Syracuse women’s soccer head coach Pat Farmer resigned on Friday, ending a disappointing four-year tenure in which Syracuse never finished a season .500 or better.

The Orange managed just a 23-41-9 record during Farmer’s reign, including a 7-8-4 (3-6-2) mark this past season. Syracuse was just 11-26-7 in the Big East under Farmer, and never tallied more than three Big East wins in a season.

Farmer is the eighth coach to depart Syracuse since Daryl Gross took over as athletic director in December 2004.

‘I am resigning my position to pursue other opportunities,’ Farmer said in a statement issued via e-mail by the Syracuse athletics department. ‘I have enjoyed my time at Syracuse … In four years we have built a solid foundation for the future of the program.’

Farmer could not be reached immediately for further comment.

Farmer became just the second head coach in the program’s history, when he was hired in April 2003 after spending a year as the head coach at Tennessee Tech.

He came to Syracuse with a sterling resume that included successful stints at Ithaca and Penn State. Farmer’s seven-year tenure at Ithaca produced back-to-back Division III National Championships in 1990 and 1991. In 1994, Farmer was hired to be the first coach at Penn State, which prior to his arrival had never had a women’s soccer program. In just his second season as coach, Penn State made the NCAA tournament. By 1999, Farmer’s team advanced to the national semifinals. He was twice named national coach of the year, once at both schools.

Farmer’s success catapulted him into the pro ranks briefly, where he served two years as head coach of the New York Power of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA). Farmer then spent one season as head coach at Tennessee Tech before coming to Syracuse.

But for whatever reason, Farmer’s formula never produced the same sort of success at Syracuse, and Gross is left with another coaching vacancy to fill.

‘We appreciate all that Pat has done for the program,’ Gross said. ‘He has established a strong base from which we can grow the program to achieve national success.’

Published on January 27, 2008 at 12:00 pm