LAKE CHARLES - Drew Fitzgerald, who guided the McNeese Cowgirl soccer program the last 10 seasons, has announced his resignation, making a move that will allow him to move closer to his family in South Carolina. Associate head coach Juan Yepes will serve as interim head coach for the 2025 season.
 
"I'm so happy for Drew and his family," said McNeese Vice President and Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer. "What an amazing opportunity! Coach Fitzgerald ran a great program both on and off the field for many years. I have the utmost respect for him not only as a coach, but as a person. It just doesn't get any better than Coach Fitzgerald and he will be missed.
 
"All I can say is Thank You! I'm so happy for he and his family as they transition into this exciting new opportunity, and with them nothing but the best!"
 
Said Fitzgerald: "I have spent most of my adult life living in Lake Charles and working for McNeese State University. I started my career here, met my wife here, adopted our children here. To say my time here has been meaningful or special does not do it justice. This community is an incredible place filled with resilient, tough and truly generous people. I am grateful for the opportunities I've been given. 
 
"I want to thank Heath Shroyer for believing in me to offer me my first multi-year contract, something that was not yet common in our sport. There are too many people in the department to thank, and I am grateful to all of them for their support, assistance and guidance.  I have had wonderful coaches to work with, both on my staff and across campus. It has been a real stroke of luck that I have hired really good people throughout the years whose shoulders I could stand on.
 
"I started my head coaching career with Nick Whiting, who I would not have been successful without, and ended it with Juan Yepes and Jade Dewbre, who I am confident will guide the program into the future. In-between and overlapping, I had the pleasure of working with Molly Kuhbacher, among others, who I consider life-long friends.   
 
"The greatest blessing of all has been the players. Through my years at McNeese, they have been a real source of joy. There are always challenges and difficult times, but these players have shown me a loyalty through thick and thin that I certainly do not deserve. It has been a joy watching them grow, compete and become wonderful adults. They too are resilient, tough and loyal and I'm grateful for every moment I got to spend with them.
 
"I am wishing the program and school every future success. GEAUX POKES!!!"
 
Fitzgerald spent a total of 16 years at McNeese that included three coaching stints.  He served as assistant coach from 2005-2008, associate head coach from 2014-2015 before being named head coach in 2016. 
 
Prior to his coaching stints, Fitzgerald spent the one year as McNeese Athletics Director of Marketing in 2009.
 
As head coach, Fitzgerald won at least ten games four times, including a program best 13 games in 2018 then tied that record in 2021, a season in which the Cowgirls finished second in the Southland Conference. 
 
In all, Fitzgerald accumulated 79 wins as head coach and guided the Cowgirls to the Southland Conference Tournament in seven of the eight years the tournament was played (2020 Covid-no tournament).  He led McNeese to two second place finishes in the Southland Conference (2017, 2021) and a SLC Tournament Runners-Up in 2023.   
 
His 79 wins ranks him second as McNeese's all-time winningest coach and ranks him as the ninth winningest coach in the Southland Conference.