NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Soccer head coach Darren Ambrose has agreed to a contract extension that allows the most decorated coach in the pioneering program’s history to build on multiple SEC championships and deep NCAA Tournament runs. Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee announced the extension for Ambrose, who enters his 12th season in Nashville after leading the Commodores to their first NCAA No. 1 seed and the Elite Eight last season.
“Vanderbilt women’s soccer is central to our new era of excellence because Darren Ambrose has always believed in what’s possible here,” Lee said. “As we advance Anchored for Her and build Vanderbilt into the premier destination for women’s sports, it’s essential that we retain leaders who set the standard. Darren’s innovative mind, tireless spirit and resolute commitment to our student-athletes position this program to compete at the highest level for years to come.”
With 126 Vanderbilt wins, Ambrose’s next victory will give him sole possession of the program’s all-time record. The 2018 SEC Coach of the Year led the Commodores to that season’s SEC regular season championship, as well as the 2020 and 2025 SEC Tournament championships. He also led Vanderbilt to the 2019 SEC East Division title. He has coached half of Vandy’s all-time NCAA Tournament appearances and more than 75 percent of its all-time NCAA Tournament victories.
“I’d like to thank Vice Chancellor Lee for her support, not just with this extension but for always encouraging and believing in our staff and student-athletes,” Ambrose said. “I enjoy being around people who are willing to challenge the status quo. From the administration to student-athletes, Vanderbilt brings out everyone’s best by challenging and supporting them at every turn. I’m proud of what the student-athletes who have been part of our program over the past 11 years have achieved, on and off the field. I’m also beyond grateful and excited to continue working with our current and future student-athletes to help them play championship soccer and develop their leadership potential for life ahead.”
Few SEC soccer programs have a more robust history than Vanderbilt, which added its varsity program 40 years ago and won the first two SEC regular season and tournament championships in 1993–94. Building on that storied past, Ambrose has engineered unrivaled success during an era of dramatic change and increasing competition in the college game and the sport’s explosive growth on all fronts.
This past season, Vanderbilt matched a program record with 18 wins, scored their most goals in a season this century and allowed the second-fewest goals in program history. After inheriting a team coming off five consecutive losing seasons prior to his arrival, Ambrose’s teams have never finished with a losing record.
In addition to consistent team success, he’s helped bring out the best in individuals. Most recently, Sara Wojdelko and Sydney Watts were honored as the 2025 SEC Goalkeeper and Forward of the Year, respectively, while Watts and Hannah McLaughlin were among 15 semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy as the nation’s best player. All three earned All-America honors. They are among six Commodores to earn All-America honors under Ambrose, in addition to more than 20 USC All-Region honors and nearly 30 All-SEC honors.
Dedicated to helping student-athletes reach their full potential, Ambrose has transformed Vanderbilt into the launch pad for professional soccer opportunities. In January, Wojdelko signed with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit. Lessons learned in Nashville also helped athletes like Simone Charley, a member of the Orlando Pride during its NWSL championship season, and Abi Brighton, a Serie A winner with Juventus, win at the sport’s highest level. Additionally, as executive officers with the NWSLPA, alumni like Charley and Haley Hopkins have helped lead the sport forward for all athletes.
About the Anchored for Her Campaign
Vanderbilt launched the Anchored for Her campaign to honor its pioneering female student-athletes and cement the university’s place as the premier destination for women’s sports ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of its varsity women’s teams. Bolstered by lead gifts from Vanderbilt Board of Trust members Nina Kohler and Kathleen Justice-Moore, JD’91, Anchored for Her’s initial $50 million goal will fuel investment in sustainable success for a new era of collegiate athletics through facility enhancements, endowed scholarships, coaching and staff positions, capital support and naming opportunities, team-specific Excellence Funds, the Women’s Athletics General Fund and the Competitive Excellence Fund.
