UNC Charlotte appoints Sinead Byrne as interim head coach for women’s soccer team

CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Director of Athletics Mike Hill announced that Sinead Byrne will serve as the Women’s Soccer Interim Head Coach for the 2025 season. She has been serving in the same role since February 28 after joining the program in January.

“Sinead has done a great job with our program throughout the spring and the team has responded well,” Hill said. “She has had sustained success at the NAIA level, including winning last year’s National Championship at Savannah College of Art and Design as an Associate Head Coach. We’re excited to see what the 2025 season brings under her leadership.”

Byrne joined the 49ers after six seasons at the Savannah College of Art and Design as an assistant and associate head coach. She helped turn the Bees into a powerhouse in the NIAA, winning back-to-back Sun Conference regular season and tournament championships in 2023 and 2024, culminating with the NAIA Women’s Soccer Championship this past season. Byrne and the SCAD staff helped produce two First Team All-Americans and the United Soccer Coaches NAIA Player of the Year last fall while being named the NAIA’s Coaching Staff of the Year.

“I am really excited for the opportunity to continue growing with this team,” Byrne said. “We have come together and built a foundation this spring that we are all proud of. I can’t wait to see us continue to build upon that foundation this fall. I want to thank Mike Hill and Cass Ferguson for this incredible opportunity and to the team and staff for buying into the championship program we are creating here at Charlotte.”

A native of Coventry, England, Byrne grew up playing for Coventry City Ladies and was named captain of her club and college teams. She had a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Southwestern College before joining SCAD and has experience in the WPSL as well, including being named the WPSL Coach of the Year during the 2021-22 campaign. Byrne holds a USSF B license, United Soccer Coaches level one and two goalkeeping licenses, UEFA Football Association level one and two certificates, and is a member of the US Soccer SheChampions cohort.