Nike Soccer Camp in Norman Oklahoma

Mott coached the Rebels to a 139-97-32 (.578) record and to six of the program's 10 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, including four of the last six years. He led Ole Miss to a winning record and to the SEC Tournament in 10 of the last 11 seasons, going 124-78-27 (.600) during the stretch.

Four of the Rebels' six NCAA Tournament appearances under Mott resulted in at least one win, with the 2015 and 2020 squads advancing to the Sweet 16. Eleven of his 13 teams featured at least two players with at least six goals each in a season.

"Coach Mott is the right leader at the right time for OU Soccer," said Castiglione, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his hiring as OU's athletics director Sunday. "His experience as well as keen understanding of and appreciation for the resources available to build a championship program will serve our student-athletes in a manner emblematic of our core values. As a seasoned SEC coach, he has the expertise to guide us during our final year in the Big 12 and our forthcoming conference move, and his sharp recruiting acumen will immediately benefit our roster. I know his leadership will take us to a new level of excellence and competition. We're so grateful he, his wife Jennifer, and their children Dean, Will and Tacie have decided to join the Sooner family."

Mott coached his Ole Miss players to six All-America honors, 19 all-region awards, 25 All-SEC laurels, six SEC All-Freshman picks and seven Academic All-America selections, and had five players drafted into the NWSL professional ranks. He has produced some of Ole Miss's best all-time talent, including the top three scorers in program history in CeCe Kizer (48 goals from 2015-18), Channing Foster (44 goals from 2017-21) and Rafaelle Souza (44 goals from 2011-13), as well as the school's all-time shutouts leader, goalkeeper Ashley Orkus (29 shutouts from 2019-22).

Following her standout three-year Ole Miss career, Souza went on to play in several professional leagues across the world and represented the national team for her native Brazil as a starter at both the World Cup and Olympics. Kizer became Ole Miss' first-ever two-time All-American (2017-18) and is one of the young stars in the NWSL with the Kansas City Current. In 2021, Foster became the SEC's first-ever five-time all-league honoree and started her pro career with the Chicago Red Stars in 2022. Orkus, who earned SEC Goalkeeper of the Year and first-team All-SEC honors each of the past three seasons and was named a United Soccer Coaches All-American in 2020 (third team) and 2021 (first team), was drafted by the Kansas City Current in January.

"First and foremost, I want to thank (Athletics Director) Keith Carter and (Senior Associate AD) Bob Baker at Ole Miss," said Mott. "I'm really proud of everything we accomplished there and my family loved our time in Oxford. After 13 years, I feel I'm ready for a new challenge and Oklahoma is an opportunity I could not pass up. We are absolutely thrilled to be joining the Sooner family.

"I'm grateful to Joe Castiglione and (Deputy AD) Armani Dawkins for giving me this wonderful opportunity to lead the OU soccer program. The success of this athletics department is second to none, and after meeting with Joe it's easy to understand why. His vision during the interview process was so impressive and I'm incredibly excited about the future of the soccer program. We'll play a great brand of soccer with an up-tempo, pressing, exciting style. My family and I can't wait to get to Norman and get started."

Mott led the Rebels to winning records each of the last six seasons and to double-digit victories in six of the last seven campaigns. His 2022 squad began the season with a 9-0-2 record, good for the best 11-game start in program history.

Before becoming just the second Ole Miss head coach in program history, Mott was the top assistant at the University of Texas from 2006-10, helping the Longhorns to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back Sweet 16s in 2006 and 2007. UT's 2007 squad reached a No. 1 national ranking. Working with the goalkeepers and defenders, Mott helped guide Texas to a school record for lowest goals-against average (0.64) in 2008 and to several other defensive records during his tenure.

Prior to his Texas stint, Mott served as an assistant at Auburn from 1999-2005. He was promoted from assistant coach to assistant head coach to associate head coach during his time at the school and helped the Tigers to four consecutive SEC West titles and four straight NCAA Tournaments from 2001-04. He was named the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002 when Auburn claimed the SEC overall championship. As Auburn's recruiting coordinator, Mott helped the Tigers ink six nationally ranked signing classes and helped develop several players to All-SEC and All-America stature.

Mott also served as an assistant coach at UCF, his alma mater, for four years (1995-98). While Mott was in Orlando, the Golden Knights won three Trans Atlantic Athletic Conference championships and earned an NCAA Tournament berth in 1998.

Before UCF, Mott was the head women's coach at NCAA Division III Hilbert College in Hamburg, N.Y., where he became the program's all-time wins leader during his tenure from 1991-94. He was also the goalkeepers coach for the men's team at Hilbert during that time.

A Norwood, N.Y., native, Mott obtained a bachelor's degree in general studies (minored in criminal justice) from UCF in 2000 and also earned an Associate of Science degree in 1994 from Erie Community College in Buffalo, N.Y. Before college, Mott spent four years in the U.S. Coast Guard where he played and coached with the Coast Guard's select team in Portsmouth, Va.

Mott holds a National "B" Coaching License from the United States Soccer Federation. In addition to his college coaching positions, he has served as the goalkeepers coach for the USYSA Region III Olympic Development Program team since 2003.

Mott is married to the former Jennifer Swartz. They have two sons, Dean and Will, and a daughter, Tacie.

