The UNCW women’s soccer program continues its rise to national prominence under the leadership of former collegiate standout and veteran coach Paul Cairney.

The former Seahawk men’s standout has been with the women’s program since its inception in 1994. He served as associate head coach with the team for two years before taking over as head coach in 1996.

A four-year letterman with the UNCW men’s team, Cairney has amassed 128 career victories and posted a winning record in seven of the last eight seasons as he has developed the Seahawks into one of the CAA’s top clubs, His teams have qualified for each of the last three CAA Women’s Soccer Championships, one of only three programs in the league to accomplish the feat.

Last season saw Cairney guide UNCW to one of its finest campaigns in program history as the Seahawks matched their record for CAA victories in a season with an 8-3 ledger and equaled their highest finish in the regular-season standings with a tie for second. The team also established a new mark for shutouts in a season with nine. For his efforts, Cairney was named CAA Coach-of-the-Year for the second time in three seasons, becoming one of just five managers in league history to earn the distinction on more than one occasion.

Four Seahawks were also acknowledged for their outstanding play in 2008 as senior Kelly Renkin became the first player in program history to earn First-Team All-CAA honors three times in her career and the second to be named All-CAA in each of her four seasons. Freshman Erin Pardini was a Second-Team All-CAA selection and senior Brittany Croce earned Third-Team All-CAA distinction. Pardini and fellow freshman Kelly Dodd were named to the CAA All-Rookie Team while Pardini became the first Freshman All-American in program history when she earned the honor from Soccer Buzz Online Magazine.  

Cairney’s team posted its first winning season in 1997 with an 11-9-1 mark, and then pulled off an upset of No. 1 Old Dominion in the 1998 CAA Tournament en route to a 10-10-1 record. The Seahawks reached the CAA semifinals again in 1999 before bowing to eventual champion William & Mary.

In 2004, UNCW opened the season with nine straight wins, outscoring opponents, 33-9. Senior midfielder Caroline Renkin was named Second-Team All-CAA and Cauble was selected to the All-Rookie squad. The Seahawks also achieved a milestone for the program when they were ranked in the Top 10 of the Southeast Region by Soccer Buzz. Cauble then became the program’s first First-Team All-CAA selection in 2005.

The 2006-07 squad enjoyed the best season in program history as the Seahawks finished with a 13-6-0 ledger and posted a second-place finish in the conference at 8-3-0. He shared CAA Coach-of-the-Year honors after helping the Seahawks close out the year ranked 47th among NCAA Division I schools in RPI.

Cairney wasn’t the only Seahawk to be rewarded that season. Junior midfielder Jenny Cauble and sophomore striker Kelly Renkin each made First-Team All-CAA while junior forward Ashley Church garnered Second-Team honors and freshman goalkeeper Jamie Balzarini collected All-Rookie laurels.

Cairney was a two-time All-Conference performer in the backfield during his playing career. He served as team captain for three seasons from 1991-93 and led the team in scoring as a junior.

A USSF "A" Licensed coach, Cairney has developed his coaching talents by working at numerous soccer camps and workshops over the last few years. Cairney, who is also a Scottish Football Association licensed coach, was a guest clinician at the NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) clinic held in conjunction with the 2003 Women’s Soccer College Cup in Cary, N.C.

Cairney recently joined the NCYSA (North Carolina Youth Soccer Association) coaching education staff. He helps teach state level coaching courses and serves as a head coach for the North Carolina ODP (Olympic Development Program). He recently received the NSCAA Premier Coaching Diploma.

As a student at UNCW, Cairney excelled in the classroom. He earned several academic honors, including CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-American in 1993, the Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Young Educator award, Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, the Chancellor’s Cup for Academic and Athletic Excellence and the Alumni Achievement Award for Academic Excellence. He graduated with the highest grade point average of UNCW’s Class of ‘93.

"I truly believe that the student in ‘student-athlete’ comes first," Cairney says. "Success in the classroom, unlike success on the soccer field, is something that my players will take with them when they graduate. Therefore, it is important that academics are a priority from day one through graduation."

Cairney’s teams have been recognized for their academic achievements by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), receiving the College Team Academic Award in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004. The 2002 squad was honored with an NSCAA Ethics award for its disciplined style of play. "We strive to be the best in the classroom and on the field," Cairney says, "and we structure our program to achieve these goals."

Cairney’s program picked up an additional honor in 2004 when Renkin was named a finalist for the prestigious John Wooden Trophy by Athletes For A Better World. Cairney and Renkin traveled to Los Angeles, Calif., for a special ceremony to recognize several of the nation’s top student-athletes.

Cairney completed his Master’s Degree in English from UNCW in 1995, and received a postgraduate scholarship provided by the CAA and Richfood, Inc.

Paul and his wife, the former Donalda Kirsop, have three children, Cameron (12), Tess (9) and Lily (6).