Andrew Shirley enters his third year as an Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at UW-Eau Claire in 2024.
Shirley joined the Blugolds’ coaching staff in 2022 and has helped UW-Eau Claire to two appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023. The Blugolds reached the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where they narrowly fell 4-3 to eventual national champion St. Olaf. In the 2022 NCAA tournament, the Blugolds advanced past first-round opponent Luther College before losing in a penalty shootout with host Gustavus Adolphus in the second round.
Through his first two seasons on the Blugolds’ coaching staff, UW-Eau Claire has posted an overall record of 32-7-3. He has also helped coach one All-American and seven All-Region honorees.
Shirley joined the Blugolds' coaching staff in 2022 following a stint playing professionally overseas. He signed a contract with Dutch club RKSV Bekkerveld ahead of the 2021-22 season, playing under former Borussia Dortmund and Dutch National Team assistant coach Dick 'Cookie' Voorn. His one season there ended with Bekkerveld finishing fourth in the league and qualifying for promotion playoffs. Shirley also spent time playing with the academy of Dutch professional side MVV Maastricht as well as with German clubs TSV Kornburg and SV Schwaig.
Prior to playing in the Netherlands, Shirley enjoyed a successful playing career at the University of St. Thomas (Minn.), where he played under current UW-Eau Claire Head Coach Casey Holm. Shirley's time there included three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, two NCAA Elite 8 appearances, and one NCAA Final Four appearance. Shirley's four-year stint for the Tommies also included three MIAC regular season championships and two MIAC Playoff championships and is the winningest four-year span in program history with 70 wins. Shirley also served as team captain for the Tommies during the 2019 season.
In addition to his role at UW-Eau Claire, Shirley also serves as a youth coach and youth club Technical Director in the Twin Cities area. He holds professional coaching licenses from both the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
