Following an extensive nationwide search, Daytona Beach native, Samantha Bohon was selected to lead the Embry-Riddle women’s soccer program in 2007, making her only the second head coach in program history.
Bohon has successfully guided ERAU women’s soccer through the transition from NAIA to NCAA II and in five short seasons has built the program into a force to be reckoned with in NCAA II.
After finishing in the middle of the pack in the Eagles’ first two seasons as members of the Sunshine State Conference, Bohon’s squad quickly rose to national prominence in 2019. Seeded fourth in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament, ERAU upset favorites Barry and Rollins on the road to win the SSC tournament crown. But the Eagles “were not done”. They bested Lee and Rollins in the South Regional Tournament to advance to first NCAA II Sweet 16 in program history.
Following a one-year layoff due to CoVID, the Eagles entered the 2021 season as the favorites to claim the SSC regular season crown. The Blue and Gold proved the voters right as the went 7-2-1 to win the regular season title and completed the sweep by bringing home their second straight SSC tournament title as well. The Eagles were ranked as high as 13
th in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA II poll and earned the right to host the 2021 South Regional tournament.
Under Bohon’s guidance the Eagles enjoyed a successful run in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. In eight seasons of NAIA competition, Bohon led the Blue and Gold to eight consecutive postseason appearances. The Eagles finished third in The Sun Conference regular season standings in 2007 and 2008 and finished as one of the top two teams in the league from 2009-14. The Eagles also won four consecutive conference tournament titles from 2009-12 and reached the NAIA National Championship round of eight in five straight seasons (2010-14).
The 2014 campaign proved to be a banner year for Bohon’s squad. The Eagles blazed through Sun Conference play, finishing with a perfect 9-0 league record. As winners of the league’s North Division, ERAU took on South Division winners Northwood and wrapped up the regular season championship with a 2-0 defeat of the Seahawks on the road. The Eagles’ 16-1 regular season record, which included seven wins over ranked opponents, landed the Blue and Gold in the top spot of the NAIA National rankings. The Eagles closed out the campaign at 19-2 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Tournament.
Embry-Riddle secured spots in the NAIA National Championship as tournament hosts in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the Eagles defeated tournament favorite Northwood on their home field to claim the conference tournament title and earn an automatic bid to the national tournament. A year later, Bohon coached her squad to a repeat of that performance as ERAU took another road win against the Seahawks to return to the national tournament for the fourth straight year.
In 2011, the Eagles finished at 18-3-1 overall and 9-1 in conference and came away with their third conference tournament title in as many years in thrilling fashion with a 2-1 victory in overtime against St. Thomas. The Blue and Gold notched a 1-0 home win against Judson in the NAIA Opening Round to advance to the national tournament final site, which featured the 16 Opening Round winners. For the first time ever, the Eagles earned a win in the second round of the tournament and made it to the elite eight before they were knocked out by four-time defending national champion, Lee.
The 2012 season saw the Eagles post another remarkable season, which included a 3-1 upset of top-ranked and four-time defending national champion Lee and the program’s highest ever ranking of No. 4 in the NAIA national polls. The Eagles won the conference tournament crown for the fourth consecutive year and closed out the season in the Elite Eight at the NAIA National Tournament with a 17-6 overall record. Her efforts afforded Bohon NAIA/NSCAA regional Coach of the Year honors for the second straight year.
In 2013, Bohon’s squad posted its second consecutive upset of a top-ranked team, besting 2012 national champion Lindsey Wilson 1-0 at a neutral site in Orange Beach, Ala. That result helped the Blue and Gold to the program’s first No. 1 ranking in the national coaches poll and the Eagles (16-5-1) closed out the season ranked sixth in the postseason poll after advancing to the national quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row.
For her efforts, Bohon has garnered several honors, including being named the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year in 2021. She was named The Sun Conference Co-Coach of the Year in 2009 and won the award outright in 2010. She was named the NSCAA/NAIA Regional Coach of the Year three times and was selected as the 2013-14 Sun Conference Coach of Character Award winner. The Coach of Character Award is given annually to head coach who has been outstanding in embracing the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative (integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership), using methods of teaching character through sport, and in community leadership through volunteering or service.
In her 15-year tenure as the Eagles’ head coach, Bohon has had an NAIA National Player of the Year, 24 All-Americans, four NCAA II All-Region selection, three conference Players of the Year (one offensive, two defensive), four league Newcomers of the Year, two Freshmen of the Year, 39 first-team All-Sun Conference and 10 second-team All-Sun Conference selections.
