Ryane Clawson

Freeman just finished his thirteenth season overall with the Fighting Illini and sixth as the soccer programs Associate Head Coach in 2023.  In 2019 Freeman was also named the program's recruiting coordinator.  Illinois has reached at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament in three of the years he has been on staff, highlighted by a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2013. Freeman helped to coach standout Vanessa DiBernardo earn a pair of All-America honors and saw Jannelle Flaws lead the country and break the school record for goals scored. The Illini have turned in two of the top four single-season goal totals in school history during Freemans tenure in Champaign. The Orange and Blue netted 54 goals in 2013 and 53 goals in 2011, which rank third and fourth, respectively, on the all-time list. UI boasts an overall record of 71-23-9 over the past six seasons with four NCAA Tournament appearances, a Big Ten Tournament title in 2011 and a Big Ten Tournament runner-up finish in 2012. In 2014, Illinois finished with a 10-8-2 record on the season. With Freemans assistance, Illini redshirt senior Jannelle Flaws was named Disney Soccer/NSCAA National Player of the Week, the first Illini to ever earn the recognition. Flaws continued on to be named the unanimous Big Ten Forward of the year for the second-straight season. She led the Big Ten and tied for 12th in the NCAA with 17 goals, also being tabbed a third-team NSCAA All-American. In 2013, Freeman helped guide the Illini to their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in school history, as they finished 11-9-3 overall. He coached Big Ten Forward of the Year Jannelle Flaws to a school-record 23 goals, which was tied for the most in the NCAA. Vanessa DiBernardo, who became Illinois highest drafted player in school history following the season, completed her decorated career No. 3 on the all-time list with 43 goals, with Freeman coaching her during three of four seasons. In 2012, Freeman served as the interim head coach for the non-conference portion of the schedule while Rayfield was coaching with U.S. Soccers U-20 National Team at the World Cup. Freeman helped coach the Illini to the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the second round after knocking off neighbor-state rival Missouri. Freeman also helped guide the Illini to their fifth Big Ten Tournament title game. In addition, Freeman took the reigns of the Illini program for the first seven games of the season against one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Illinois finished 10-9-4 on the year. In 2011, Freeman was integral in the process of implementing the formation changes that led the Orange and Blue to a 17-5-2 overall record, the most wins in a single season in school history and a Big Ten Tournament title victory over No. 11 Penn State. Freeman worked with both the offensive and defensive units throughout the season, also serving as a key contributor to the Illinois recruiting efforts while performing additional administrative and travel-related duties. Freeman brought a wealth of experience and tactical expertise to Champaign, Illinois, after serving as a member of the University of Miami (Fla.) womens soccer staff from 2004-10, including the final three years as the associate head coach. He played a prominent role in Miami earning conference and national recognition with top-25 rankings and back-to-back appearances in the 2007-08 NCAA Tournaments. Freeman joined the Hurricanes staff after serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Missouri State, for four years. The Bears goalkeeping units earned Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Defensive Player of the Year and conference tournament MVP honors in addition to weekly MVC defensive accolades under Freemans tutelage, while Missouri State won the MVC crown and earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance with Freemans guidance. As a student-athlete at Missouri State, Freeman earned academic all-conference recognition as a goalkeeper with the Bears and was a member of the 1997 squad that made the programs first NCAA Tournament appearance after earning a top-10 national ranking and the MVC regular season title. Freeman, who earned a bachelors and masters in education from Missouri State, is accredited as a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) `A Licensed Coach and holds a NSCAA Advanced National Diploma. He has served as a clinician at the USC (NSCAA) Conventions from 2014-2019.

