Women’s soccer head coach Todd Bramble never thought his career path would allow him to coach the sport he loved growing up, but that is exactly what he is doing at the University of Alabama.
Bramble grew up in Atlanta and began playing soccer around the age of nine.
“It quickly became my sport of choice,” Bramble said. “With youth sports, it’s the environment you get in. I fell into being a yearlong soccer player and didn’t bounce around season to season playing other sports.”
During his summers, Bramble said he would work at soccer camps. He received his first coaching job through a contact he made while at one of the camps.
Bramble began his coaching career as an assistant men’s coach at Brown University. He coached men’s soccer for eight years. He began his women’s soccer coaching career as head coach at Clemson University and came to the University of Alabama in 2008.
“I think coaching women suits my personality,” Bramble said. “The approach when you coach males or females has to be different. I can’t ever see myself going back and coaching on the men’s side.”
Bramble said his favorite memory so far was during his first season, when his team played at the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
“That was an important milestone at the time,” Bramble said. “We’re eager to get back there.”
Bramble said he wants his team to not only play well, but also enjoy their college career.
“College is supposed to be the best four years of your life,” Bramble said. “This is a sport that they love, so I don’t ever want it to become so intense that the emotions of winning and losing override the enjoyment of the experience and what they’re taking from it.”
Sophomore Molly Atherton said Bramble takes the time to get to know the players on his team.
“He’s great,” Atherton said. “He’s always there to tell me what to do better and what I need to work on. He knows what to say and when to say it.”
Freshman Theresa Wolfkeil said Bramble is very passionate about the sport and his team.
“He will think of things that I’ll never think of in a million years,” Wolfkeil said. “He will fight for us and that’s what I love.”
Bramble said his goal is to help make the team and the program reach its full potential.
“I want to make this a nationally competitive program that sustains success on a yearly basis,” Bramble said. “We want to get this team to a championship caliber level where we’re competing for conference championships.”
