Victoria Vargas

St. Thomas (MN)

Division 3

Victoria Vargas is entering her fourth season as the assistant coach of the St. Thomas women's soccer team in 2023.

The 2022 Tommie womens soccer team started hot, with a 6-2-3 record prior to losing their final six games, finishing 6-8-3. St. Thomas won its first road Summit League game in program history against North Dakota State.

In St. Thomas' historic inaugural season of Division I in fall of 2021, despite losing eight one-goal decisions, the young Tommie team still managed four wins and a tie, finishing 4-12-1.

The San Diego, Calif. native played for St. Thomas from 2012-15, serving as a team captain during her senior season. As a member of the Tommie coaching staff, she helped close the Division III chapter with a 22-game unbeaten streak (17-0-5). The 2019 team claimed MIAC regular-season and playoff championships and tied for fifth place nationally.

Vargas also has coached at the high school level, as well as assisting in the US Soccer Development Academy ages GU15, GU17 and GU19 for Shattuck St. Mary's School. Her latest experience was working with U19 Girls in the Premier 2 Division of National League's Midwest Conference. She holds a USSF National 'C' License.

Jake Dowiak

Assistant Coach

Saint Joseph's (PA)

Division 1

Currently in his third season as an assistant coach with the Saint Joseph's women's soccer program is Jake Dowiak.

In his first year on Hawk Hill, Dowiak helped the Hawks to a seventh place finish in the Atlantic 10, and a run to the semifinals of the A-10 Championship. In 2023, St. Joe's excelled in conference play under Dowiak's guidance as the Hawks went 4-3-3 in conference play en route to the sixth seed for the A-10 Championship, while freshman Emily Hanrahan was named to the A-10 All-Rookie. Team.

Dowiak came to Saint Josephs after serving as an assistant coach with Rutgers-Camdens mens soccer team this past year. In his season with the Scarlet Raptors, Dowiak helped the program advance to the semifinals of the ECAC Championship, while four student-athletes garnered NJAC postseason honors.

Along with experience at the collegiate level, Dowiak has coached at the developmental level & USL 2 ranks, working as an assisant with the Ocean City Nor'easters First team and head coach of their U23 team. Presently, he serves as the head coach for the U19 FC Delco Girls ECNL team.

Taylor Culp

Assistant Coach

Elon

Division 1

Prior to Elon, Culp served as the goalkeeper coach with the Penn women's soccer team in 2018. While with the Quakers, Culp helped the team's goalkeeper unit ranked first in the country in goals-against average, clean sheet percentage and save percentage. The starting goalkeeper was also named the Ivy League's Goalkeeper of the Year and was a second team All-Region choice under his tutelage as Penn won the 2018 Ivy League championship.

Culp also served as the goalkeeper's coach at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Bronx, N.Y., during the spring of 2018. Additionally, he has held similar posts at the United Soccer Academy and Matchfit Academy.

On the field, Culp helped lead Saint Joseph's High School in Metuchen, N.J. to back-to-back state championship appearances, before attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 2016, he made his move to Montclair State, in which he helped the Red Hawks to the NJAC championship and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 11th straight season.

A native of Piscataway, N.J., Culp graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

Marsha Lycan

William and Mary

Division 1

Marsha Fishburne Lycan ?87 enters her sixth season with the Tribe women's soccer program. Lycan, who played at W&M from 1983-86, was promoted to the program's associate head coach during the spring of 2022.

Lycan moved up to the full-time assistant role in 2018 to help former teammate Julie Shackford usher in a new era of Tribe women's soccer. Over her five seasons an assistant, Lycan has helped in mentoring 10 All-CAA selection. In 2017, the Tribe posted eight wins and advanced to the CAA Semifinals. Rachel Moore was named to the All-CAA First Team and went on to be selected as the first pick of the fourth round by the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Draft.

Lycan rejoined the Tribe in 2017 after serving as an assistant coach at the University of New England over the previous six seasons. The Nor?Easters compiled a 62-39-12 record, including three 12-plus-win seasons during her tenure. UNE was ranked as high as eighth in the region, and were ECAC finalist in 2014 and 2015. Lycan helped mentor 30 players to all-conference honors, while three players were tabbed as conference players of the year, and two went on to All-America honors.

She also has an extensive background on the youth level coaching with many different groups dating back to 2001. Most recently, Lycan was in the head coach for the GPS Maine U17/U18 Girls Elite team from 2012-2017. She also served as the director of coaching at the Falmouth Youth Soccer Association, where she oversaw the teams and coaches for 30 boys and girls teams. With FYSA, she coached various levels since, including leading the U9-U14 girls? team to three straight state finals appearances from 2004-2006. Lycan also served as the Director of High School Age Girls Program for Maine Coast United from 2001-12. She led the U10-18 Girls to five consecutive Maine State Championship, which is a state record. She earned her NSCAA Premier Diploma in March of 2011, after earning her NSCCA Advanced Diploma in May of 2010. She holds an USSF National ?D? License. Soccer Maine tabbed her the Premier Coach of the Year in 2010.

Lycan appeared in 59 games for the Green and Gold, while she scored 12 goals, recorded seven assists, and 31 points. She helped the Tribe to the 1983 Division I ECAC Championship, before leading Tribe to three straight NCAA Tournaments from 1984-86. Lycan graduated from W&M with a degree psychology in 1987.

