University of South Carolina (Upstate)
NCAA DI • NULL
Date: July 6, 2026
Would Recommend
Tags
Sharif is a fantastic coach and an even better person. I learned more from him than I ever expected. He just sees the game differently. We used to joke that with his big round head, he was the soccer version of MegaMind, but honestly it fit because he always seemed to know exactly what was happening on the field before anyone else did. What meant the most to me was the way he cared about us as people, not just as players. He always made sure we were taken care of, pushed us to be better, and held everyone to the same standard, including himself. If he made a mistake, he owned it. We even had him doing "fat man laps" a few times because he believed coaches should be accountable too. One moment I'll never forget was after a really tough loss. We were all crushed, and instead of blaming us or making excuses, he told us the loss was on him. I had never had a coach do that before or since. That showed me more about his character than anything else ever could. If you ever get the chance to play for Sharif, take it. Y'all won't find many coaches who will teach you as much about soccer or care as much about the people they're coaching. Looking back, I'm really thankful I got the opportunity to play for him.