Ed Joyce, a former Georgia State men's soccer assistant coach, became the head coach for the women's soccer program in March 2016.
Joyce's leadership has produced three straight seasons of eight or more wins and three consecutive semifinals appearances at the conference tournament.
Joyce navigated the program through the COVID-19 pandemic to a historical season in 2020. The Panthers finished 10-3-2 for the third best win percentage in program history. It was GSU's winningest season since 1998 as the team secured the No. 2 seed in the East at the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Joyce and the Panthers defeated Troy to advance to a third straight semifinals and freshman Maddie Johnston was named the 2020 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. Five Panthers earned all-conference honors, the most since 1997.
In 2019 – Joyce’s fourth year as head coach of the GSU women’s soccer program – the Panthers finished with a 9-9-2 overall record and made it to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season. Georgia State finished 5-4-1 in conference play for a share of fourth place in the league standings marking just the third time since 2000 that GSU had finished fourth or better in the conference standings.
Joyce became the first Georgia State coach to lead the blue and white to 8 or more wins in back-to-back seasons (2018-19) since Domenic Martelli in 2007-08.
In his third season as head coach, Joyce led the Panthers to their first Sun Belt Conference Tournament appearance since 2015 in one of the greatest comeback seasons in GSU women's soccer history. Georgia State had a rough start to the 2018 campaign, finding itself 2-9-1 after suffering a seven-game losing streak and was without a goal in the month of September heading into its final match of the month against Troy. Joyce made tactical changes as well as moving players around in the new formation and what happened next was nothing short of miraculous. The Panthers went on to win their next four conference matches, including back-to-back shutouts against Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina -- the first time since 2003 GSU had won four consecutive conference matches.
Georgia State went on to upset Coastal Carolina in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament, before falling to eventual champion Little Rock in the semifinals. Despite the loss, Joyce led his team to a 6-1-1 record in its final eight matches and gave the team strong momentum heading into the 2019 season.
In his first two years at the helm, Joyce signed the team's two biggest recruiting classes since its inception in 1997. He coached the team to a 5-6-6 record, with a defense that recorded nine shutouts in 2017. His squad recorded five shutouts and lost by a margin of two or more goals just twice. The 2016 season was highlighted by a strong defense, with the team allowing just 19 goals.
Joyce coached two seasons as an assistant at Campbell prior to his return to Atlanta. Working with new head coach Dustin Fonder in the 2015 season, Joyce helped the Camels double their win total from 2014 with a 10-9 overall record and claimed the program's first winning season since 2012. The Camels advanced to their first appearance in a conference semifinal matchup since the 2009 season.
Joyce helped mentor sophomore Bradley Farias, who earned Big South Attacking Player of the Year honors and became the eighth Campbell player to earn a conference's top award and the first since 2009. Farias' 15 goals ranked third in NCAA Division I.
Joyce joined the Camels in April 2014 after serving the previous four seasons at Georgia State, where he earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) South Atlantic Region assistant coach of the year honors in 2011.
While at Georgia State, Joyce was involved in all phases of the Panthers program that received the program’s first berth in the NCAA College Cup’s main draw in 2011. The Panthers finished 13-8-1 to record the school’s most victories in 25 years while posting nine shutouts to tie a school record set in 1983.
He recruited and coached the first Major League Soccer draftee in Georgia State history, Michael Nwiloh, who was chosen in the fourth round by Chivas USA in the 2014 MLS Super Draft.
A native of Shefford, England, Joyce joined the Georgia State staff prior to the 2010 campaign and helped guide the team to its first .500 finish in five years. In addition to his responsibilities at Georgia State, Joyce also coached the Inter-Atlanta FC Blues elite U-12 boys club team.
Joyce moved to GSU after a stint as the assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at Ohio University. His duties at Ohio included recruiting, opponent scouting, game breakdown and on-field instruction. He also ran Ohio’s spring and summer clinics. He completed his masters in Coaching Education from Ohio in 2010.
Joyce also served as assistant men’s soccer coach and recruiting coordinator at Presbyterian College where he assisted the Blue Hose transition into Division I competition in 2007.
Prior to Presbyterian, Joyce was the head boys soccer coach at Greenville (S.C.) High School. He guided Greenville to a South Carolina state championship in 2006 when the Red Raiders finished the season with a perfect 27-0 record and were ranked No. 1 in the nation by the NSCAA in its spring rankings. Greenville set state records for shutouts, fewest goals allowed and goals given up per game. He was named both the region and state coach of the year in 2007.
