Glad Bugariu is beginning his fourth season as head soccer coach at South Carolina State. He was named to the position in July 2008 after three seasons as the head coach at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina.
Bugariu made an impact on the program, transforming it into a Great West Conference (GWC) Eastern Division Regular Season Champion in only three seasons and recording more wins during the period then the program had attained in the previous nine seasons.
The 2010 season was the most successful in program history, as the Bulldogs finished 13-6-1, undefeated in the GWC East Division at 6-0, and placed six players on the All-Conference Team. Furthermore, Briana Lopez was named Freshman of the Year while Bugariu was named Co-Coach of the Year.
While highly successful on the field, 2010 also marked significant academic achievements, as the team finished with the 7th highest GPA amongst the 321 NCAA Division 1 teams, as ranked by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The accolades did not stop there as the Lady Bulldogs also captured their first ever NSCAA Team Academic Award while also having 12 players named to the Great West Conference Fall Academic Team.
With only his first recruiting class Bugariu was able to completely revamp the soccer program leading the Bulldogs to a 10-7-3 record in 2009, the first winning season in program history, and a tie for second place in the Great West Conference East Division. While eight statistical records were broken, the 2009 team finished ranked 30th in the country for scoring offense, and also recorded the highest RPI increase / final ranking in their history.
Of the 16 players signed for the 2009 season, 15 were freshmen. While achieving the first winning season in history with just one recruiting class, the team also had five players earn All Conference honors and won more games that season then the program had in the previous four.
In his inaugural season -- 2008 -- Bugariu’s team, which had just 11 players on the roster, was only 2-10-2, however the Lady Bulldogs posted the highest winning percentage since the 2003 season and goalkeeper Alechia Brothers was ranked second in the nation for total saves.
Before taking over at SC State, Bugariu led NCAA Division II Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina to an impressive 52-12-2 overall record and 29-2-1 worksheet in Conference Carolina’s (previously CVAC) play in three seasons
In 2007 the Belmont Abbey team finished 18-4-1 overall, undefeated in the conference at 11-0 record, and second at the conference tournament. During the undefeated season, numerous conference records were broken, including the most shutouts in a season (10), least goals allowed (1), and lowest goals against average (.09). The Abbey, as it is known, finished fourth in the region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), had the third best defense in the country for NCAA Division II teams (9 goals allowed), and reached as high as 22nd in the nation during the season. Individual awards included five players named First-Team All Conference with three gathering All-Region honors.
In the 2006 season, the Abbey finished 16-4-1 and won the CVAC (now Conference Carolinas) tournament. It was the first time a Belmont Abbey coach has led the women’s soccer program to back-to-back conference championships. Additionally, two players were named to the NSCAA All-Region team, while four earned All-CVAC recognition.
In his first season with the Abbey (2005) Bugariu guided the team to an 18-4 record, which was the best at the time at the college since 1999, while capturing the CVAC Tournament Title and a share of the regular season title with Pfeiffer. His 2005 team also finished fifth in the regional poll. Other accolades earned in the 2005 season include being ranked as the second most improved team in the nation by the NCAA, finishing 11th in the country for shutouts, defeating both the #3 and #10 ranked teams in the nation, and having two players earning NSCAA All-Region honors.
He also served coaching tenures at Louisville Junior College and Meredith College, In addition, Bugariu has established an outstanding legacy in club and professional soccer. He previously served coaching stints in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Grenada, and the Virgin Islands.
Born in Bucharest, Romania, Bugariu came to the United States at the age of 10 and holds a degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was an All Region selection goalkeeper at Brevard College in North Carolina and had a stint with Romanian 4th division club Soimii Sibiu. He also holds a number of coaching certifications including the USSF “A” license, the NSCAA “Premier” Diploma and the UEFA “B” license.
