done, what’s that looking like for you?
Coach: Yeah. So we finished up 2024 back, um, with our last couple of international spots and early, uh, spring. Um, you know, the Mississippi league works pretty fast.
We’re almost on the same timeline. It feels like as some of the division one schools and programs where, um, right now, actually we’re Finishing up our 2025 for the most part. So we’re, uh, yeah, I think we’re eight girls in the 2025 on their commitments and verbals, but, uh, 2024 is wrapped up, got a class of 25 girls in total, uh, freshmen and sophomore.
And yeah, we’ll start August 1st. So we’re, we’re really excited to get going. And we move in really, really soon. I think two weeks yesterday, actually.
Matt: So you mentioned, you know, internationals kind of what’s your roster makeup of domestic international? How’s that work for you guys in your recruiting?
Coach: Yes.
So Mississippi, it’s a little bit different in our league in the M. A. C. C. C. That we play in. We’re a lot of six out of state [00:01:30] slash international spots. Um, generally speaking, I think most programs in the conference go for six international. We’ve kind of a different approach. We’re looking for the best available player.
So, um, we have six total out of state slash international girls, which Two of those are from one from Florida, one from Louisiana and then the other four from outside of the U. S. So England, Costa Rica, Wales. I think that’s it for this coming year. So we have three returners, 33 incoming players. But the majority of our roster Um, of our 24 scholarships, we’ll get 18 of those are in Mississippi.
Matt: Okay. So with that being said, where, where do you spend most of your time recruiting? Uh, is it club events, high school events, uh, camps, all of the above? Where do you spend your time?
Coach: Yeah, I think it’s a little bit all of the above, you know, we identify girls through camps that we have, obviously we host a big 300 person residential camp every year.
Um, just finished it up in June, so we kind of identify girls there. We spend a lot of time in club. Um, I’m a club soccer coach. I coach, uh, boys and girls, both on the club side. So I get a chance to kind of split my time at tournaments between games and recruiting. Um, but the local high school scene in Mississippi is very good.
Um, where I’m located geographically as probably 10 of the top 20 schools in the state, um, just within an hour’s drive, which is nice for us. Um, so typically what we do is we identify Probably at a camp or [00:03:00] at a tournament. And then we’ll go spend some time showing you some love and seeing you play in your high school events and really make sure that we’re, we’re kind of leaving no stone unturned as far as going through and, and picking out and identifying players for, for the next several years.
Matt: So, so when you’re doing that, kind of what makes up, you know, the, the hierarchy of things you’re looking for in a player with regards to both on the field attributes and off the field stuff.
Coach: Yeah. So we’ll start with off the field. Um, obviously we’re looking for girls that are super dedicated as, as As players, you know, we want a girl that’s gonna look to play at the next level.
Maybe they’re not getting the right opportunity. And between us and your, and your listeners, you know, Mississippi is a very sheltered place in the soccer community. Um, I feel like a lot of our players are afraid to go three, four, five, six hours away from home. Um, so we’re looking for players that maybe want to grow as people first at the junior college level, give them the two years of experience and then help them move on as far as university at whatever level fits them the best.
Um, as far as a player, obviously, I think we’re all looking for mainly the same things in kids. You know, we, we’re still looking at girls that want to be at university. Universities that may not be ready to environment. So we do have a lot of university caliber girls on our team. Um, they just weren’t ready to make that step or didn’t get the right offer.
Obviously, athleticism plays a huge part in our league. We have one of the most competitive junior college league in the country. Just had the national champions come out of our conference last year, [00:04:30] three teams in the national tournament from our 12 team conference. So athleticism plays a huge part. Um, technically very diverse play.
Here’s I think I’m looking for perfectly technically proficient players and every class isn’t going to be where we’re at. We’re looking for a girl that needs to develop some, that needs some mentoring, that needs some games, that needs training. But in the end, we want a person that wants to be in our campus.
They have to want to come play for us. We feel like we’re a very competitive team. Um, obviously I’ve been at Gulf Coast now, this will be my second season starting in August and then we’re kind of growing the brand and growing the program from where it was 15 years ago, too.
Matt: Okay. Well, let’s talk a little bit more, uh, about the school.
Um, well, I guess before I do that, one of the things you did mention was the scholarship component. So, um, I think a lot of people, a hundred percent, you know, sure how the junior college scholarship. System works. Um, so you guys, it sounds like you’re completely fully funded. Um, so. What does that mean? What does a player get?
Are there, is there on campus housing kind of, what’s that look like specifically for your guys school?