Joyce was an assistant coach in the U.S. Olympic Development Program (ODP) in South Carolina for the boys’ 1995 team and a coach at elite soccer camps for both Wake Forest and South Carolina. He also served as the assistant camp director at Presbyterian College and was responsible for coordinating many of Ohio’s camps. He worked on the Region II ODP staff working with the girls’ 1997 age group in South Carolina in the summer of 2010.
Joyce competed collegiately at Erskine College in Due West, S.C. He played four years with the Flying Fleet, serving as a team captain for two seasons. He was the team’s leader, and second in the Carolinas Virginia Conference in assists in 2005. He graduated with a degree in athletic training in 2007.
Joyce holds the NSCAA National, Advanced National and Premier diploma coaching certificates. Joyce and his wife, Ashleigh, have two kids, Jack and Isla.
Jack Marchant was named assistant coach of the Georgia State women's soccer team in February 2019, joining Ed Joyce and the Panthers after three seasons as the women's soccer assistant coach at The Citadel.
In his first year as an assistant at GSU, Marchant helped the Panthers finish with a 9-9-2 overall record and make the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season. He was a part of the coaching staff that guided Georgia State to a 5-4-1 finish in conference play for a share of fourth place in the league standings – just the third time since 2000 that GSU had finished fourth or better in the conference standings.
During his tenure with the Bulldogs’ coaching staff, Marchant assisted The Citadel in breaking a handful of program records. In Marchant’s first year with the team, he guided Bulldogs’ freshman goalkeeper Logan Leask to record the highest save percentage (.797) in school history and the lowest goals against average in a season (1.54).
Most recently in 2018, Marchant coached a Citadel team that improved its win total by four from the 2017 campaign, won two Southern Conference games for the first time since 2014 and won a game in the opening round of the Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship for the first time in four years.
Prior to coaching at The Citadel, Marchant spent one year as the goalkeepers coach for both the men’s and women’s squads at Anderson University, where he helped lead the women’s team to a program-record 14 wins in 2015 and a No. 8 ranking in the final NSCAA Southeast Region poll.
Marchant was also involved in the Clemson Anderson Soccer Alliance, where he oversaw the development of the club’s goalkeepers and developed players as the goalkeepers coach.
In 2013, Marchant earned his first coaching position at his alma mater, the University of Rio Grande. There he served as the goalkeepers coach for the men’s soccer team, leading the Red Storm to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. He also coached eight players to Mid-South All-Conference teams and coached his goalkeeper to two NAIA All-American Awards.
Marchant played five seasons with the Red Storm and participated in five national championships, reaching the semifinals twice and the finals once. He collected two all-conference accolades following his senior season and was named an NAIA Men’s Soccer All-American in 2012. Marchant earned Bachelors of Science, business management in 2012 and finished his Masters of Business Administration in 2014.
The Leeds, England, native played three seasons for Hull City A.F.C as a youth and competed in the FA Youth Cup before moving to the United States in 2008.
“I just want to thank Ed and everyone at Georgia State for giving me this opportunity,” Marchant said. “I can’t wait to get going and get integrated into the program at GSU. It’s a big challenge but an even bigger opportunity. I’m excited as to where this program can go and hope to be a part of the success that is to come.”
Taylor Borman was named assistant coach of the Georgia State women's soccer team in February 2020, joining Ed Joyce and the Panthers after two seasons as an assistant coach for the Alabama State University women's soccer program.
“We are really excited for Taylor join the program,” Joyce said. “She had a stellar playing career at Samford and has worked tirelessly as a recruiter at two division one programs since then. She is going to be a great example for our young women, and we can’t wait for her to start.”
During her tenure at ASU, Borman served as the team’s recruiting coordinator while working with position players and focusing on the team’s attacking players.
Prior to Alabama State, she served as an assistant coach at UNC Asheville where she focused on working with the Bulldogs’ offense, primarily the play of the forwards. Under Borman’s guidance, she coached three players to the All-Conference team – including one on the All-Freshman Team – and helped break the school’s all-time career assist mark. In addition to her work on the field, Borman coordinated all the team’s travel and scouting analysis.
Before she got into coaching, Borman had a decorated playing career at Samford University. While a student-athlete at Samford, Borman helped lead her team to three regular season championships and one NCAA Tournament Appearance. She finished her career with 15 goals and 25 assists.
Borman was a two-time First Team Southern Conference selection and is currently third all-time at the school in career assists.