About Me
an abbreviated overview
Curious about learning! Passionate about people & goalkeeping
Coaching was something I fell into. I didn't have a dream job growing up, or occupational direction in college. It is probably fair to say I meandered.
It has however been a nuclear couple of years, and I have more recently learned that I love to teach and guide. So, in retrospect, maybe I didn't fall.
I am energized when I work daily with a small group. Understanding their goals and aspirations, and supporting the athlete on their individual journey is something I find great fulfillment in. I have grown to learn that working alongside an aligned staff is crucial. Being a part of a team of coaches and support staff, who work together to elevate the environment for players and staff alike is equally as energizing. Every day, supporting one another as we think beyond the norm or tradition to create an engaging space to learn and experiment, striving to win.
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On a 2020 November afternoon, I received a text, and a few months later, I was coaching in the NWSL with NJ/NY Gotham FC. I found myself on the field with World Cup Winners, current and future Olympic gold medalists, and a host of incredible professionals with an array of experience. I worked tirelessly to hone my craft - likely making a fool of myself and a host of errors along the way, to bring value to the environment and most importantly, the people in it.
Fast forward 365 days, I moved to LA to help build Angel City from an expansion team into a playoff team. I cannot begin to express how incredible those 2 years were. It was of course challenging, but identifying & recruiting goalkeepers, creating a set-piece identity, and goalkeeping style of play has equipped me with tools I cannot wait to use in my next chapter.
FIND YOURSELF A GREAT MENTOR
I started coaching at my Alma Mata, Milligan College in Tennessee, where I had just got my bachelors in Political Science.
In 2016, I packed up my car, and moved to Nebraska to work in a new role with both men's and women's programs at Concordia, Nebraska. While in the beef state, I worked towards my MBA, graduating in 2018. It was here I fell in love with coaching.
In 2018, I somehow managed to climb aboard the mid-major freight train that was Bowling Green. This was a meteoric few years. We won a bunch, and my bandwidth as to what was possible was stretched. While at Bowling Green, I started my doctorate in educational leadership and administration. It was a course that forever changed the way I approach my role. Surrounded by elite academic professionals - Deans of Colleges, Superintendents of school districts, and future professors - I was challenged to think intentionally about the educational process. How to engage, involve, stimulate and grow those I am charged with developing. ​ - little did I know that the program would go from an idling train to a freight train.
In 2020, off to Ames, and Iowa State. Exposure to the Power 5. Recruiting alongside some of the most storied programs in the country. Somehow managing to land Jordan Silkowitz, a widely sought after transfer - who was subsequently selected 18th in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
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On reflection, I have been really lucky to have been guided by, and work alongside some incredible people. Professionals who have been invested in my development, affording me the time & autonomy to experiment, explore, and find my coaching voice.
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For a profession I seemingly fell into, it is one I have grown to appreciate, and enjoy.