Former Iowa and Iowa State coach and UMSL Hall of Famer Stephanie Gabbert will coach Wash. U. women’s soccer this fall. (Photo courtesy: LinkedIn)
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
Washington University Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics Anthony J. Azama announced Monday morning, the hiring of Stephanie Gabbert as interim head coach of the women’s soccer program.
Gabbert comes to Wash. U. with more than a decade of collegiate coaching experience, including stints at Iowa and Iowa State, along with a stellar playing career at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she is a member of UMSL Sports Hall of Fame.
“We’re excited to welcome a coach with Stephanie’s background to the Wash. U. Department of Athletics & Recreation this fall,” Azama said in a statement release by the athletics program. “During our selection process led by sports program administrator Chris Peacock, Stephanie’s demonstrated commitment to developing student-athletes through the game of soccer was evident, and we are confident her experience as a former collegiate coach, and most recently, in sport leadership, will be transformative for our students.”
Gabbert’s most recent head coaching job was at Smith College in Massachusetts, where she coached from 2009-2011.
Before that, Gabbert coached at Iowa State and was the first ever head coach of the women’s soccer program at the University of Iowa, where she had a successful stint, which included being named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1999.
Additionally, Gabbert was an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin when the Badgers won two Big Ten titles and earned a trip to the NCAA College Cup four times. She was also an assistant coach at Ohio State University, which made it to the NCAA College Cup twice.
Most recently, Gabbert served as a Jeff Janssen Sport Leadership Program Facilitator in the St. Louis area, which provides leadership workshops for high school and college student-athletes and coaches.
Additionally, she is a presenter and speaker at both the national and international level, working with organizations such as the Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summer, the U.S. Youth Soccer Convention, the United Nations IWG – Women and Sport, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Sumposia.
Gabbert holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UMSL, where as a Hall of Famer, she still ranks 19th in all-time career scoring with 17 goals and 16 assists in 58 games played.
Gabbert will take over as Wash. U.’s head coach immediately and will begin preparing the Bears for their first game of the season, which is scheduled for September 1 at Greenville College in Greenville, Ill.
Wash. U.’s first home game of the 2021 season will be September 6, when the Bears will host Webster University at Francis Olympic Field. Opening kick for that game is set for 1 p.m.