Marshall Ray steps down as University of Evansville men's soccer coach

EVANSVILLE — Marshall Ray has been thinking about this for a while, three or four years to be exact. Stepping down from his job as the University of Evansville men's soccer coach isn't a decision he's taken lightly nor was it a spur-of-the-moment call.

He's wanted to spend more time with his family. That was the reason the 46-year-old now-former Purple Aces coach said he made the decision. Ray and his wife Julia have four children — Patrick, Hilary, Eliza and Marshall. He said he wanted to go to their games more and have better conversations with them.

Ray will also begin working for Shepherd Insurance, but won't close the door on coaching again in the future.

"Just weighing all those factors and realizing in 10 years my kids will be out of the house," Ray told the Courier & Press, "it's gonna go by quick and I want to make sure I see some of it."

Ray played for UE from 1995-2000 and rejoined the program in 2006 and taking the head coaching job in 2014. The Aces have made the Missouri Valley Conference championship match in back-to-back seasons, falling to Missouri State both times.

The program announced Ray's departure Tuesday morning after he had a meeting to tell his team the news.

"Today's been a long day. It's been a lot of conversations and a lot of outpouring of support and understanding but also a little bit of shock and disbelief," Ray said. "The hardest part was telling the guys this morning. This is something I've been thinking about for a while, but until you actually get to that point where you step away from something you've done for almost 17 years straight now as a profession here at UE, it takes a little getting used to.

"It's been an emotional and long day, but a good day."

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Ray said the previous four weeks have been difficult with the decision making process. UE Athletics Director Kenneth Siegfried and President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz "were great and made this decision much more difficult," Ray wrote in a message to alumni and boosters.

Siegfried said he and Ray began talking about him leaving to spend time "immediately" after the season concluded. He said they explored some options, such as a role in athletics administration, with the goal of keeping Ray involved.

Siegfried said that despite Ray leaving the department, he'll still be involved "being active moving forward as a supporter and help us with all aspects of the athletics department, including advocacy, but it won't be a paid position."

Ray also said he "wanted to leave this place, our program, at least in the same if not a better spot."

"I think with getting to two MVC finals and having a good recruiting class coming in and good guys returning," he said, "it was kind of the time to do it."

Associate head coach Robbe Tarver will serve as interim coach through next season, with Ray saying "I wholeheartedly believe he's going to do what he needs to be named the head coach after that season, if not halfway through it."

Tarver joined UE in 2020 after three years as a volunteer assistant at Louisville and was promoted to associate head coach this fall — "that was made because Robbe is very good at what he does and there were other people that were trying to grab him and we didn't want him to go anywhere," Ray said. Since arriving, Tarver has helped the Aces earn four All-MVC and All-Region selections this season and three MVC freshman of the year honors.

He began his career at his alma mater, Centre College.

"I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Purple Aces program. I am thankful for the trust the University and (Siegfried) have shown in me, as well as the time spent working with and learning from Marshall,” Tarver said in a news release release.  “The foundation has been laid for us to continue our upward trajectory and I am very enthusiastic about being entrusted to guide our players in the pursuit of that growth as a program and as individuals." 

Siegfried also has felt Tarver could step into a leadership role and "take over a program that has had some recent success." He also said having stability within the program was important and was addressed with the team in the meeting Tuesday.

Siegfried said Tarver is someone who could be considered for the full-time position "when we get to that point," but that it's "not something that is a foregone conclusion."

"I've seen Robbe, his work ethic. He beats everyone into work; he leaves late," Siegfried said. "He also has played a significant role in the transformation of our men's soccer program that came to fruition this year. To me, it was an easy decision."