Stefanie Golan Named Head Women’s Soccer Coach at University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota Athletic Director Norwood Teague announced on Wednesday that he has named Stefanie Golan to take over from Mikki Denney Wright as the new head coach of the women’s soccer program.

Golan comes to the U of M from the US Military Academy at West Point in NY where she has served 2 years as an assistant coach and the last 3 as head coach. The 33-year-old coach compiled a 33-18-10 overall record as head coach.

“Stefanie is an outstanding coach and I am excited that she has agreed to lead our women’s soccer program,” Teague said. “Stefanie is one of the most respected young coaches in the country and throughout the search process, her vision, passion, work ethic and track record of developing student-athletes clearly set her apart. I am confident she will provide great leadership for our program and build on the successful tradition of Gopher soccer.”

The St. Louis, Missouri born Golan led her team to a 12-4-5 overall record this past season which included a 3-1-3 Conference record. The Black Knights had 15 shutouts, scoring 28 goals and only allowing 10 the entire season.

“I am excited about the opportunity at Minnesota and honored to be selected as the Gophers’ head coach,” said Golan. “Spending time there last week showed me the commitment that the university has to women’s athletics and more specifically toward the women’s soccer program. Everything is in place to be a contender on the national scene and that is something that is really exciting for me and my family to come in and be a part of. It’s difficult to walk away from a great situation here at West Point, but the University of Minnesota is a special opportunity.”

Golan is a 2001 graduate of Duke University where she lettered as a defender for the Blue Devils for all four years. She was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week in 1998 and to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Tournament Team in 2000. The Blue Devils earned bids to the NCAA Tournament three of her four playing years, compiling an overall record of 43-35-5 during her tenure in Durham, N.C. She graduated with a degree in political science with an emphasis on International Relations. Recently she acquired a masters in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University.

Golan has been married since 2004 and the couple have a 6-year-old son.

The new Gophers coach will have her hands full when she takes over with just a few weeks before fall training starts and the summer soccer season winding down to look at possible recruits for next season.