She returned to Williamsburg after she raised her children in Maine for 17 years. Having grown up at West Point, her family boasts eight West Point graduates, including two of her children, Allie and Cooper, who are both currently Army Officers. Her youngest son, Brody, is a student at the University of Maine.

Daniel Cherbonnier

Assistant Coach

Tulsa

Division 1

Daniel Cherbonnier is in his sixth season with the Golden Hurricane.  He served as a graduate assistant his first four years, but was promoted to assistant coach prior to the 2017 season.
 
Last year, TU had just six wins, including three victories in conference play for a sixth-place finish in the American Athletic Conference.  The Golden Hurricane did defeat #1 Stanford (2-0), who went on to win the 2017 College Cup, as well as #19 SMU (1-0) and tied #25 Wisconsin (2-2). 

TU recorded its third-straight American Athletic Conference tournament title and played in the first round of the NCAA Championship in 2016.  The Hurricane tallied 10 wins, including six shutouts, and faced three top-25 teams for a 1-2 mark.
 
During the 2015 season, Tulsa captured The American tournament championship for the second-straight year, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship.  TU totaled eight wins, three shutouts and faced nine teams ranked in the top-25 for a 1-5-3 mark in those contests, including a 3-2 overtime win over 16th-ranked FIU in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 
 
In 2014, the Hurricane posted an 11-6-3 overall record, including a 5-2-1 mark in the American Athletic Conference, captured The American tournament title and played in the first round of the NCAA Championship.  TU played five top-25 teams for a 3-1-1 mark, including a 1-0 win over then third-ranked Virginia, which claimed the 2014 NCAA Championship, and had seven clean sheets on the season.
 
The Golden Hurricane earned 11 victories in 2013, advanced to the Conference USA title game.
 
Prior to coming to Tulsa, Cherbonnier spent six years as an assistant coach at the University of Texas at Tyler where he assisted in all aspects of the program including coaching, recruiting, goalkeeper training, academic advising, administrative duties and camp organization.
 
While at UT Tyler, Cherbonnier helped the Patriots compile a 72-29-14 overall record and a 50-15-10 mark in the American Southwest Conference.  During the six years, UT-Tyler won three regular season conference championships, three ASC tournament championships, and had a program-best NCAA Elite 8 appearance.  On the field, Cherbonnier helped coach three All-America selections, nine all-region honorees and 38 all-conference performers.  Off the field, he helped produce 52 Academic All-Conference players, while the team earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award.
 
Cherbonnier also had coaching stints with Bishop T.K. Gorman High School, All-Saints Episcopal School, Tulsa Soccer Club and Azzurri Soccer Club.
 
Cherbonnier has earned his NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma.
 
A native of College Station, Texas, Cherbonnier earned his bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in kinesiology from UT-Tyler in 2012.  He earned his masters degree from Tulsa in December 2016.

Michelle Wilson

Assistant Volunteer Coach

College of Charleston

Division 1

Michelle Wilson returns to the College of Charleston women's soccer program as an assistant coach after spending the past season in a volunteer role. 

Wilson spent 2013-2016 as head coach Christian Michner's assistant, before moving to Long Island University-Brooklyn for a similar position with the Blackbirds. After returning to The College for the 2017-18 season in a volunteer capacity, Wilson is back as a full time assistant coach for her fifth season as part of Michner's staff.

Wilson assists Michner in all facets of the program including training sessions, travel arrangements, recruiting, scouting, player development and academic success.

Wilson was an assistant womens soccer coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate for one season before her first stint at The College. She assisted the head coach in training players for both practices and games, training goalkeepers, developing a spring conditioning plan, and organizing team community service and fundraising events.

Prior to her season at USC Upstate, Wilson spent the 2012-13 season as an assistant womens soccer coach at Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C. There, she trained both goalkeepers and field players, communicated with other conference coaches for scheduling purposes, recruited student-athletes for classes 2014-16 and organizing four clinics throughout the year as well as a summer premier camp that brought in nationwide recruits.

Wilson first began her college coaching experience during the fall season of 2010 when she assisted the head coach of Spartanburg Methodist College. Prior to that, she had coached a girls middle school soccer team at Oakbrook Preparatory School.

Joe Vari

Head Coach

Bates

Division 3

In 2019, Bates Director of Athletics Jason Fein announced the appointment of University of Puget Sound head coach Joe Vari as the eighth head women's soccer coach in the program's 39-year history.

"I feel that Bates is a sleeping giant with great potential," Vari said. "I think this is one of the best jobs in Division III and I know the challenges that are ahead to build a successful program in this conference."

Vari led Puget Sound to a 39-14-8 record in three seasons as the Loggers' head coach, including a conference championship and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2018. He was named the 2018 Northwest Conference Coach of the Year.

"After an extensive national search, we are thrilled that Joe is joining our team as head coach of women's soccer," said Fein. "While he has a stellar record at competitive Division III institutions, he also understands the pressures on today's student-athletes, as well as the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between strong academics, well-being, and peak performance on the field. We look forward to getting him on board this summer."

