Soccer Adds Two to Staff

Taylor, O’Hare set to join soccer staff

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt soccer team and head coach Darren Ambrose announced the addition of individuals to his staff prior to the 2022-23 season. Ashley Taylor will join the team as Director of Operations while Daniel O’Hare will assist in a volunteer coaching capacity.

“We are very pleased that both Ashley and Daniel are joining us,” Ambrose stated. “They bring fresh ideas and energy to our program and our student-athletes. They have tremendous experience in their roles and am excited to see that translate into the way we operate our program.”

Taylor returns to her home state after four seasons as an assistant softball coach at Ohio University where she organized recruiting visits, equipment orders, and worked closely with administrative staff to ensure the success of her program. Taylor was also in charge of drawing up practice plans, setting up equipment, and managing the Bobcats’ student manager program. Off the field, Taylor contributed to fundraising initiatives and coordinating events with alumni and program donors while designing handouts to promote events.

“I am extremely excited to join Coach Ambrose and the rest of the staff,” Taylor said. “Vanderbilt Soccer is not only a successful program, but Vanderbilt Athletics is also one of the premier athletic departments in the country. The student-athlete experience was prominent during my interview and in discussions with everyone in the department. I am looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to the mission of the program and the department. The position as director of operations at Vanderbilt provides a unique opportunity for me to assist with a program that has the vision of a national championship.”

Prior to her stint in Athens, Ohio, Taylor served as the assistant softball coach at Tennessee Tech for the 2017-2018 season, assisting in office duties, recruiting, and other coaching roles on the field.

She also spent time as a head softball coach at Centre College in Kentucky where she also served on the administrative side of athletics as an external relations assistant, community service coordinator and as liaison for the student-athlete advisory committee.

As a graduate student at Belmont, Taylor spent time on the coaching staff as both a graduate assistant and later an assistant coach. Taylor played collegiate softball at Austin Peay where she earned a bachelor’s degree in special education.

“Ashley brings not only logistical and operations experience to our program but also head coaching experience into our Operations role,” Ambrose said. “She has handled all of the logistical responsibilities through her coaching journey but in addition, she brings decision making and leadership of studentathletes which is paramount in today’s world of collegiate athletics.”

O’Hare joins the team from Arkansas State where he spent five seasons as an assistant coach and graduate assistant with its women’s soccer program. There he implemented a team-game model and strong culture of success, as his team claimed multiple Sun Belt Conference championships. Working closely with the goalkeepers, O’Hare led three student-athletes to Defensive Player of the Year conference honors in his time with the Red Wolves. As an assistant coach, he developed team and individual training programs for both in-season and out-of-season workouts while collaborating with student-athletes and staff to determine best practices. Off the field, O’Hare spent time working on film and analyzing training systems to deliver effective feedback to the goalkeepers.

“I am delighted to be joining the women’s soccer program at Vanderbilt University,” O’Hare said. “Being able to work alongside Coach Ambrose and the rest of the staff is a fantastic opportunity. I am excited to meet the student-athletes and get started. I look forward to using my previous experiences and knowledge to help the program achieve its goals. I would also like to thank Arkansas State coach – Brian Dooley for preparing me for the next step in my career.”

Before his time with the Red Wolves, O’Hare spent two seasons as the director of goalkeeping for the McMinn Futbol Club in Athens, Tennessee. There he created the club’s first goalkeeping program through developing a philosophy and designing development programs for various age groups. O’Hare also planned and executed a training curriculum for youth goalkeepers and stressed building relationships to maintain strong development.

Overseas, O’Hare spent four years as the director of goalkeeping and assistant coach for the Wimbledon FC Regional Academy in Cork, Ireland. During his role in Ireland, he developed a goalkeeping curriculum for 25 youth players, served in coaching roles over six age groups to develop technical, tactical, physical, and psychological abilities, while also evaluating and recruiting regional athletes to the academy.

O’Hare received a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Wesleyan before earning his first master’s degree during his time at Arkansas State.

“We are thrilled that a coach of Dan’s experience and character is joining our staff. He has played a big role at Arkansas state in a full-time capacity,” Ambrose said. “We are fortunate to have him with us and he will strengthen our staff in multiple ways on and off of the field.”