Thursday, December 17, 2015

SEATTLE, Wash. – Arby Busey, who led the team to an NCAA Division II Tournament berth in his one-season stint as the interim, has been hired as Seattle Pacific’s head women’s soccer coach, Athletic Director Tom Box announced Thursday.

Busey, 44, directed the Falcons to a 14-5-2 record in 2015 and runner-up result at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament. They participated in the NCAA playoffs for the 13th consecutive year and advanced to the West Regional semifinals.

Prior to his interim head coaching assignment, Busey served nine years at SPU under Chuck Sekyra, who resigned in January. From his assistant coaching post between 2006 and 2014, Busey helped the team compile an impressive 95-30-12 record and playoff appearances each season. SPU won the 2008 NCAA championship and reached the 2007 national semifinals during his tenure. 

Busey is the third coach in the 15-year history of the program. That list includes the two-year stint of inaugural coach Bobby Bruch, who served from 2001-02. 

“SPU women’s soccer began in 2001 and rose quickly in regional stature, then established itself on the national level with final four appearances and a national championship in 2008,” Box said. “Coach Arby Busey’s nine years as assistant coach, and the past season as interim head coach, significantly contributed to SPU’s success by demonstrating wide-ranging skills and a positive coaching temperament.

“I’m grateful that Arby has agreed to serve as head coach and am confident he will be an inspiring leader for an exceptional group of women’s soccer athletes.”

Jeff Jordan, the SPU Vice President for Student Life, was pleased to make Busey’s head coaching position permanent.

“We are very excited to have Arby Busey continue as the head coach of our women’s soccer program. Arby brings significant experience from other programs and with our team. He did an excellent job this past year promoting an environment of success on and off the field, leading to excellence in academics, competition, and character development, which are hallmarks of SPU Athletics.”

Busey is prominent in local club soccer, serving on the staff at Crossfire Premier where he has coached since 2009. He has been a staff member in the Washington State Olympic Development Program and also the Idaho State ODP.

This is his second collegiate head coaching assignment. Busey joined the University of Idaho staff as an assistant in 2000 and became head coach following the 2001 season. He served three seasons at the helm from 2002-04.

After resigning at Idaho, he returned to his alma mater, Villanova, to work as an assistant coach for the 2005 season before joining the SPU staff.

Busey played varsity men’s soccer at Villanova and graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in accounting. 

He is 1989 graduate of Mercer Island High School. Busey started his coaching career as an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach with the Mercer Island girls program from 1994-98. He coached the boys team from 1997-2000. He also coached the girls U-16 and U-17 programs at the Washington Soccer Club from 1996-2000. 

Busey earned a United States Soccer Federation National “A” coaching license in 2012. He is single and lives in West Seattle.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity. It’s been an honor and privilege to represent this university over the last 10 years and I look forward to doing that for years to come,” Busey said.

“Thanks so much to the administration here and all of the people that have supported me throughout my time here, but especially over the last eight months. President Dan Martin, Vice President Jeff Jordan, acting Athletic Director Tom Box, men’s coach Mark Collings and the student-athletes have made this transition relatively easy.”

Seven starters will return for the Falcons in 2016, including GNAC and West Region Player of the Year Hannah Huesers.