Vari also won consistently as head coach at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., between 2009 and 2015, leading the Lynx to a 75-43-14 record over seven seasons. He additionally served as assistant athletic director there beginning in 2014.

Before becoming head coach at Rhodes, Vari was assistant coach for the men's and women's soccer teams at Rhodes. He got his coaching start as an assistant at Lynchburg College, where he earned a master's degree in counseling in 2006. Vari received a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2003 from Hiram College, where he was a goalkeeper for four years. Puget Sound, Rhodes, Lynchburg and Hiram are all Division III schools like Bates.

"I love Division III athletes, as they are self-starters, driven, and able to experience the true meaning of being a student-athlete," he said. "I've always enjoyed working at strong academic institutions, and Bates and the NESCAC are in a league of their own for academics and athletics."

Vari took over a Bates program with an all-time record of 301-222-32 since its origin in 1980, including four NCAA tournament appearances and a NESCAC championship in 2005.

"Our goal will always be to play as many games in November as we possibly can," said Vari. "I think that we can build something special here at Bates."

Footer

Brienne Smith

Head Coach

Clark (MA)

Division 3

Smith will enter her 11th season at the helm for the Cougars in the fall of 2025, leading the program turnaround since coming back to her alma mater in 2014.

After winning just 4 games in her first two seasons, the Cougars have averaged 9.66 wins per season, and qualified for the NEWMAC Tournament in 2017, 2021, and 2022. This past fall of 2022, the Cougars advanced to the NEWMAC Championship Game for the first time in program history. They finished in second place with a conference record of 6-2-2 and an overall record of 12-6-2, and ended the season ranked 4th in NCAA Region 2.  For the second straight season, the Cougars had 3 All-Conference players, including the NEWMAC Player of the Year, Jamie Joseph, and 2 United Soccer Coaches All-Region players in Joseph and Jayme Brown. Joseph also earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America team.

Prior to arriving at Clark, Smith spent four years as the head women's soccer coach at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. where she guided the Greyhounds to four straight Landmark Conference Tournament appearances, including a berth in the Landmark Championship Game in 2012. During that 2012 season, Smith was named Landmark Coach of the Year, while two of her student-athletes garnered the league's Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards, respectively. Her program saw eight student-athletes earn a combined 13 All-Conference citations during her tenure, including six First-Team selections.

Prior to Moravian, Smith spent nine years as an assistant coach at Tufts University. During her time with the Jumbos, Smith helped lead them to three NCAA Tournament berths, including a trip to the Final Four in 2005 and more than 80 victories.

Smith was a four-year letter winner with the Cougars appearing in 68 of 76 games from 1997-00. She was part of the 1998 team that won a school-record 17 games and garnered the school's lone NCAA Tournament bid. A 2001 Clark University graduate with a degree in psychology and a minor in education, Smith also holds a master's degree in physical education from Bridgewater State and an Advanced National Diploma from the United Soccer Coaches.

Kate Hofstede

Head Coach

Bard

Division 3

Most recently, Hofstede has been coaching at the youth level, working with high school-aged players on college recruitment.  Currently, she works for Steel United and recently was named as a Head Coach for the 2008 Girls' National Program.  She has also served as a regional talent scout for the United States Women's Youth National Team.

As head coach at Marist, Hofstede led the team to the best season in the history of the program in 2011, when Marist went 13-6-2, won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. After the season, she was named the MAAC Coach of the Year.

The next year, the Red Foxes were co-regular season champions at 15-7 overall and 8-1 in MAAC play. The 15 wins was a new program record. In six seasons at Marist, she guided the program to five MAAC Championship Tournament appearances.

Prior to coaching at Marist, Hofstede was the top assistant coach and Director of Goalkeeping at her alma mater, Columbia University, from 2005-06, and 2007-11. Columbia went 36-21-12 during her time as a coach there. She played at Columbia, both as a goalkeeper and a field player, and obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Education (2005) and her Master's Degree in Physical Education (2011) there.

Dakota Rock

Assistant Women's Soccer Coach

Rhodes

Division 3

I am in my 3rd year at Rhodes College. During my first season, I worked intensely with the midfielders and forward while also intensely breaking down and running film sessions on both ourselves and our opponents for the season. 

Cesar Gomez

Assistant Coach

Elmhurst

Division 3

Head coach in West Chicago HS since 2007.

Assist Coach at Wheaton  College 2003-2023.

Assistant Coach at Elmhurst University currently

Linda Hamilton

Head Coach

Southwestern (TX)

Division 3

Entering her 11th season as head coach, Linda Hamilton has since continued to bring the Southwestern womens soccer team to new heights. Taking over the team to start the 2015 season, she transformed the program into a perennial contender with SCAC Championship appearances in multiple seasons, breaking through as conference champions in 2019 for the first time in program history after defeating Trinity in penalty kicks in the championship match at Southwestern University and making their first NCAA appearance. In a historic 2021 season, she helped lead the team to their first regional and national ranking in program history, first regular season championship, and acquired her 3rd SCAC Coach of the Year honor. 2022 marked a fifth straight winning season for Hamilton, while 2024 marked her seventh in ten seasons. 

