Women's Soccer | 5/19/2017 11:00:00 AM

CHESTER, Pa. (May 19, 2017) – Director of Athletics Jack Shafer has announced Kelly Wakeman as the new head women's soccer coach at Widener University. Wakeman was most recently the head coach at Ursinus College for the past five years.
 
"I am very pleased to announce that Kelly Wakeman will be guiding our women's soccer program," said Shafer. "Throughout this search, our goal was to identify the absolute best candidate to positively impact the women's soccer program as well as our entire department. We accomplished that goal with the hiring of Kelly. Her success as a head coach and experience in recruiting will continue to develop our women's soccer program, and we are looking forward to having her get started."
 
Wakeman guided the Bears to consecutive semifinal appearances in the Centennial Conference Tournament in 2014 and 2015. The program also registered a 21-13-3 record overall, including a 13-5-2 ledger in conference play, during that span and produced 12 all-conference selections over her five years as head coach.

Prior to her arrival at Ursinus, Wakeman was the head women's soccer coach for Montgomery College in Maryland. She led the team to unparalleled success between 2007 and 2011. The program won the 2011 NJCAA Division III National Championship and was nationally ranked during four of her five seasons. Furthermore, the Raptors posted a 72-19-1 record while producing five All-Americans and 17 All-Region selections. In addition, Wakeman was named the National Junior College Region XX Coach of the Year three times, the NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year twice, and the NSCAA National Junior College Division III Coach of the Year in 2011.
 
Wakeman also spent one year as an assistant coach at Muhlenberg College and worked primarily with the goalkeepers. Her other coaching experiences include serving as an assistant at Whitehall High School, Easton Area High School, and Bethlehem Catholic High School as well as with numerous club programs in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
 
"I would like to thank Jack Shafer and the search committee for the incredible honor and opportunity to lead the Widener University women's soccer program," said Wakeman. "Throughout the process, I have been greatly impressed with the campus, athletic facilities, rigorous academic programs, commitment to civic engagement, and most importantly the people – from the athletics staff, to student-athletes, and the faculty. It is clear to me that Widener University equips its students with the knowledge, skill, and judgment so that they can live a life of purpose and be a sound global citizen – and that is a vision that I share."

Wakeman, who was a four-year letterwinner as a goalkeeper on the women's soccer team at Moravian College, graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the institution in 2004 before earning her Master's degree in Education at Edinboro University in 2014. She also holds an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma as well as an NSCAA Level II Regional Goalkeeping Diploma.