5 Biggest Coaching Changes in College Soccer
There is so much good soccer to watch between college and professional soccer! With an overabundance of great teams to keep track of, you may find yourself missing out on a few things. Check out Forza Football to update yourself on your favorite teams’ latest scores and news.
There is enough news to follow with players constantly being traded and sent out on loan, and let’s not bring up draft season! Beyond news about the players, changes among coaches are important to follow, especially regarding how your favorite team will be impacted.
While some coaches stay in the same place for a long time, it’s common to see movement between seasons. For example, more women are taking head coaching roles for D1 schools, and plenty of big-name, experienced coaches have switched schools in the last season alone. If you’re behind on the latest, here are five of the biggest coaching changes in college soccer ahead of the 2022 season.
Baylor University – Michelle Lenard
After 14 years as head coach of Dallas Baptist University, Michelle Lenard took over as head coach of the Baylor University women’s soccer team. During her time at DBU, she led the team to 13 conference championships, six of which were conference tournament championships and seven regular-season titles. Over the last three seasons, her team has only had six total losses. So it’s easy to see why Lenard has been named Conference Coach of the Year four times.
What a day in Waco! We're so happy you're here, @MichelleLenard1!💚🤩#SicEm🐻⚽️ #FaithFamilyFutbol pic.twitter.com/IU7ZZkmWhV
— Baylor Soccer (@BaylorFutbol) December 13, 2021
UCLA – Margueritte Aozasa
Margueritte Aozasa took over as head coach from Amanda Cromwell after her departure to coach the Orlando Pride. Aozasa was previously the head coach for UCLA’s rival Stanford women’s soccer. She led the Cardinal to two national championships and five Pac 12 titles, among multiple other accomplishments. After taking over at UCLA, Aozasa is now just one of five Asian American women who are head coaches of an NCAA women’s soccer team!
As #AAPIHeritageMonth comes to a close, we want to recognize our head coach Margueritte Aozasa! @margaozasa is one of five Asian American women currently serving as a head coach in NCAA Soccer.#GoBruins | #AAPIHM pic.twitter.com/HQxbSzB5Qh
— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) May 31, 2022
USC – Jane Alukonis
While UCLA gained a new head coach, former assistant coach Jane Alukonis moved over to be the head of the USC women’s team. She helped lead UCLA to win back-to-back Pac 12 Championships in the last two years. Alukonis, who played for the U.S. U-16 and U-17 Youth National Teams, coached for several youth clubs before coaching collegiately. If her track record from her time at UCLA is any indication, the number 18 ranked USC is in good hands.
🚨 Welcome to the Trojan Family, Jane Alukonis! 🚨
A new era in Trojan Women's Soccer begins as USC has hired the former UCLA assistant to lead the program! 🙌⚽️✌️https://t.co/vBrfyW7aM3
— USC Women's Soccer (@USC_WSoccer) January 20, 2022
University of Florida – Samantha Bohon
Samantha Bohon is beginning her first season as head coach of the University of Florida this fall. She was previously head coach of the D2 Embry-Riddle women’s soccer team for 15 seasons. The team found great success and also underwent the transition from NAIA to NCAA II under her leadership. In addition, Bohon played for the U.S. U-21 and Senior National teams, bringing that experience into her coaching. Earlier this year, Florida released their former head coach after only one season, so Bohon brings a fresh start and many opportunities for achievement.
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Florida State – Brian Pensky
Brian Pensky has taken charge of the Florida State University women’s soccer team, currently ranked number one in the nation. The 2021 SEC Coach of the Year was formerly head coach of the number 11 ranked University of Tennessee for ten years. Pensky has big shoes to fill, taking over from five-time ACC Coach of the Year Mark Krikorian, who was the head coach for the last 17 years. Tennessee went to its second consecutive SEC Eastern Division championship last year, so it’s exciting to see how Florida State will do under new leadership.
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Between these coaching changes and the latest NCAA player transfers, we can’t wait for all the excitement this college season will bring!
Featured image via @BaylorFutbol on Twitter
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