Hamilton brings a wealth of experience to the program, both as a player and coach. She played collegiately at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina, earning All-America status and all-conference honors all four years. She was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1988. Hamilton was a member of the United States National Team, where she played in 82 international matches. She helped the team to a World Cup gold medal in 1991 and bronze in 1995. In May 2022, she would be recognized for her efforts through her induction to the National Soccer Hall of Fame, elected from the Veteran ballot.

Hamilton, who owns a United States Soccer Federation "A" coaching license, got her start in coaching at Old Dominion University as the team's head coach from 1993 to 1995. She later served as an assistant at Hofstra University (2006-2007) and most recently served as head coach at the University of North Florida (2007-2013). She has additionally worked with the Easter Seals and National Multiple Sclerosis Society (2002-2006), serving as director of development.

Leanne Cardoso-Bastos

Assistant Coach (Goalkeepers)

Allegheny College (PA)

Division 3

Leanne Cardoso-Bastos joined the Allegheny womens soccer staff in the summer of 2021 and holds a "D" License from the United States Soccer Federation as well as a Goalkeeping Level 1, 2 and 3 Diplomas from the United Soccer Coaches.

Scott Myers

Head Coach

Illinois-Springfield

Division 2

Scott Myers will be in his second year with UIS for the 2025-26 season. The Prairie Stars had a successful year under Coach Myers in 2024 and are looking to continue improving this season. Coach Myers returns 19 players from the previous season. The Stars will lean on this depth to propel them to another great run in the GLVC.  

The 2024 Star season was highlighted with many great moments. Coach Myers led the Stars to an overall record of 8-7-3 and a 8-5-1 conference record. While racking up their wins, the lady stars were able to go on a 5 game unbeaten streak that was capped off with a major 3-1 win over Southwest Baptist. Another key victory in the season was when the Stars defeated Lincoln (MO) 6-0, which was a season high goal total for the Stars.

Coach Myers earned a GLVC tournament berth in his first season. This achievement extends the Lady Stars streak to 3 straight post season tournament berths. Coach Myers also helped lead 3 players to earn All-GLVC honors. Brooke Biffar, Allison Mirimanian, and Katelynn Ward all earned Third Team Honors.

Before Coach Myers tenure at UIS, he gained over twenty years of coaching experience across the NCAAs divisions as well as club coaching in California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Myers was previously the Technical Director at Fusion Soccer Club and Girls Academy Director at Tonka Fusion Elite in Plymouth, Minn., where he coached youth soccer as well as the clubs semi-pro womens team.

Myers most recent stretch in collegiate coaching was at nearby Illinois State University where he was the Assistant Head Coach in 2017 and 2018. Myer's was named the Associate Head Coach for the Redbirds for the 2019 season.

Prior to ISU, Myers coached womens soccer at his alma mater Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa from 2013-16. The Kohawks were regionally ranked No. 1 and nationally ranked No. 15 in 2015 by the NSCAA. He produced the programs first all-region player in 2014 along with multiple all-conference players, and recruited over 50 student-athletes with a 95-percent retention rate.

Myers was the head coach at Menlo College from 2010-13, where he led the Oaks to their program-first postseason appearance. He coached eleven FIrst Team All-Cal Pac Conference student-athletes, three Cal Pac Defenders of the Year, two Newcomers of the Year, and a Player of the Year.

Along with various club teams, Myers was an assistant coach at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University from 2008-10 and at the University of Redlands from 2006-08. While at Embry Riddle, the team qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in 2008 and 2009. He also developed and coordinated strength and conditioning and nontraditional-season training programs.

To go with his Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Secondary Teaching from Coe in 2001, Myers earned his Masters in Higher Education from Redlands in 2008, where he was an assistant coach. At Redlands, Myers served as the recruiting coordinator and also developed and implemented nontraditional-season training plans.

Myers holds a USSF National C License, NSCAA Goalkeeping Diplomas at levels I, II and III, NSCAA National Distinguish Pass license, NSCA Advanced National Distinguish Pass license and a NSCAA Premier Diploma.

Hollie Gray

Head Coach

Luther

Division 3

Named head coach of women's soccer Feb. 25, 20212015 Graduate of Luther CollegeHe coached the Norse during the 2021 COVID shortened spring seasonReturned to Luther after serving three years as the assistant coach for the Boys U19 soccer team at Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault, Minnesota, where he played his high school career from 2008-11.While at Luther, he made 56 appearances that included 53 starts as a defender and was named all-conference and third team All-North RegionHe helped lead the Norse to a three year record of 41-15-4, a conference championship in 2013 and a NCAA III National Tournament appearance that same yearFollowing his playing days at Luther, Gray III was an assistant coach for the men's soccer team for three years

Margi Osmundson

Assistant Coach

Sonoma State

Division 2

Starting second year as the head assistant womens soccer coach at Sonoma State University (CCAA). Previously at Holy Names University as a grad assistant for 1 season (2016-2017). At Sonoma State in my first year, helped guide and lead the team to a 3rd place conference finish and an overall record of 15-5-1. Appeared in the CCAA conference championship as a runner up, and competed in the NCAA D2 soccer championship. 

Andy Kohel

Assistant Coach

Johnson & Wales (CO)

Division D3

Andy Kohel was named head men's soccer coach at Johnson & Wales University in January 2018. Kohel comes to JWU after serving as an assistant coach at Colorado College for the last three seasons.

