Eric Shephard - Director of Student-Athlete Support Services - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Eric Shephard

Title:
Director of Student-Athlete Support Services
Alma Mater:
Northeastern State, 2018
Office Phone:
(478) 301-2963
Email:

Holding the unique assets of experiences gained from being both a collegiate student-athlete and coach, Eric Shephard begins his second full season in the Mercer athletics department in 2024-25 as a student-athlete academic advisor for the Bears.

Having joined the Mercer family in January 2023, Shephard trekked to Middle Georgia from nearby Americus, Ga., where he served four seasons (2019-22) as an assistant coach for the Georgia Southwestern men’s soccer program. He has a previous coaching stop as a graduate assistant at Northeastern State (Okla.).

Shephard undertook a myriad of responsibilities on the men’s soccer coaching staff at GSW, including designing, organizing and coaching daily training sessions as it pertained to team needs and tactics. He was also tagged with the oversight of the program’s academic advising, community service projects and strength & conditioning. The Hurricanes advanced to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament to conclude each of his last two seasons with the program, including a run to the tournament semifinals in 2022.

Prior to making the move to the Peach State, Shephard roamed the sidelines for his alma mater and helped pace Northeastern State to more than 35 victories across three seasons (2016-18), including a pair of appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Riverhawks tacked up 14 wins amid a run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2017, and then outdid themselves the following season when they recorded 15 victories on the way to an appearance in the Elite Eight.

A four-year letterwinner at goalkeeper for Northeastern State from 2012-15, Shephard played in 39 career games (32 starts) for the Riverhawks while compiling a 20-9-4 career record between the pipes. An all-region and three-time all-conference honoree, he tallied a 1.07 career goals against average and collected 137 saves across his illustrious playing career as well.

Shephard earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education (K-12) from Northeastern State in 2018, and went on to earn a master’s degree in education at Georgia Southwestern State in 2022.