WCU soccer field renamed in honor of Coach Danny Owens
Crusader Field, home of William Carey University soccer, was renamed Danny Owens Field during a Homecoming ceremony on April 2.
"I am pleased to be able to recognize the tremendous impact Coach Owens has made for William Carey University by renaming the soccer field after him. Danny has built our women's soccer program into the premier program in the NAIA and one of the best in all of collegiate women's soccer. I am so happy to be able to do this for him to recognize all he has accomplished," said WCU President Dr. Tommy King.
Coach Owens has served as the head women's soccer coach since 2004. In 2018, Owens led the Lady Crusaders to the school's first NAIA National Championship in 50 years. During his career, Owens has posted fifteen winning seasons with a 277-65-16 overall record and 113-18-5 overall conference record. The Lady Crusaders have won ten regular season conference championships, have appeared in twelve Conference Finals, and won eight Conference Tournaments. His Lady Crusaders have made thirteen trips to the NAIA National Tournament with five Fab Four appearances and three National Championship game appearances. Owens' staff was selected the National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2018, 2x Regional Staff of the Year and 9x Coach of the Year. In 2018 Owens was named NAIA Coach of the Year.
Owens has coached a NAIA National Player of the Year (Ana Paula Santos 2020, 2021), nine Conference Players of the Year, 77 First Team All-Conference players, 56 NAIA All-Americans, including ten First Team NAIA All-Americans, 49 NAIA Scholar Athletes and 236 Academic All-Conference players.
A former Crusader Men's Soccer player from 1996-99, Owens earned All-Conference (Gulf Coast Athletic), All Region (NAIA Region XIII), and 1st Team All American (NAIA) honors at William Carey. During his collegiate career, the Crusaders qualified for three national tournaments and had two NAIA Final Four appearances. He was also voted the team captain and most valuable player during his senior year. In 2013, Owens was inducted in the WCU Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted to the Inaugural Hall of Fame for the Men's Soccer team at WCU and in 2004 was inducted to the Inaugural Wall of Fame at Bishop Sullivan High School (St. Michael's High School) in Baton Rouge, LA.
Owens earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology from William Carey in 2000. Afterwards, he also obtained a Master of Science degree in Psychology with an Industrial/Organizational concentration.
"I am very honored to have Crusader Field renamed after me. It was definitely something unexpected when Dr. King told me," Owens said.
"There have been so many great players and coaches on both the men and women's side to come through the Carey Soccer program, so to have Crusader Field named after me is very humbling. There have been many great players to come through the program and I have been blessed with top assistant coaches along the way, so none of this could have been done without these special people that have come through the program."
