A former Laker and four-time All-Southeast Region selection, Avery Shepard returned to Clayton State as assistant men’s soccer coach in July of 2018 and enters his second year on staff.
CLAYTON STATE (2018-PRESENT)
A key member of the staff, Shepard helped guide the Lakers to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Semifinals for a second consecutive year. They earned that trip following an epic 0-0 (5-4 PK) shootout victory over North Georgia in the Quarterfinals on the road in Dahlonega.
In addition to his on field work, he has been instrumental in managing the day-to-day operations of the men’s soccer program and also handles the team’s social media presence.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Shepard has played professionally for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) for the past three seasons (2016-18).
In that time he has helped lead the club to the postseason and the 2016 and 2018 NPSL Southeast Conference Championships. He has also notched three game winning goals for the Silverbacks and has led the club in goals per minute.
COLLEGIATE PLAYING CAREER
CLAYTON STATE (2014-15)
Prior to making the jump to the professional ranks, Shepard played two years at Clayton State in 2014 and 2015, joining the program following his first two seasons with nearby NAIA Southern Poly Tech. During that stretch he made his mark as he recorded 23 goals and four assists for 50 points on his way to a number of awards.
Following his junior season of 2014, in which he produced 12 goals and 25 points, the Kennesaw, Georgia native was named to a pair of All-Southeast Region teams, collecting Daktronics Second-Team and NSCAA Third-Team honors while being named an All-Peach Belt Conference First-Team selection.
He would follow that up with an even more impressive campaign as a senior, registering 11 goals and three assists for another 25 points. That netted him All-Southeast Region Second-Team recognition with both the NSCAA and Daktronics, giving him four such honors over the course of two seasons.
It also capped a season in which he earned his second straight All-PBC First-Team selection and first ever PBC Gold Ball Award. The latter represents the league’s leading goal scorer and was just the third time a Laker had achieved that feat in program history.
SOUTHERN POLY (2011-13)
While at Southern Poly, Shepard played in 29 games and helped lead the program to a sterling 32-9-3 overall record and back-to-back berths in the NAIA Elite Eight.
As a sophomore in 2012 he played in 22 games with eight starts and notched seven goals and an assist for 15 points on a 15-6-1 club. His first year would see him contribute a pair of goals and an assist for a team that went 17-3-2. That season resulted in a Southern States Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championship while the club earned a runner-up finish in his second season.
EDUCATION
A 2016 graduate of Clayton State, Shepard earned a degree in Marketing in May of that year.
