Paul Sapsford, who last fall helped guide Stanford University's women's team to a 21-1-1 record and the NCAA quarterfinals, was named as the new head coach at St. Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., replacing Paul Ratcliffe, who left the Gaels to become the Stanford coach.
Sapsford and fellow co-coach Stephanie Erickson were selected Soccer America's Coaches of the Year after taking charge of the Cardinal on the eve of its opener last August after head coach Andy Nelson ''resigned'' amid controversy. As interim coaches, Sapsford and Erickson had Stanford ranked No. 1 most of the season. The Cardinal missed out on the final four after falling on penalty kicks to eventual champion Portland in the quarterfinals.
Ratcliffe, a former UCLA star and professional indoor player who built St. Mary's into a nationally prominent program, moved across the bay to Stanford in February. Sapsford, an Englishman, was Ratcliffe's assistant in Moraga in 2000 and 2001.