While a member of the Tiger's coaching staff, Kohel helped coach the squad to a 41-10-9 record over three years and saw numerous players recognized for Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) and United Soccer Coaches (USC) honors. As an assistant for Colorado College, Kohel was charged with video analysis, scouting, planning trainings and coordinating on-campus visits for recruits among other tasks. He has also worked with Rush Pikes Peak Soccer Club since January 2016, overseeing youth player development as part of the coaching staff.

Before joining the CC coaching staff, Kohel spent four seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. During his tenure, the Titans went 48-18-11 and captured the 2014 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championship and earned a spot in the 2013 NCAA Division III Championship.

Alongside his work with the Titans, Kohel also worked with FC Green Bay Soccer Club as a member of the coaching staff.

Kohel played his undergraduate career at UW-Oshkosh and was a four-year starter for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh went 52-16-11 in his career and as a senior advanced to the national semifinals of the NCAA tournament after going 20-1-3.

He holds a USSF 'B' Coaching license and earned his bachelor's degree in History.

Courtney Stull

Assistant Coach

Gettysburg

Division 3

Courtney Stull enters her first season with the Gettysburg College womens soccer and tennis programs in 2021-22.

Stull joins the Bullets after serving as an assistant coach at Hood College during the 2020-21 academic year. Before spending two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Goucher College, Stull served as an assistant coach at Susquehanna University from 2015-17. Some of her responsibilities included scouting, assisting goalkeeper training, analyzing and breaking down game film, and recruitment. During her time at Susquehanna, she helped the team post one of their best seasons in program history as they finished with an overall mark of 14-5-1 in 2017, matching the record for most wins during a season. The River Hawks also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which was the first trip to the national stage in program history.

As a player, Stull was a four-year letter winner on the womens soccer team at Shenandoah University. She helped the Hornets appear in four consecutive conference tournaments, claiming the 2011 USA South Conference title, and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division IIII Tournament. Stull racked up 20 points as a midfielder and served as the team captain her junior and senior seasons. Her first collegiate coaching position was at her alma mater during the 2014 season.

During her undergraduate career, Stull assisted in the Shenandoah womens soccer program annual summer camp, while also serving as an assistant coach for the Manchester United Club Team in Frederick, Md. For the past couple of years, Stull has been an assistant director/soccer coach at Level 5 Athletics.  

Stull graduated from Shenandoah with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in biology in 2014 and earned her masters in education degree in 2019 from Goucher.

Jesse Olivas

Assistant Coach

La Sierra

NAIA

Coach Olivas enters his seventh year as Head Men's Soccer Coach at La Sierra University in Riverside, California after serving a year as Associate Head Coach for the Golden Eagles. Prior to coming to La Sierra he served as the assistant Men's and Women's soccer coach for three years at his alma-mater, University of the Southwest (Hobbs NM). Olivas helped lead the Mustangs to three straight Conference tournaments, and the women's program to the national tournament (2006). Coach Olivas is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and is licensed through the United States Soccer Federation.

Jesse Olivas graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development from the University of the Southwest. He currently is a candidate for a Masters in Mental Health Counseling.

As a player he Captained the Mustangs to their first playoff appearance in school history, he also received a number of awards including Red River All-Conference and Honorable mention All-American.

Esther Webb

Head Coach

Houghton

NAIA

Esther Webb was named the sixth coach of the Highlanders women's soccer program in February 2022.
 
Webb, who came to Houghton after coaching for one season at Empire 8 institution Elmira College, is no stranger to the Houghton community. The local product prepped at Fillmore Central School before earning eight varsity letters as a dual-sport student-athlete in soccer and basketball for the Highlanders. Webb also spent one season on the sidelines at her alma mater during the fall of 2018 as an assistant women's soccer coach.
 
At Elmira, Webb led the Soaring Eagles to a 3-12-3 mark on the field in 2021, including one-goal losses to E8 tournament participants Hartwick, Nazareth and Utica, while also serving as the departments SAAC advisor.

Prior to taking the position at Elmira, Webb served as head coach at Eastern Nazarene College, a Division III institution located in Quincy, Mass. In her first full season in 2019, the Lions qualified for the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament and placed three on the All-NECC Second Team. Displaying dedication in the classroom, the Lions logged a 3.34 grade-point average during the 2019-20 academic year and received a United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award.

In addition to her responsibilities as head coach at Eastern Nazarene, Webb served as a professor in the sport management department and taught classes on sports psychology and ethics.

Webb's coaching career began as an assistant at Ohio Christian University under former River States Conference (RSC) Coach of the Year recipient, Jake Warren. During her first year at Ohio Christian, the Trailblazers captured the 2016 RSC regular-season title and finished as tournament runners-up. Webb helped mentor the conference's 2016 Player and Newcomer of the Year, in addition to 10 total All-RSC honorees.
 
"Being given the opportunity to coach at my alma mater and within a community as special as Houghton is something that I am extremely grateful for. The Houghton community has played an integral role in my life and I am ecstatic to be back, said Webb. Houghton College provides student-athletes phenomenal opportunities academically, spiritually and personally. I believe these opportunities, coupled with the high caliber student-athletes Houghton draws and my experiences coaching at the DIII level, will propel this program to be consistently competitive within the Empire 8 and NCAA Division III."  