MATT MOTT'S YEAR-BY-YEAR OLE MISS HEAD COACHING RECORD
2010 7-9-4
2011 8-10-1
2012 13-9-0 (SEC Tournament)
2013 16-6-2 (SEC Tournament; NCAA Second Round)
2014 8-6-5
2015 14-5-4 (SEC Tournament; NCAA Sweet 16)
2016 9-11-0 (SEC Tournament)
2017 10-7-3 (SEC Tournament; NCAA First Round)
2018 13-8-1 (SEC Tournament; NCAA Second Round)
2019 10-7-3 (SEC Tournament)
2020 10-6-2 (SEC Tournament; NCAA Sweet 16)
2021 12-6-3 (SEC Tournament; NCAA First Round)
2022 9-7-4 (SEC Tournament)
Total 139-97-32

Beebe spent the 2014-15 seasons as Ole Miss' volunteer assistant coach and rejoined the program in the same capacity ahead of the 2017 campaign. Wearing many hats, over the last six seasons he helped the Rebels to a 64-41-16 record, four NCAA Tournaments and six SEC Tournaments. Of Ole Miss' 10 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, five have come during Beebe's seven seasons on the Ole Miss staff, including the only two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in program history.

Working with the Rebels' "Strike Force," Beebe helped develop two of the program's greatest offensive players in CeCe Kizer and Channing Foster. Kizer finished her career as Ole Miss' all-time leading scorer and a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American. Foster tied for second on Ole Miss' career scoring list, becoming the SEC's first-ever five-time all-conference honoree in 2021.

During Beebe's original term at Ole Miss, he helped the Rebels achieve a pair of successful seasons. After assisting Ole Miss to a second-place finish in the SEC West during his first season in 2014, the Rebels reached even greater heights the next year when they notched a 14-5-4 record and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.

Beebe joined the Rebels after serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss., where he was also a standout player himself. As an assistant at William Carey in 2013, Beebe helped lead the women's team to the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) championship in 2013 with a perfect 11-0 record in conference play and outscoring foes 53-6 on the season. It was the program's first SSAC title. He helped the team post an 18-5 record and advance to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA Tournament. They earned a No. 10 final ranking in the national polls.

Beebe started all four years at William Carey, serving as team captain in 2009 and being named a first-team All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection that season. He helped lead his team to the GCAC Championship in 2008 and 2009, while also helping the squad claim the GCAC Tournament Championship in 2007.

Beebe earned a bachelor's degree in education with a minor in biology from William Carey in 2010. He earned a master's degree in secondary education from the school in 2012.

Hiskey, who was an All-SEC defender for the Rebels under Mott, served the last five years as an Ole Miss assistant coach, the last two as assistant head coach. Presiding over the Rebels' defense, Hiskey helped the program register 36 shutouts over the last five seasons. Ole Miss' back line also contributed offensively, tallying eight goals and 22 assists during the same time frame.

The Rebels surrendered only 19 goals in 20 contests in 2022 and posted 10 shutouts. They didn't allow a goal until the sixth game of the year.

From 2012-15, Hiskey starred in Oxford as a defender and midfielder under Mott, starting 74 matches and logging over 7,000 minutes as Ole Miss posted a 51-26 record and a 3-2 NCAA Tournament mark. She registered 10 goals and five assists.

The Franklin, Tenn., product turned in her most productive offensive season as a junior in 2014, amassing six goals and a pair of assists. She played 1,809 of the team's 1,840 minutes that year. As a senior, she started all 23 games and was a second-team All-SEC selection as the Rebels advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

During her senior campaign, Hiskey helped lead Ole Miss to its first-ever NCAA Sweet-16, starting all 23 contests on the year. She became the first Rebel defender to be named All-SEC since 2011, collecting Second Team honors after registering five points on two goals and one assist.

After her collegiate career, Hiskey became just the fourth known Rebel to sign a professional contract, playing for Skövde KIK in Sweden. During her two-year stay, she helped Skövde KIK achieve its highest league finish in club history (third place), as well as its lowest single-season goals-against average.

Hiskey earned CoSIDA Academic All-America and CoSIDA Academic All-District honors her senior year, and attained a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Ole Miss in 2015.

A veteran in the collegiate soccer coaching ranks, Russ has coached across all divisions of collegiate soccer since 1990. Most recently, Russ spent the past year as head coach of the men's soccer team at Division III Millsaps (Miss.) College.

"I am thrilled to add Warren to our staff," said first-year OU coach Mott. "He is one of the greatest soccer minds I know. His playing experience as a professional goalkeeper coupled with his extensive coaching experience makes him a great fit to add to our staff here at OU."

Russ has made numerous coaching stops throughout his 30-plus years at the college level, leading the Georgia Southwestern State men's team from 2007-2019 prior to his time at Millsaps College. Other stops along the way include the University of Georgia women's team (1995-2000), UCF men (1990-93) and Gwinnett Soccer Association (2001-02).

A four-year letterwinner at the University of Central Florida where he graduated in 1990, Russ continued his career professionally across the English Football League, American Professional Soccer League and United Soccer League from 1990-99 while also starting his coaching career. Additionally, Russ has experience at the national team level, serving as an assistant with Team USA for a gold medal performance at the 2013 World Maccabiah Games and leading the team as head coach at the 2015 Pan-American Maccabiah Games.

A native of Coral Springs, Fla., Russ received his Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing from UCF in 1990. He owns both a National "C" Level and NSCAA Advanced National Coaching License.

Russ' hiring at Oklahoma was made possible by an NCAA Division I Council decision in January to increase the number of countable coaches in select sports starting July 1. Russ completes Mott's staff in his first season as head coach, joining Richard Beebe and Jessica Hiskey as assistant coaches. Beebe and Hiskey joined Mott in coming to OU from Ole Miss.