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Oregon women's soccer head coach Graeme Abel resigns, vacancy left by his departure

Graeme Abel was the Oregon women's soccer coach for five seasons. With national team experience and a length coaching resume, Abel is a big loss for the Ducks.

By Sam Fariss

November 12, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; Team USA goalkeeper coach Graeme Abel before the match against Canada at Avaya Stadium.
November 12, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; Team USA goalkeeper coach Graeme Abel before the match against Canada at Avaya Stadium. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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On Tuesday morning, the Oregon Athletic Department announced that women's soccer head coach Graeme Abel had resigned and a national search for his replacement was underway. In the meantime, assistant coach Rachael Doyle will act as the interim HC.

Abel led the Ducks for five seasons and was the fourth-ever head coach of the Duck soccer program of the modern era. Over five years, Abel earned an overall record of 24-44-23 despite leading the team to two consecutive winning seasons over 2020-21.

While Abel's record isn't much to write home about, his coaching resume and overall experience as a leader in women's soccer made him a valuable asset to the program.

Abel was on Jill Ellis' staff for the U.S. Women's National Team and worked with the players as they won the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, the 2016 and 2018 CONCACAF titles, and the 2016 Olympics.

Before joining Oregon in 2020, Abel coached collegiate soccer for eight years. From Oklahoma to Washington State to Nevada, Abel has built up quite the resume over his relatively short coaching career.

In Oregon's most recent season, the Ducks' first in the Big Ten, Abel led the team to an abysmal 5-11-2 overall record – going 1-8-2 in conference play. Abel's departure was officially announced on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

Doyle, the interim head coach for the Ducks, has been with the team for four seasons after joining Abel's staff in 2021.

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