University of Minnesota Athletics
Soccer
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- skgolan@umn.edu
- Phone:
- 612-624-4331
The 2020 season will mark Stefanie Golan’s ninth year at the helm of the Golden Gopher women’s soccer team. During her time as head coach, there has been consistent growth including an incredible 2018 season.
Golan led the Gophers to the 2018 Big Ten Tournament Title by running through the tournament without allowing a single goal after entering as the seventh-seed. With qualification secured for the NCAA Tournament, Minnesota upset Auburn 2-0 in the first round before falling to the UCLA Bruins in the second round of play.
In 2017, Golan reached 100 career victories in her young coaching career that has spanned just nine seasons. The Gophers finished in at least second place in the Big Ten for the second straight season with an 11-5-3 record. Golan helped Minnesota finish with three All-Big Ten players, which included Sydney Squires on the First Team. Golan led the Gophers to a second straight season of at least seven conference victories.
Golan was named the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Minnesota to a 16-3-4 record, and winning both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles for the first time in program history. Minnesota made its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, qualifying as a No. 4 seed. The team also reached its highest national ranking in program history at No. 8, and finished the year in the top-15. The team also boasted the Big Ten Forward of the Year (Simone Kolander) and Big Ten Defender of the Year (Rashida Beal). Beal was also an All-American and drafted by FC Kansas City.
In 2015, Golan lead the team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, with an overall record of 12-7-3. The program was ranked as high as No. 11 in the regular season. Simone Kolander was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year.
The Gophers posted a winning record, both overall and in the conference, as the team advanced to the 2014 Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
In 2013, the Golden Gophers earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, only the program's third appearance since 1999. The Golden Gophers earned two signature wins in their 11-8-2 season with upsets over then-No. 13 Michigan and No. 7 Penn State. It was only the fourth time in the history of the program that Minnesota beat Penn State, its first victory over the Nittany Lions since 2007. The team once again earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award with ten student-athletes named Academic All Big Ten. In addition, Freshman Tarah Hobbs earned a pair of invites to the U20 Women's National Team Training Camps after a season where she was honored with NSCAA Second Team All-Great Lakes, 2013 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Junior captain Katie Thyken was honored as an NSCAA Scholar All-American and NSCAA Second Team All-Great Lakes. Freshman Josee Stiever was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Golan arrived in Minneapolis two weeks before preseason started in 2012 and led the Golden Gophers to a fourth place finish in the Big Ten and 11-7-2 overall record. The 2012 team was awarded the NSCAA Team Academic Award and twelve student-athletes were named Academic All-Big Ten. Sophomore Taylor Uhl was named to the First Team All-Great Lakes, First Team All-Big Ten and Third Team All America teams during Golan's first season. Freshman Haley Helverson was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team while senior Allie Phillips earned Academic All-America honors, the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship and was joined by sophomore Katie Thyken on the Academic All-District Team.
BEFORE MINNESOTA
Prior to Minnesota, Coach Golan spent five and a half years at the United States Military Academy. She led the program to a 33-18-10 record in her three years as a head coach and second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in her final season in 2011. Two student-athletes were named to the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Team while sophomore Molly McGuigan was named Patriot League Defender of the Year for the second season. Six student-athletes received All Patriot League honors and seven student-athletes received Patriot League Academic Honors.
In 2010, Golan received Patriot League Coach of the Year honors after going undefeated in the Patriot League and sharing the regular season title. The team led the nation in three defensive categories, two student-athletes were named to the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic All Region Team, eight student-athletes received Patriot League Academic honors, freshman Molly McGuigan was named Patriot League Defender of the Year and freshman Kim An was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
In 2009, six Army student-athletes earned Patriot League Academic honors while senior Liz Betterbed graduated ranked No. 1 in the class as a First Team Academic All-American and Rhodes Scholar. Golan joined the Army program as an Associate Head Coach for the 2007 and 2008 seasons where she worked with head coach Gene Ventriglia, who spent 24 years on the sidelines for the Black Knights, and together they guided the 2008 team to the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Golan also had stops as an assistant coach at PITT and the University of Evansville. Coach Golan started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Mercer University.
Golan is an NSCAA member and the Chair of the NSCAA Great Lakes Region for the All-America Committee. She attended the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy in 2009.
Golan received her BA in Political Science from Duke University in 2001 where she was a scholarship soccer player (Stefanie Kraay). She received her Master's in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University in 2012.
Golan currently lives in Woodbury, Minn. with her two sons, Travis and Max, and their two dogs, Sarge and Captain.
