MOSCOW, Idaho –Josh Davis will be serving under a new title for the 2016 soccer season, as the team announced Friday that he will officially take on the role of Associate Head Coach.
 
"I'm excited," Davis said.  "We'll still do the same tasks and everything else, but it really is exciting and I really do appreciate the fact that Derek was willing to give me that.  I'm super excited about it and at the same time I'm excited to continue to see how I'll grow and what will come from it."
 
"I consider myself very fortunate to be surrounded by a top notch coaching staff and Josh is a big part of what we do here at Idaho, and is deserving of this title change," said head coach Derek Pittman.  "Both he and Laura are key ingredients to our program's turnaround and growth over the last two years. They both help provide balance and guidance to our young student-athletes as they aim to achieve their college goals academically and athletically.
 
"Josh brings a lot of energy to the table each and every day to both the team and our staff. He works hard not only in building relationships for recruiting but also in being an educated teacher of the finer points of the game and challenging our players in innovative ways to achieve new heights. I am thankful to continue having him on staff and hopefully for years to come."  
 
Davis was instrumental in Idaho's culture shift, as the Vandals had the largest turnaround in the nation in 2015.  Idaho finished the season 14-4-3, a 10-game improvement from 2014.  In Big Sky play, the Vandals won the regular season conference championship for the first time in program history with an unbeaten record of 9-0-1, the best in league history.
 
The Vandal offense exploded in 2015, setting program records for goals (44), assists (56) and points (144).  Davis was crucial in the change, as eight Vandals earned All-Big Sky recognition.  Junior forward Kavita Battan doubled her career output for goals with 10 in 2015, the third most in a single season in program history.  Olivia Baggerly doubled her offensive output as well, finishing with 23 points, while newcomer Clara Gomez set the Big Sky record for assists in a season with 13.  All three would earn Big Sky honors, while Battan was also recognized by the NSCAA as a member of the All-Pacific Region Second Team.
 
Davis also worked with Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year Amanda Poertner.  Poertner set program records for goals against average (0.82) and shutouts (9) in 2015 while posting an overall record of 14-3-2.
 
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Idaho hits the field for its first official practice on Wednesday, August 3.  The Vandals will play on exhibition game, on August 15 against Eastern Oregon at Guy Wicks Field, before kicking off the season at South Dakota on August 19.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho soccer by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @VandalsSoccer, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals Women's Soccer.

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com.  Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.