Sammy Towne - Women's Soccer Coach

Sammy Towne — USC Trojans Women's Soccer

Photo by: John McGillen

Sammy Towne

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
soccer@usc.edu
Phone:
(213) 740-6155

Sammy Towne was hired as an assistant coach with the USC women's soccer program in April of 2018 and enters her fourth season in the fall of 2021.

In her first season with the program in 2018, she helped USC to a 17-2-3 record and an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, then followed that up by helping to guide the Trojans to a 17-5-1 record and NCAA Quarterfinal appearance in 2019. The Trojans again made the postseason in 2020 and finished second in the Pac-12 standings. With Towne taking the lead on the defensive side of the ball, USC has 31 shutouts during her three-year tenure and has produced one first-team All-American on the backline in centerback Ally Prisock (2018) and one Freshman All-American in Kaylin Martin (2019).

Towne was an All-SEC player at Auburn and served as the Tigers’ Director of Soccer Operations for two seasons prior to coming to USC. Towne also had four years of experience as an assistant coach with UNC Greensboro from 2012-15.

“We pride ourselves in finding the right people for our program and there is no denying that we have done that by adding Sammy,” said McAlpine at the time of her hiring. “She is a person of character who models the type of woman that we want in our program. She is a defensive mind who will help to improve our defensive discipline and understanding. With all of that said, I just couldn’t be happier to add a member of my extended family to our Trojan family.”

A former team captain at Auburn, Towne played her entire collegiate career (2007-10) for McAlpine who was an assistant with the Tigers from 2006-11. She served as a defensive assistant student-coach at Auburn in 2011, helping the Tigers win their first-ever SEC Tournament Championship and make a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Auburn defense posted eight shutouts in a 15-7-2 season that year.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to coach at such a prestigious academic and athletic institution,” said Towne in 2018. “It is an honor to join Coach KD’s staff and to become a part of the Trojan family. The USC women’s soccer team is a highly-accomplished program and I look forward to contributing to the continued success of the team. Fight On!”

As a player for the Tigers, Towne was a four-year varsity letterwinner and a two-time team captain. She led Auburn to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, totaling 43 wins and 26 shutouts, while anchoring Auburn's defense. She earned All-SEC second team honors as a junior and senior and earned All-SEC Tournament accolades as a junior when Auburn reached the semifinals.

Soon after graduating with a degree in human development and family studies, Towne was hired by UNC Greensboro, where she worked primarily with the defenders and helped coordinate recruiting. During Towne's time in Greensboro, she helped standout defender Georgia Brown earn all-conference honors three consecutive years, including a First Team selection in 2015. Under Towne's guidance, UNCG had three all-conference selections in 2015 and two each in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

In her four seasons as an assistant with the Spartans, the program went 40-30-11 and posted 30 shutouts.

Towne returned to her alma mater in 2016 as the Director of Soccer Operations where she organized the behind-the-scene efforts of the program, including team travel and budget, among other aspects.