FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Women's Soccer Head Coach David Barrett was named the New England Soccer Journal's Division I Coach of the Year, becoming the first Fairfield head coach to receive the award. Barrett helped the Stags to the 2024 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship while also tying a program-record 18 wins and boasting the fourth best winning percentage in the country.
 
"Any honor like this is really a staff award," Coach Barrett said. "I am blessed to have some great people around me who help me in more ways than I can describe. I am also grateful for the players we have in our program whose hard work and dedication helped create the program everyone on the outside sees on the field."
 
Barrett guided the Stags to one of the best seasons in school history, tying a program-record with 18 wins which was also tied for the most regular season wins in the nation. The MAAC and ECAC Coach of the Year, also helped the squad to their first MAAC Tournament Title in over 15 years while punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Stags won the MAAC Regular Season Championship for the second time in the last three seasons after posting a 10-1-1 conference record. Barrett implemented the best offense in the conference, and one of the best in the nation, as the team scored 52 goals, ranking in the top-10 in the country. Finally, the Stags won all 13 of their home matches and extended their home winning streak to 16-straight matches, the longest active streak in the country.
 
The Stags tallied eight players on the All-MAAC teams with five receiving First Team honors. He also mentored junior Maddy Theriault who earned the MAAC Golden Boot Award given to the best offensive player in the conference.
 
As a program, the Stags are coming off their seventh MAAC Championship in program history and their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance. Fairfield went 18-3-1 during the campaign, recording the fourth-best winning percentage in the nation.