Cameron is first Black woman associate head coach to reach the national championship match

FROM GODEACS.COM
Following an incredible 2024 season that saw the Demon Deacons set multiple new milestones and records, Wake Forest women’s soccer associate head coach Brittany Cameron has been awarded Assistant Coach of the Year at the Black Soccer Legends Awards.
“I am so honored to have received this award,” Cameron said. It’s been such an amazing season. I want to thank the coaches, Tony (da Luz) and the program for allowing me to flourish and giving me the opportunity. This award means a lot to me because everyone has different passions, and how we display those passions are meant to encourage, inspire and create not only great athletes, but great humans. It’s been a privilege to work at Wake Forest and do the best I can to help the next generation of young women who come up from this program and my youth national teams.”
Cameron, who joined the Demon Deacons in 2020, has helped Wake Forest reach new heights over the last five years and is coming off what could be considered as the most successful season in program history, helping the Deacs reach the national title match for the first time ever as she became the first Black woman associate head coach to accomplish the feat.
Breaking new ground is nothing new for Cameron. In April of 2022 when she officially earned the well-deserved title of Associate Head Coach, she became the only Black woman to hold such a title at the Power Five level.
A few months prior to the promotion, she became the first Black coach to represent the United States U-20 national team at a World Cup qualifier, where she served as the goalkeeper coach.
The former professional goalkeeper has played a vital role in the development of star Wake Forest keeper Valentina Amaral. In her first full season, Amaral was named Third Team All-ACC after an incredible campaign, as her .620 goals-against average this season ranked as the lowest in program history. Additionally, Amaral’s five clean sheets in conference play ranked as the second-most in the ACC.
“I’m incredibly proud of Brittany for being recognized as assistant coach of the year at the Black Legends Awards,” Amaral said. “Her passion, leadership and dedication that she shows every day has had an immense impact on our team and myself. She pushes us to be better every day, not just as athletes but as individuals. I’m so grateful to have a coach like Brittany and this award and recognition is so well deserved.”
Cameron helped guide the Wake Forest defense to be one of the toughest to play against not only in the stacked ACC, but also the nation. The Demon Deacons only conceded seven goals during ACC play, the fewest in the conference as well as the second-most clean sheets with five. Eleven goals allowed in the regular season is the fewest in program history, beating the record set in 2023 by three goals.
It wasn’t only goalkeepers that Cameron helped develop, as she coached a program-record five players on the 2024 squad that earned All-ACC honors and three that earned an All-American nod. Earlier this month, she joined Caiya Hanks in St. Louis at the MAC Hermann Trophy Ceremony, where Hanks became the first-ever Demon Deacon to be named a finalist for the award.
The Dublin, California, native spent eight years playing professional soccer. In 2015, Cameron finished runner-up for the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award while between the sticks for Sky Blue FC. That season, she led on goalkeepers in minutes (1,792), saves (87) and recorded four clean sheets.