As a student-athlete, Webb helped make history as a starting defender on the first-ever Houghton women's team to win a national championship. Her senior season concluded with the 2015 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I title following a 4-2 shootout win over NCAA Division II Mississippi College. Webb played a vital role in the Highlanders' three shutout victories during the tournament and was rewarded with a spot on the NCCAA All-Tournament Team.
 
Webb is passionate about sports ministry, and has traveled to Brazil, Austria and Romania with the Houghton women's soccer team and Nicaragua with the Houghton women's basketball team.

Webb earned a bachelor's in Business Administration and Communications from Houghton in 2016. She completed her MBA at Ohio Christian in 2018.

Katie Smith

Xavier (OH)

Division 1

Xavier womens soccer head coach Dean Ward announced the addition of Katie Smith as an assistant coach in February 2025.

Smith came to Xavier from Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kansas, where she was a foundational piece to the creation of the womens soccer program. In the teams inaugural season, Smith helped lead the Gorillas to an overall record of 8-8-2. Smith has also served as head coach of the newly founded Marshall Islands Womens National Team since May 2024, with the team set to have its first fixture in 2025.

Smith joined Pittsburg State from Arkansas State, where was an assistant coach for the Red Wolves in 2023. Prior to her time at Arkansas State, Smith served as an assistant coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College during the 2022 season, helping lead the program to a final four appearance at the NJCAA national tournament.

In 2022, Smith also coached Collierville High School, with the team finishing the season ranked third in the state of Tennessee, and at the mens USL 2 level with Tri-Cities FC, helping lead the team to the most points in a single season in club history.

Smith began her coaching career leading both the boys and girls varsity soccer programs at Fayette Academy in Tennessee. During her time at Fayette Academy, she led the girls varsity team to one of the most successful seasons in the programs history. Smith also coached Collierville Middle School boys soccer, leading the Dragons to regional and sectional championships and finishing the season with the best record in TSMAA history.

During her coaching career, Smith has earned several awards, including back-to-back TSMAA Coach of the Year, United Soccer Coaches Regional Staff of the Year, United Soccer Coaches Youth Coach of Excellence Award, and was selected as a 2024-2025 United Soccer Coaches 30 Under 30 Class Member.

As a student-athlete, Smith served as the inaugural captain at Southwest Tennessee Community College, where she helped lead the program to a TCCAA Conference Championship in the second year of the programs existence. She went on to Louisiana State University at Shreveport, where she was a dual-sport athlete, playing soccer and tennis.

Smith earned a Bachelors Degree in Special Education from Freed-Hardeman University in May 2023 and graduated with a Masters Degree in Soccer Coaching Education from Ohio University in May 2024. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Global Sports Leadership from East Tennessee State University.

Smith holds her UEFA C License, United Soccer Coaches Advanced National License, and currently pursuing her USSF B License. She is an active member of the soccer community and has been featured in many podcasts and articles and has presented at various educational workshops.

Neel Bhattacharjee

Head Coach

Binghamton

Division 1

Bhattacharjee (pronounced BAT-uh-CHARGE-ee) was named Binghamton's head coach on December 30, 2015.

"Neel is a highly respected coach and leader on a national level, and has accumulated significant quality experience with championship programs and elite student-athletes," Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott said. "We are excited to have Neel join our athletics family, and lead our women's soccer program into the future."


In just his second season, Binghamton pulled a stunning turnaround.  After his hire in 2015 in which the program only had 3 total wins, the Bearcats went 11-4-4 this past 2017 season and included a share of the regular season conference title, its first title in 13 years.  Bhattacharjee and his staff were recognized as the America East Coaching Staff of the Year for their accomplishments. 

"I am very excited and humbled to lead the Binghamton women's soccer program at one of the preeminent public institutions in the Northeast and the country," Bhattacharjee said. "I am grateful to Pat, President Stenger, and the entire search committee for having the confidence in me to lead the women's soccer program to new heights.  I have a vision for the program that is shared by the Binghamton leadership and that energy and passion will lead to future success.  Given the direction of the athletics program and strong blend of academics, Binghamton is well suited to have a very competitive women's soccer program that will make the community, alumni and fans proud."

At Boston College, Bhattacharjee played a key role with an Eagles program that reached the national semifinals in 2010, NCAA Elite Eight in 2009 and Sweet Sixteen in 2011. At BC, he served as recruiting coordinator and goalkeepers coach, helping steer the Eagles to the program's first-ever College Cup appearance in 2010. One year earlier, BC was ACC co-champion.

During his tenure at Syracuse, the Orange made the transition from the BIG EAST to the ACC. His 2014 recruiting class was ranked No. 18 in the country (Top Drawer Soccer). He was also directly involved with on-field team training, opponent scouting, scheduling, budget planning and compliance.

While he was as associate head coach at GW (2006-08), the Colonials rose in ranks within the A-10 each season.

He graduated from University of Maryland in 1998 with two degrees - in geography and secondary education-social studies. Bhattacharjee then earned his master's degree in applied geography at Texas State University in 2000. He has also completed coursework toward a PhD in geography from Arizona State University.

Bhattacharjee played goalkeeper for club soccer teams at both Maryland and ASU.