Coach: Yeah, so we play MJCA Division II, so all of our scholarships, we have 24 of them, they’re all tuition and fees scholarships. So every player gets tuition and fees covered, they can stack academic money.
Most of our players are ACT, [00:06:00] um, just being in the southern states, I think that’s kind of a common route. Um, as far as on campus, we have, uh, I want to say about 1, 400 total students on campus of our, of our 3, 500 in our main campus. Overall, Mississippi Gulf Coast has 11, 000 total students on 11 different campuses.
Um, but our main campus in Perkinston is where all athletics are host. So, um, we do things a little differently as far as, It’s the six internationals as we discussed, you know, we’re limited by our league. Um, and that’s both a blessing and a curse, I think. I think when you look at it, the junior college system was started.
It’s a support your local community where, um, our presidents and our athletic directors really want us to continue focusing on that. But they also understand to be competitive on the national stage, getting those internationals or out of state players. Um, it’s really turned the league around in the last four seasons.
Matt: Yeah, sounds like it. Well, as you mentioned, you’ve been there a couple years now. So let’s talk about the school. You mentioned how big it is and the number of campuses and stuff, but specifically we’re that main campus. What are some of the great things about it? What are some of the things your, your students, your players enjoy about it that maybe folks wouldn’t know?
Coach: Yeah. So, um, I spent the last five seasons before getting to Gulf coast last July at East Central Community College in Mississippi. Um, and then came to Gulf coast last year, was blown away with facility. Um, every facility on our, on our campus is turf between in our soccer [00:07:30] field, all softball, baseball, everybody has a, a very, very nice facility as far as athletics.
Um, our campus has gone through a ton of renovation. Our president, Dr. Mary Graham and her team. I’ve done so many renovations, the women’s dorm, brand new cafeteria, um, everything on campus is modern student athletes looking for. We have a full time strength and conditioning staff that works with all of our full time gym dedicated just to our athletes, which I think a lot of junior colleges would be envious of and how our facilities are and look.
Athletes love coming in. We’re 30 minutes from the beach. So, I think it’s a big sell for Elkhart in Mississippi. You can hop in the car and be at the Gulfport or Ocean Springs, Mississippi beach in somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes. Um, on campus, you know, turned in the sixth highest GPA in the country, which is really nice for us.
I think we had a 3. 69 GPA. Which we increased by 0. 42, I believe, from last season. Um, so our academic team is second to none. You know, we’re really proud of what those people provide for us on campus as well. And I think if you ask the girls, if they were sitting here with me, they would say they love the dorm.
They love the facilities. Um, they love the merch. I think everybody loves the merch at this point, what you get and provide them as student athletes. And we try to tell people, um, at Gulf Coast, we’re a two year school, but a four year program. When your time at Gulf Coast is [00:09:00] done, it’s not done. We still look after you and make sure you’re taken care of.
And the kids want to come back. We talk to girls that are like, Hey, I wish I could stay for two more seasons. I wish I could be back. I wish I could come back in your program.
Matt: Yeah, it sounds great. Well, let’s fast forward to, uh, the fall October timeframe, kind of the, the heart of the season. Can you walk me through what, what’s a typical week going to look like for the players in terms of timing of classes and practices and games and all that kind of stuff?
Coach: Yeah. So, um, we play every Tuesday, Friday when we’re in the. Conference area. So the season for us is training on Sunday evenings, which only come and train Sunday nights. Get the girls back to campus. Mondays. We come in. We train morning time because we’re looking to maximize recovery since we play Tuesday night.
So we want that 36 hours at least to get recovered. The girls will lift weights and do some strength and conditioning at one o’clock. Usually on those Mondays, Tuesdays, match day home games are perfect. Little. The girls have about a 600 yard walk to our facility, which is nice. Um, we usually get over, have a nice team meal together, um, and get ready to kick off.
And then our men play after us, which is always fun. So we get a chance to watch, uh, the men join in and a very, very good men’s team as well at Gulf Coast. Wednesday, we spend our time on recovery and film analysis. We want to break down Tuesday’s film, prep for Friday’s game. Uh, and then we’re back in the gym with our strength staff as well.
Um, and then once Thursday gets here, we’re really just trying to make sure [00:10:30] everybody’s healthy. The bodies are back in shape because we have a quick turnaround to play on that Friday. So pattern play, shadow play, um, usually a home football game, uh, team bonding night. You know, I host the girls for dinner, putt putt golf.
