Russell Payne

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Russell Payne (born 13 July 1975 in Washington) was an American footballer who played in the goalkeeping position.

The former Maryland Terrapins player recently returned to College Park as an assistant coach. Payne spent several seasons playing and coaching in Europe prior to this. In the Summer of 2006, Payne served as an assistant coach for the U.S. U-20 team that played in the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland.

Payne, a B-license United States Soccer Federation coach, went to Maryland after playing professionally with Shamrock Rovers and Derry City F.C. of the League of Ireland (where he won Player of the Year for the 2001/2002 season), and also with SV Elversberg of Germany. Previously, the Columbia, Maryland native spent three seasons as the goalkeeper coach for the SV Elversberg U-16 team. While playing for Derry City F.C., he also served as the club's U-18 goalkeeper coach.

Payne made his debut for Shamrock Rovers on 11 September 2004 against Cork City and went on to make 16 appearances. His last game was against St Patricks Athletic on 13 May 2005 where he had a nightmare game. Due to a team in decline he only kept one clean sheet in this time ironically against his old team Derry City.

The shot-stopper, who also spent time with Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids and Metrostars, coached collegiately at George Washington in 1997-98 as the goalkeeper coach under Shannon Higgins-Cirovski and as a volunteer assistant with the Terrapin men in 1997.

A four-year starter for the Terps (1993-96), Payne was an All-ACC selection as a sophomore and led the Atlantic Coast Conference in goals-against average as a senior with a 0.88 mark. He recorded 22.5 shut-outs during his four seasons and recorded 340 saves in his career in helping Maryland to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He also helped Maryland to its first-ever ACC Tournament championship in 1996.

Payne and his wife, Vanessa, reside in Washington, D.C.

Payne's father, Bill Payne, is principal of Whale Branch Middle School in Seabrook, S.C. He lives with Russell's mother, Marion, on Hilton Head Island and plans to retire in June 2008. Russell spent about two years in the late '70s in Isfahan, Iran, a city south of Tehran, while his parents taught school there through an American foreign teaching service.