In 2006, Bhattacharjee was the goalkeeper coach for the Under-21 Women's National Team. He has also coached with the Region I and Region IV Olympic Development Programs (ODP).

A native of Randolph, N.J., Bhattacharjee holds an "A" License from the United States Soccer Federation (highest license in the U.S.) and also holds an NSCAA Premier Diploma.

Neel and his wife, Merry, have two daughters, Naiya (7) and Norah (5).

Kirsten Koester

Head Coach

Grinnell

Division 3

Kirsten Koester was named the Grinnell women's soccer coach in June of 2014 after serving as head coach at Cornell College. 
She has enjoyed a successful stint at Grinnell, qualifying for the Midwest Conference Tournament four of her six years while going 32-20-4 in league play and 51-48-8 overall. Her 2018 team posted a 7-2 league record, their most MWC wins since 2012.

In 2016, Koester guided the Pioneers to their first trip to the MWC championship match for the first time since 2006. Additionally, the 2016 team strung together a six-game winning streak, the longest for a Grinnell squad since 2008. In 2022, women's soccer claimed the MWC Title and Championship to make a post-season appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 
 
Before coming to Grinnell, Koester found success at Cornell and in 2013 guided the Rams to their best season since 2002.

Prior to coaching at Cornell, Koester was head soccer coach and athletics recruiting coordinator at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland for two years.
 
The Stoughton, Wis., native attended Luther College where she was a standout player. A two-time All-Iowa Conference midfielder for the Norse, she also served as team captain and was voted the teams Most Valuable Player as a senior while leading the squad to the league title. Koester also played basketball three years at Luther.
 
Koester received a bachelors degree in English and Art in 2005 and remained in Decorah as an assistant basketball coach for Luther during the 2005-06 season.
 
Koester gained her masters degree in English from Washington College in Maryland in 2009. She was the assistant womens soccer coach at Washington from 2006-08 and also assisted the womens basketball squad for a season.

Jared Rose

Head Coach

Agnes Scott

Division 3

Jared Rose was named the head coach of the Agnes Scott College soccer program on August 15, 2023. 

Prior to joining Agnes Scott, Rose was coaching in Ohio for the last 11 years. Collegiately, he coached at Walsh University as the  Assistant Coach of the mens soccer team, as well as directing area at one of the top ECNL clubs in the country, Internationals SC.

In College: Over the past 4 years Rose has spent coaching at the Division 2 collegiate level at Walsh University. Starting as a volunteer in 2019, he had an immediate impact helping the team to their first winning season since 2011.  For the Fall 2021 season, Rose was appointed to the full time assistant role where he picked up where he left off.  He was given a lead role, and even more involved with player development, design & implementation of  training sessions, in charge of video analysis, & relied on for game tactics and management which helped the Cavaliers to new heights. The team had the best start in program history (7-0-2), as well as the best finish since joining the GMAC conference at 4th, hosting their first ever GMAC quarter final. The team made the semi-finals for the first time & over the course of the season were ranked as high as #22 in the Nation.  In the 2022 season, Walsh again tied the best start in program history (7-0-2) & reached a ranking of #11 in the country, breaking the top 20 for the first time in program history. 

In Club: Rose joined  the Internationals Soccer club starting back in 2012. While at Internationals SC, Rose coached some of the best young players in Ohio. He then moved into a Director role very quickly and began to have a larger impact within the club.  He helped the club develop & organize its training curriculum for the U13-U19 aged players with season plans, individual development plans, & GAP (Guided Activity Plans) that would allow the players to stay focused on their individual goals, team goals, and training plan on their own.  He was in charge of the video platform & analysis that would allow athletes to have video of games & highlights as well as giving data on each game & player.  He was in charge of bringing on a recruitment platform for the club to better track & help athletes to move on to the collegiate level.  He was an integral part of the clubs success over the last 11 years, not only  growing the club in numbers, retaining top level players, teaching life lessons through hard work and discipline in sport, and developing players mentally & athletically to compete at the next level (College & Professional).  But also success on the field, helping them to win at almost every age group U13-U19 in the ECNL conference & having the best percentage of success between the 2 divisions within the Ohio Valley Conference in the ECNL.  He has won 3 National Championships over his time at the club & helped countless players obtain collegiate scholarships across the NCAA D1-D3 levels as well as NAIA. Rose holds a USSF National "B" license as well as a Masters in Sports Science - Coaching.

Rose has experience coaching at every level & in many parts of the country. Other coaching roles in Ohio include time with University of Akron - Women's Soccer (3 years) & Hathaway Brown HS (2 years). Before Ohio, when coaching in FL, he worked with Pinecrest Premier Soccer Club (4 years) & Carrollton HS (2 years). Rose started his coaching career in 2006 as a student coach at Michigan State University.

Rose had an outstanding college soccer career at NCAA Division I Florida International University from 2002-2005.  While in college, FIU was consistently ranked in the top 25 in the country & competed in the NCAA Championships every year, making the sweet 16 in 2003.  He was a two-time all-conference player & became team Captain during his senior season. 

Rose lives in Georgia with his wife, Christine, and his 2 Daughters, Katarina & Daniella.