Spike ball tournaments, whatever we can do to have a little bit of fun and make sure I can have a little competitive edge against them in certain areas as well. And we try to give the girls Saturdays off. That’s, that’s generally their day where they can go. We tell them, go visit your friends at uni, go see the college football games, go watch American soccer game for once in a blue moon.
You know, we feel like they don’t do enough of that. So we try to send them onto those trips as well. Um, But come mid October, where our training load is definitely much lighter than it will be from August to September, because our conferences, we have 11 conference games this year, and there’s not an easy one on the schedule, for sure.
Matt: Yeah, for sure. Well, let’s talk about the team a little bit. Um, you, you said you locked in your, your recruiting classes. Is, is, is. There are roster size. You find as ideal that you’re trying to hit each season.
Coach: Yeah. So with our scholarship, uh, being 24, so we’ll always have 24 girls. We’re, we’re limited to 25 players.
Um, for us, we can have five squad players that are training only. Um, we usually don’t go over that 25 number. We like to be right there. We feel like there’s 11 spots on the field. There’s 990 minutes that can be played in any given day. Um, and we explained that to the girls. So we. We want them to understand it’s a place you can play soccer at and not just going to watch soccer.
I think that’s [00:12:00] a big thing that we try to tell our recruits and we mean it. Um, as far as the makeup of those, um, players, it’s a, um, I think this year we have the biggest freshman class probably of anybody in the conference, which which we may find really interesting. I think they’re young. I think they’re Experience.
Now, we’re fortunate that any girl that takes a class at our college during their senior spring year can train with us as a dual credit student. So we bring, I think we had nine girls in this year from our freshman class that have gotten, I don’t know, probably 20 sessions in with us played in four or five games actually, so they can participate in those games.
And, you know, it’s a really exciting thing to see where those girls are gonna be. We thought we’re gonna be really inexperienced. And then we say, look, these girls all played against, you know, Division one schools that generally are spring. So there’s a lot of excitement with that. And, um, the roster size is perfect for us because, as we know, at any time two or three are injured, two or three may have had academic setbacks, things like that.
So you get down to that 2021 girls, you can still train at a good level as well.
Matt: Well, besides a player, uh, roster, you get a coaching roster. So who else is there with you for working with the team? Maybe other people in the athletic department that help out with the team. What’s that look like?
Coach: Yeah. So interesting enough yesterday, I just introduced our new, uh, assistant coach.
So, um, I have a, a young guy coming in named Jordan hall. Jordan has, um, he played at Gulf [00:13:30] coast, uh, 2016. Um, actually left there, went to Rutgers, was all Big 10, played at UConn a senior year. Um, and has been back on the coast coaching. Um, actually married a former women’s soccer player that he met while they were both playing at Gulf Coast.
Um, my former assistant just left. Uh, I can’t speak of where he’s going yet, but he took a Division 1 assistant job in a state very close to us. So, um, not only are we helping our players move on, you know, want to help our assistant coaches achieve their dreams and goals. But Jordan, uh, top guy, top coach.
going to be a big name in this game for a long time is how he does things. He’s originally from England, played in Man City’s Academy, played in Blackburn’s Academy. His, uh, his credentials speak for himself, but he’s just a great human being. Um, our athletic director and our president and our vice president, I would tell you this, they talk about winning.
Constantly. And it’s not just on the field for us with Dr. Graham, Dr. Taylor, uh, Dean Taylor, they constantly speak to us about winning in the classroom, winning off the field with our community service, but also making sure you can do all that while winning championships. And there’s a real championship mentality around our athletic department.
Um, our instructors buy into it. They understand what kids need to miss class. They understand when we need to have them out for the day. Um, it’s a really, It’s a really cool place. Um, it’s different. I feel like it’s different. I’ve only been at a couple of colleges in my history of coaching, but it’s got a different aura around it every day.
When you walk there, you feel like there’s pressure and I like that. I think coaches and players need to [00:15:00] feel that pressure to win and succeed.
Matt: The old pressure, uh, makes diamonds cliche, right? So, um, well, what about you? Uh, talk to us about your coaching style, which, which you are trying to do with the team there.
Coach: Yeah. So, you know, interestingly enough this year, uh, we came in, I got hired in July. We had zero players that I had relationships with as far as recruiting and on the field and things of that nature. So this year very much was a learning process for the group that we had. Um, I think everybody in our league would agree with this.
I’m a very defensive minded coach. I like counterattack and counter pressing. Um, I’m not opposed to having tons of the ball, but I think the average statistic in the NCA at least is girls that are scoring goals in four passes or less. Um, with Jordan coming in and being a compliment to me, he brings out attack and style.
