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Tammy DeCesare begins her fourth year at the helm of the Western Carolina program. Taking over the Catamount Soccer program on February 18, 2005 DeCesare guided Western Carolina to its best season in its brief eight-year history, posting the best turnaround in the entire NCAA during the 2005 Southern Conference Championship run. DeCesare became just the second head coach all-time at Western, taking over the reins from former head coach Debbie Hensley.
The 2005 DeCesare-led set a multitude of school records: wins in a single-season (18) - 13 of which were shutouts, also a school record - and claimed the school's first ever Southern Conference tournament title. Seeded fourth, WCU became the lowest seed o ever win the SoCon women's soccer championship, claiming the title after knocking off top-seeded - and previously unbeaten in the conference - Davidson and No. 2 seed, the home standing Furman Paladins. DeCesare led the Catamounts in their first-ever appearance in the NCAA College Cup Championship, facing 17-time National Champion, North Carolina.
During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, DeCesare teams continued to shine garnering top 20 regional preseason rankings and competing against nationally and regionally ranked non-conference opponents such as Nebraska, Clemson, Duke, Wyoming, NC State, and ECU.
Under DeCesare's guidance two Catamounts (Alesha Row and Emily Pierce) earned All-Southern Conference (2005), an additional two Cats (Shannon Fowkes, Catilin Williams) have combined for three SoCon Player of the week honors, Row was also named SoCon player of the month (2005), and Heather Dittmer was named to Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week (2005). Beyond player recognition, DeCesare was recognized by Soccer Buzz and named Regional Runner-Up Coach of the year for the Southeast (2005).
In an environment that is intense but family oriented, DeCesare promotes both academic and athletic excellence. In her three year tenure, the Catamounts have been recognized nationally for their academic prowess by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) receiving the Team Academic Award all three years. In 2006 and 2007, WCU was ranked in the top ten nationally in cumulative team GPA boasting cumulative GPA's of 3.61 and 3.53 respectively.
DeCesare came to Cullowhee after six seasons as an assistant coach at UNC Wilmington. During her time alongside head coach Paul Cairney, she helped the Seahawks compile a 59-50-5 overall record, which included a 14-2-1 tally against Southern Conference foes. During her tenure at UNCW, the team was recognized for three consecutive seasons with the NSCAA Team Academic Award. DeCesare obtained her Masters of Education from UNCW in 2002, completing the program with a 4.0 GPA. In addition to her collegiate endeavors, DeCesare was very active in youth soccer in the Wilmington community coaching with Cape Fear Youth Soccer and the Port City Storm Soccer Club.
A four-year starter at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC, DeCesare helped the Indians become a nationally ranked program. She helped Catawba capture a pair of South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Tournament titles and a SAC regular season conference championship during her playing career. Serving as team captain, she earned All-Conference honors during her senior campaign. Additionally, DeCesare also played basketball at Catawba, duplicating her efforts as team captain for the Indians' hoops squad and helping lead them to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Upon her graduation, DeCesare played two years of semiprofessional women's soccer for both the Hampton Roads (Va.) Piranhas and the Carolina Speed of the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL).
Before entering into the Division 1 ranks, DeCesare began her coaching career at East Rowan High School where she served as the head girl's soccer coach from 1996 to 1998. She made the move in 1998 to the collegiate ranks at NCAA Division III member institution, Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minn. serving as the head women's soccer coach and an assistant for softball. She helped transform the Piper program during her single season at the helm.
