4 Trailblazing Women Coaching College Soccer in 2022
The collegiate soccer season recently wrapped up, and what a season it was. There was no shortage of history made and a shuffling of the national landscape–further proving why this sport is one of the fastest-growing in the country. So it’s only fitting to highlight the best the season had to offer, and what would be more fitting than to start with the women who shine on the sidelines? It’s time to break down the best women coaches in the NCAA and give them the recognition deserve.
Margueritte Aozasa (UCLA)
Margueritte Aozasa, once seen as a top assistant coach in the nation thanks to her time at Stanford, made waves in the sport the last off-season when she took the head position at fellow Pac-12 powerhouse, UCLA.
A recruiting wizard and proven winner during her time with the Cardinals, it wasn’t hard to imagine Aozasa would turn the Bruins back into national title contenders–I’m not sure anyone realized how soon that would transpire. Her tenure started with a bang, getting some last-minute recruits and landing former Oregon star forward Ally Cook from the transfer portal.
It didn’t take long to realize that UCLA was on a mission and undoubtedly a top team in the country. They sat atop the coach’s poll and RPI for the whole season and ran through a brutal conference schedule. However, the glaring change besides the talent was the team had a newfound swagger and confidence–reminiscent of Aozasa’s personality.
She led the Bruins to the top seed in the tournament, where her methodical offense centered around buildup play and interchanging looks upfront guided her team to their third national championship.
It’s practically unheard of to win a title as a first-year head coach, and Aozasa did so while having the best team all season. Her remarkable feat requires further context, as she is one of just five Asian American women serving as a head coach in the NCAA.
Not only a winner but a trailblazer, Aozasa’s set to be one of the best coaches in the country for years to come and is someone everyone can admire.
Julianne Sitch (U Chicago)
It’s rare that one first-year head coach wins a national title, but there were actually two this season. Enter Julianne Stitch. The 39-year-old breathes Chicago soccer.
A standout at DePaul, she turned pro, including stints with the Red Stars, before embarking on her coaching career. After assistant coaching spells with the University of Chicago Women’s team and Red Stars, she decided it was time to make some history. In April, she landed the head coaching gig for UChicago’s men’s team, becoming the second woman to lead a men’s NCAA soccer team.
Stich was dominant during her first year in charge, leading the Maroons to an undefeated season, the top seed in Division III, and the program’s first-ever national title. The team cruised through the season at an unprecedented clip, even winning the championship by multiple scores in a game they controlled throughout.
As she summarized in the post-title scrum, the team embraced her, which helped ease the transition and put a winning product on the field. Being the first woman to lead a men’s soccer team to an NCAA title is a monumental feat and surely will pave the way for more women to get similar opportunities.
Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak (UCF)
There’s a genuine argument that Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak is the most underrated coach in the country. A former World Cup Champion with the United States, Sahaydak has been behind the bench for the UCF Golden Knights for nearly a decade.
Under her tutelage, this has become one of the best mid-major programs in the country, turning out tournament bids and conference player of the year award recipients left and right.
The team started shakily, but eventually, the squad went on an unbeaten streak that spanned nearly two months, including a spotless record in the AAC.
What separates this team the most is in the Round of 32, they gave UCLA a run for its money. Sahaydak put on a coaching masterclass, giving the Bruins all they could handle before they lost to the eventual champions in a penalty shootout.
If any top jobs were to open across the nation, it would be hard to imagine Sahaydak wouldn’t be a prime candidate on many AD’s lists if she decided to leave Orlando.
Jennifer Rockwood (BYU)
A mainstay in the sport, Jennifer Rockwood has been the coach of the BYU Cougars since 1995–before most of the writers at the Girls Soccer Network were born. She has had a winning record for 24 of her 26 seasons, including 20 tournament births over that stretch. That continued this season as the Rockwood road the ship after suffering three non-conferences defeats to go unbeaten the rest of the regular season.
BYU doesn’t play in the ACC or Pac-12, which makes sense why Rockwood or her team don’t attract the national attention they deserve.
This was one of the best teams she’s coached from a talent standpoint, which showed when they enacted revenge on Utah Valley and stunned Stanford on penalty kicks to start their College Cup journey. Then, they squared off against UNC in the Round of 16, and outside of UCLA, no one played a healthy Tarheels team better all season.
The Cougs ultimately lost 3-2 but showed that even in Provo, Utah, they can recruit and play with title favorites on a big stage. That is a testimonial to the job Redwood does annually, and 2022 was one of the best examples yet.
Featured image via @ncaasoccer on Instagram
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