He really gets the team pushed forward. Um, I think when people talk about how we play, we’re going to be very structured. Um, everything we do is going to be revolved around not being counterattacked. In our league, most goals are scored on the counterattack. Um, so we make sure we’re very solid centrally.
The spine of the team is always going to be very robust. Um, we may play three at the back some days. We may play two at the back. We may play five at the back. So the versatility of how we do things is, I think it surprises other teams. Um, and I’m also one of those coaches that if it’s 10 minutes into the game and nothing’s working or it doesn’t seem to be working, I’m not scared to make those changes very quickly.
I want to see [00:16:30] us have an opportunity to give the team success. Um, so if I messed up in the three week activations and patterns of play and I noticed pretty quickly or my assistant does, we have no problem switching from a 352 to a 433. Literally 10 minutes in, um, just, just coaching on the field. Uh, I’m pretty lighthearted when it comes to coaching.
Um, I like having fun out there. I enjoy it. And, um, you know, I think picking on each other and having some jokes and good banter with the girls or something that makes coaching fun. I think if you go out there and it’s a business every day for you, you kind of grind yourself into oblivion where I want it to be an atmosphere where people are respected and then are for what we do.
When it’s I think they understand it’s because I probably have a different look on my face most times when it’s real business. Um, I’m usually a little quieter when it’s business, they get that. Um, we’re, we’re gonna be a team that plays in a variety of ways. Like, I really want us to have, be versatile when it comes to how we attack, how we defend, how we counter attack, how we counter press.
Um, so in a nutshell, uh, versatility is kind of my, my biggest asset as a coach.
Matt: Well, you mentioned, uh, spring, um, what is your typical off season look like in terms of trainings, matches, that kind of thing? What, what should a player expect?
Coach: Yeah, I think, uh, for us, we can tell recruits that spring is harder than the season for us.
We feel like we generally go, uh, we train four days a week. So [00:18:00] we’ll go Monday to Thursday. A lot of our girls want to work and have jobs. So. Saturday, Sundays, all to have a life outside of sport because we tell them soccer is my job. It’s just what they get to do. So it’s not a thing that we want them to be overburdened with.
But we’re lifting four days a week during the spring. We’re training 2 to 3 days a week. Generally, though, an indoor session in there because I know other people in the country live in Louisiana, super cold, so we try to put an indoor session, play some futsal. Um, and then when we get into games, I try to schedule two games per day.
We get six dates to play on. So, for example, this year we went down to the University of Louisiana, um, with Coach McBride, played their team in 60 minutes, and then we turned around and played LSU units for a 60 minute game. So, we try to get the girls exposure, because a guy like Chris may want to recruit some of our girls.
Eunice is a team that’s going to give us everything we want in a spring game. And then we always make sure that we’re scheduling those games. So other schools can also come in there. So you may see a Nichols or Southeastern Louisiana pop by and watch that game. So our girls get maximum exposure. We tell the girls when spring starts, I don’t want us to win every spring game.
I want them to be so competitive and difficult that it shows our weaknesses before it shows our strengths because that’s how we grow for The fall, um, it gave us a good idea of who is ready or who we think may be ready come, uh, come august 1st
Matt: Yeah, for sure. Well coach really appreciate your time one last question for you [00:19:30] You know, if you had one piece of advice for anybody going through the college recruiting process right now, what would that be?
Coach: Great question. Um, I tell everybody it’s never too late to get started in this. I think there’s a timeline for everybody depending on your level. I think with the junior college system, and it’s something I’ve coached in for at least the last 13 years has been in as an assistant head coach that we’re an opportunity for you.
But we tell players all the time, your timeline is important, but there’s always going to be additional time for players to come to the juco level. We can always help you get out. There’s an opportunity to play immediately, um, as a freshman and come back as a sophomore. But the most. The important thing I tell people just because you go juco doesn’t mean you get to be juco.
It’s treated so seriously these days that junior college athletics are a very high standard. There’s schools at the university level we beat and compete with every year. Um, there’s some that beat us the sleep, which that’s fine too. That’s what’s supposed to happen in some of those games. But if you go junior college Do your research on how well they do, how much they promote their players to get them university, but always continue working on your recruiting because there is a place in a school and opportunity for every single kid out there, no matter your level.
Matt: For sure. Well, coach really appreciate it. Wish you the best of luck this fall. And, uh, hopefully it’ll be raising that conference banner.
Coach: It was a thanks, Matt. I appreciate the time.
