Kevin Varnado served as head men’s soccer coach at Francis Marion University for five seasons (2007-11) and worked with the Patriot soccer program for nine years overall. He was the first African-American head coach for a men’s sport at FMU.
As head coach, he posted a 41-45-9 career mark, including two seasons of double-digit victories, a Peach Belt Conference regular season championship, a PBC Tournament title, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
In 2011, Francis Marion was 4-13-1. That squad included two All-Conference performers, a PBC All-Academic Team selection, and an Academic All-Region pick. In 2010, the Patriots finished 7-10-1, with five of the losses being by one goal. FMU placed one player on the PBC All-Conference and All-Academic squads, while for the third year in a row, Francis Marion earned the PBC’s Team Sportsmanship Award for men’s soccer.
His 2009 squad was 11-5-3 and FMU finished fifth during the Peach Belt regular season, while tying for the fewest goals allowed by a team — opponents tallied only 17 scores in the 19th matches. That defensive figure ranked 25th nationally in Division II, while the Patriots were fifth nationally in save percentage. Three members of last year’s squad earned All-Conference and All-Region honors, while two were named to the PBC Men’s Soccer All-Academic Team.
In only his second year (2008), Varnado guided the Patriots to a 14-5-3 record, the Peach Belt regular season and tournament championships, and an appearance in the second-round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. For his accomplishments, he was named the 2008 PBC Coach of the Year. That 2008 squad produced six All-Conference selections and three All-Region picks, in addition to earning the PBC Team Sportsmanship Award for men’s soccer. The Patriots also made their first appearance in the Top 25 poll in five seasons. FMU put together a 15-match unbeaten streak, second-longest in team history.
In his first season as head coach, the Patriots finished 2007 with a 5-12-1 record that included seven one-goal losses. That squad produced three Peach Belt Conference All-Conference performers and one Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Team (second team) member.
Varnado joined the FMU staff in 2002 as an assistant coach and as the university’s equipment manager. As an assistant, his primary coaching responsibilities included recruiting, on-field coaching, individual player workouts, pre- and postseason workouts, and helping in the area of academic support for team members. During his four years as assistant coach, FMU posted a 40-36-2 record.
He was also instrumental in the program’s participation in The Passionately Pink for the CureTM program, organized by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure group, and held in conjunction with the observance of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Varnado came to Francis Marion from St. Andrews Presbyterian College where he served as assistant men’s coach during the 2001 season. He earned a B.S. degree in exercise science from St. Andrews in 2000. He was a three-year letterman on the Knights’ soccer team, earning team MVP honors each season and twice being named to the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference first-team All-Conference Team. He played one season at the University of Central Florida before transferring to St. Andrews.
Following his graduation, he spent one year as assistant athletic trainer at Alabama State University. He holds a USSF “B” license, and has served as a member of the South Carolina Olympic Development Program (ODP) coaching staff, most recently with the 1990 State Team. He also directs the annual summer Patriot Soccer Academy camps.
