Ole Miss soccer announces spring schedule, looks to break through for Rouse
Ole Miss soccer, in the fall, was oh so close to making a statement for for first-year head coach Molly Rouse.
Rouse replaced Matt Mott last May. Mott left for Oklahoma after 13 seasons at the helm of the Rebels, while Rouse came to Ole Miss from Utah Tech, where she spent four seasons and helped the program make the jump from Division II to Division I.
The Trailblazers were 10-6-2 in 2022. They led the Western Athletic Conference in Goals Against Average and Goals Allowed. They also had nine shutouts in its 18 matches, including seven in a row with clean sheets.
“Molly is a rising star in the coaching profession,” Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter said upon hiring Rouse. “We’re elated for her to join the Ole Miss family. As a player and coach, we were immediately impressed with the depth of her knowledge, experience and willingness to face any challenge head on.
“Molly has remarkable vision, and we look forward to providing her the support and tools necessary to lead Rebel soccer to an elite level.”
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Rouse’s first turn with the Rebels (7-7-3, 3-5-2 SEC) was fairly similar to Utah Tech as far as results.
But included was a 0-0 tie with No. 15 South Carolina, as well as a pair of 0-1 losses to No. 20 Memphis and No. 16 Alabama.
Point being, the Rebels, one could argue, are on the precipice of breaking through under Rouse. They’ll get a second go at it this spring, after Ole Miss announced the upcoming schedule on Monday.
Ole Miss opens with Auburn in Oxford on March 23 at 1 p.m. Back-to-back road matches at Memphis (March 30) and Alabama (April 13) follow. Memphis comes to town April 17 at 7:30 p.m, while Ole Miss travels to LSU April 20.
Ole Miss wraps its spring slate April 27 with its Alumni Game at 9 a.m. CT.
“I’m ready to make a significant impact in the highly-competitive SEC,” Rouse said back when she was named Ole Miss head coach. She inherited an Ole Miss program that’s been to 10 NCAA Tournaments since its inaugural season in 1995.
Mott led the Rebels to six tournament appearances.
Rouse continued, “I’m confident that our collective efforts will yield great results and create a legacy of achievement at Ole Miss.”
Rouse starred for the University of Minnesota from 2007-10. She played professionally for the Minnesota Kings and Vancouver Whitecaps in the Women’s Premier Soccer League.
Rouse spent two seasons on staff at Minnesota prior to Utah Tech. She also made previous stops as an assistant at Iowa, Omaha, Buffalo and Alabama State.