Bohon’s teams support the ERAU Athletics Student-Person-Player philosophy. They have performed well in the classroom, garnering NAIA Scholar Team honors from 2011-14. As a team the Eagles, the Eagles have posted a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average for the last 25 semesters in a row, and in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, every student-athlete on the ERAU Women's Soccer roster was named to the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. The ERAU women’s soccer program has produced 15 NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes and 21 Academic All-Conference selections, as well as four Sun Conference Champions of Character Award winners. Additionally, 25 other individuals have been awarded ERAU’s Eagle of Excellence Scholarship, including Lauren Gallant who was The Sun Conference’s selection for the NAIA’s 2012 Dr. Leroy Walker Champions of Character Award.
Bohon’s teams have also been very active in the community. In 2014 alone, the women’s soccer team donated close to 380 hours in community service. The team has volunteered for projects including painting and cleaning local churches and elementary school buildings, Habitat for humanity, Heart Walk and breast cancer awareness events, free soccer clinics, speaking engagements at local schools, and organizing the annual Color Me Kate run. Originally started as a fundraiser to aid ERAU women’s soccer alumnae, the late Kate Waidmann, proceeds from the Color Me Kate run now go toward the scholarship that bears Waidmann’s name. The Eagles’ efforts have not gone unnoticed as the team was named the Halifax Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Group of the Year and was the runner-up to the United Way/Bright House Civic Group of the Year in 2013.
Prior to taking a two-year hiatus from the coaching realm, Bohon spent four years as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee (2001-05), where she served as the Lady Vols’ recruiting coordinator and was responsible for team defense. During her tenure, the Lady Vols won three Southeastern Conference titles, made three NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances, and were ranked in the Top 10 in three of her four seasons.
In 2003, Bohon managed a Lady Vol defense that allowed a program-low 18 goals in 24 matches and set new school records in shutouts (12) and goals against average (0.73). Her efforts on the recruiting trail brought in a class that was ranked fifth nationally and was tops in the SEC and the Central Region in 2005.
Bohon was also affiliated with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Program from 1998 to 2000. She served as a team captain for the Under 21 National Team and was a floating member of the 1999 Women’s World Cup Residency program. She made two international appearances with the full team, netting a goal against Finland and registering an assist against the Ukraine. In addition, she played for the Raleigh Wings in the W-League, which won a national championship in 1999.
Bohon played collegiate soccer at Duke University where she was a four-year starter from 1994-97. A three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference and All-South selection, Bohon was selected as a Freshman All-American and a third-team All-American by Soccer News and Soccer America. She was a tri-captain for the Blue Devils’ nationally ranked squad and also garnered ACC All-Academic honors.
Over her four-year career, Bohon tallied 38 points on 16 goals and six assists. As a senior, she worked her way into fifth place on the Duke single-season scoring charts after registering 28 points (13 goals, 2 assists).
Bohon continued to contribute to the Blue Devils’ success on the field as a volunteer assistant coach for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. She also interned at the NCAA office in Indianapolis, Ind. where she assisted with the operations of the 2001 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball championships.
Bohon is a product of Seabreeze High School in Ormond Beach, Fla., and was inducted into the Sandcrabs’ Hall of Fame in December 2014. Upon graduation from Seabreeze, Bohon went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Duke with a double major in English and Sociology in 1998. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Sport Administration from the University of North Carolina in 2001.
Bohon is also very active in the local community serving on the Campus Outreach-Florida Board, as well as running clinics and youth soccer camps locally. She also coaches in Region III of the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program.
Bohon resides in Daytona Beach with her husband Matt and their sons Barres, Walker and Corder.
| Year |
Overall Record |
Conference Record |
Honors/Awards |
| 2007 |
7 |
11 |
0 |
.389 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
.600 |
|
| 2008 |
8 |
9 |
0 |
.471 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
.600 |
|
| 2009 |
14 |
6 |
0 |
.700 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
.889 |
The Sun Conference Co-Coach of the Year |
| 2010 |
14 |
3 |
3 |
.775 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
.778 |
The Sun Conference Coach of the Year |
| 2011 |
18 |
3 |
1 |
.771 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
.900 |
NAIA-NSCAA/Mondo East Region Coach of the Year |
| 2012 |
17 |
6 |
0 |
.739 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
.889 |
The Sun Conference Coach of the Year,
NAIA-NSCAA/Mondo East Region Coach of the Year |
| 2013 |
16 |
5 |
1 |
.750 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
.889 |
The Sun Conference Coach of Character Award |
| 2014 |
19 |
2 |
0 |
.904 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
1.00 |
|
| 2015* |
11 |
3 |
1 |
.767 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
| 2016* |
8 |
5 |
2 |
.600 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
| 2017 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
.500 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
.450 |
|
| 2018 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
.500 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
.500 |
|
| 2019 |
12 |
6 |
2 |
.650 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
.650 |
|
| 2021 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
.676 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
.750 |
Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year |
| TOTALS |
167 |
76 |
16 |
.676 |
78 |
25 |
6 |
.743 |
|
* Embry-Riddle ineligible for conference play due to NCAA Transition