Coach Rose: I am so excited to be joining such a prestigious school like Agnes Scott.  I cant thank Dr. Richardson & Dean Martin for their trust in me to lead the soccer program to new heights and bringing me in to  join the Scotties family.  The whole athletic department as well as leaders of the college have been so welcoming, together, to make it an unbelievable place to be.  My focus will be helping young women to be the best versions of themselves through athletics.  Through soccer/sport, you can develop positive habits & friendships/relationships that will help you in your overall life outside of sport.  To show dedication, responsibility, & commitment to yourself & to other like-minded individuals, really helps you develop into an amazing person with a positive character.

Brooke Lincoln

Head Coach

Azusa Pacific

Division 2

The 2025 season marks Brooke Lincoln's seventh at Azusa Pacific. She was named the fifth head coach in Azusa Pacific women's soccer program history in January of 2018.

Since Lincoln's arrival, the program has posted a 55-33-16 record, 12 of those wins were contributed from the 2024 campaign where the Cougars broke onto the national stage with a NCAA West Regional appearance after finishing 4th in the PacWest standings in the 2023, 2022 and 2021 season seasons.

Since Lincoln's arrival, the program has posted a 55-33-16 record, 12 of those wins were contributed from the 2024 campaign where the Cougars broke onto the national stage with a NCAA West Regional appearance after finishing 4th in the PacWest standings in the 2023, 2022 and 2021 season seasons.

In 2022, the Cougars went 9-4-4, posting a 6-2-2 conference record, and was receiving votes for the Top-25 National poll for the second consecutive year.



In 2021, Lincoln led the Cougars to an 11-5-1 record, including a 6-3-1 conference mark. At the conclusion of the season, the Cougars ranked eighth in the regional rankings and also received votes for the Top-25 National poll for their efforts throughout the season. 



In 2019, the Cougars finished 9-7-2 overall, with a 5-5-1 record in PacWest play that placed them sixth in the final conference standings. On Nov. 5, Lincoln and her team upset rival Biola by a 2-1 score. Biola had entered the match as the first place team in the conference with an 11-game unbeaten streak, but a tough and gritty performance lifted the Cougars to the big win in front of their home fans.

In 2018, which was Lincolns first season at the helm of the program, Azusa Pacific went 6-9-2 overall. While the Cougars struggled to find their rhythm at the beginning of the season, Lincolns system began to blossom and come to fruition in conference play, as the squad went 6-3-2 against PacWest competition to close the season out.

Through seven seasons at the helm, Lincoln has coached four All-Region and 27 All-PacWest performers. Off the pitch, her teams have also excelled in the classroom, as she has had 82 Academic All-PacWest honorees from 2018-22. For the 2019-20 school year, the Cougars posted a team GPA of 3.61.

Lincoln has served as the head coach at Asbury University (Ky.) for the past five seasons. During her tenure with the Eagles she has tallied a 51-32-15 overall record. She had a decorated tenure at the NAIA school. She won three regular season River State Conference titles (formerly the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), two league tournament titles which earned two berths into the national tournament. Lincoln was named the conference Coach of the Year on two occasions. In addition, she coached three Conference Players of the Year and 17 all-conference players.

Lincoln went to Asbury after serving as a graduate assistant at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss. During the 2012 season Lincoln helped Belhaven reach the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time in its third season in the league. The Blazers finished eighth in the  conference that had the top seed in the NAIA National Tournament. During Lincoln's two years with the Blazers, she handled recruiting in the south region as well as in the state of Mississippi. Although a graduate assistant, Lincoln was the only assistant coach on staff and often ran training sessions. She was also charged with coordinating summer camps, bringing in more than 400 campers during the course of the summer as well as 10 teams.

Prior to joining the staff at Belhaven, Lincoln was the head girls' soccer coach at Terry High School in Terry, Miss., for two years. At Terry, Lincoln guided the squad to the state Final Four for the first time in school history and garnered a ranking as high as No. 6, finishing the year at No. 12.

She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Mississippi College. Lincoln has a Master's Degree in Sports Administration from Belhaven University.

Lilia Dosalmas

Head Coach

UC-Santa Cruz

Division 3

Lilia Dosalmas is currently the head coach for the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs. In her first season, Dosalmas earned Conference Coach of the Year after a winning season that included eight shutouts. Four student-athletes made First Team All-Conference, and 22 student-athletes earned Academic All-Conference. In 2024 Dosalmas led the program to its first Coast to Conference Championship and a bid into the NCAA tournament, had the tournament MVP and Rookie of the year for the C2C. 


Dosalmas previously coached at Mills College for six seasons. While at Mills, she led the Cyclones to qualify for GSAC playoffs in 2015, and the ACAA conference playoffs in 2016, 2017, and 2019 and again in the Coast-to-Coast Conference post-season tournament. Her tenure at Mills produced seven all-conference team selections and Dosalmas 2018 squad cemented their place in the history books by not only scoring the most goals in school history but also amassing the most wins in 13 years. She has coached at Merritt College and Diablo Valley College.

Coach Dosalmas holds a Bachelors degree from UC Santa Barbara and a Masters degree from UC Berkeley in Education with an emphasis in the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education. She has received national coaching licenses from the USSF and holds her Advanced National Diploma from United Soccer Coaches.