Dirk Bennett was hired as the seventh head coach in Eastern Illinois women's soccer history on Feb. 10, 2023.  Bennett, a two-time EIU graduate, previously served as the Panthers assistant women's soccer coach since July of 2019.    [Dirk Bennett Hire Release](https://eiupanthers.com/news/2023/2/10/bennett-hired-as-eiu-womens-soccer-head-coach.aspx) Eastern Illinois  * Hired as seventh head coach in program history on Feb. 10, 2023 * Hired as assistant women's soccer coach in July of 2019 * Coached sixth season on EIU women's soccer staff in 2022-23 * Served as a volunteer assistant coach for EIU women's soccer from 2016-18 * Helped coach team to a 0.81 Goals Against Average in 2022, third best single season mark in school history * Helped coach team to a school record four shutouts to open the season in 2022 * Helped coach team to a school record eight ties in 2022 which ranked in the top five in the NCAA * Helped coach EIU women's program to third place finish in OVC in 2018 & OVC Tournament semifinal appearance * Helped coach women's program to second straight OVC Tournament appearance in 2019 * Helped coach three All-Ohio Valley Conference selections (first team Sara Teteak) * Helped coach OVC Defensive Player of the Year Sara Teteak in 2019 * Helped coach eight second team All-OVC selections  * Helped coach EIU to OVC Tournament appearances in 2018, 2019 and 2021 * Volunteer assistant coach for men's soccer program from 2015-18 * Helped coach men's team to three straight Summit League Tournament appearances * Helped coach men's team to 2-2-1 Summit League record in 2017, first .500 or better conference mark since 2000  * Helped coach men's team to Regional ranking during 2017 season * Helped coach Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year, Mke Novotny in 2018 * Helped coach two first team All-Summit League performers (Mike Novotny & Edgar Mesa) * Helped coach two second team All-Summit League performers * Helped coach seven All-Summit League Newcomer Team selections * Helped coach four Summit League All-Tournament selections Prior to Eastern Illinois  * Athletic Supervisor for City of Charleston * Executive Director of Eastern Illinois FC Personal * Bachelor's Degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2010 * Masters Degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2012 * USSF "C" License * NSCAA Premier Diploma * NSCAA Goalkeeping Level I * NSCAA LGBT Diversity & Inclusion Diploma * Board Member Central Illinois Youth Soccer League * Inspire! UK "Top 10 Coaches Under 30" London Conference Invitee in 2014 * NCCAA Bob Seddon Fund Scholarship

I am the assistant coach at DePauw University. DePauw is a smaller D3 private school located in Greencastle, IN. It is a about 45 minutes east of Indianapolis. I have been the assistant at DePauw for 2 years and graduated from DePauw in 2020.

Jennifer Myhre completed her seventh season as the Ravens women's soccer coach in 2017. Over the past years, Myhre has grown the team and their impact on and off the field. In 2017 the team made the conference tournament for the first time in 15 years, set the record for the fewest goals against and had the best record since 2010. In recognition, Myhre was name the HCAC Coach of the Year. Off the field, she has fostered a close-knit family, where the team serves one another and strives to be champions in all areas of life. The team has consistently received the NSCAA Team Academic Award, with numerous players on the HCAC All-Academic Team.   Previously, Myhre spent two years as the assistant womens soccer coach at Carnegie Mellon University. She also served at Luther College as an assistant womens soccer coach and special assistant to the athletic director through the NCAA Division III Ethnic Minority and Womens Internship Grant program. Outside the college game, Myhre was an assistant coach at Northern York (PA) High School, involved with PA West ODP, Hoosier FC and Region 1 ODP Camp. Myhre graduated from Messiah College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sports and exercise science, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. She then received her masters degree in Education through the Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership program at the University of Washington. During her four years playing at Messiah, the Falcons captured the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2005, were semifinalists in 2004 and 2006 and tournament finalists in 2007. As a student-athlete, Myhre was elected president of the Messiah Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as well as the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation. Myhre has obtained the NSCAA Premier Diploma and has a USSF C coaching license. She is a graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy, NACWAA HERS program and was selected as one of the 2015 recipients of the NSCAA 30-Under-30 program. Myhre currently serves as an Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator. She oversees the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is the advisor for Andersons Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Shaun Soderling joined the Kansas soccer staff in January 2024. Soderling most recently served as the head coach of the womens soccer program at NAIA Brescia University in Owensboro, Kentucky from 2020-23. Prior to Brescia, Soderling worked at Division II Alderson Broaddus University as the recruiting coordinator for the mens team and a scout for the womens team from 2014-20. In addition to coaching, Soderling was the director of operations for the mens soccer team at Evansville from Jan. 2013 to July 2014. He operated the teams networking efforts, coordinated community service opportunities for elementary schools in the area, and assisted in the daily operation of team activities. Before becoming a coach at the collegiate level, Soderling worked at three high schools, including Vincennes Lincoln High School (Ind.), Henderson County High School (Ky.) and North Knox High School (Ind.). In addition to coaching at the collegiate and high school levels, Soderling has 20 years of coaching at the club level that dates back to 2003. He most recently coached with Racing Louisville's Youth Academy.

Sohaila Akhavein enters her first season at the helm of the IU Kokomo women's soccer program in 2021. Akhavein is the second head coach in program history. Akhavein comes to IU Kokomo after four years as the head coach at Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois. In her time at Blackburn, Akhavein has produced four all conference players in one of the toughest NCAA DIII conferences in the country.  Prior to Blackburn, Akhavein spent time with the Oshkosh United Soccer Club in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.    Akhavein spent three years at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin. In 2013, Akhavein helped lead the Redhawks to a then, program-best, 10-7-1 record as an assistant coach.  A 2011 graduate of Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Akhavein has also spent time coaching the Oshkosh Youth Soccer Club as well as the Sports Coordinator at the YMCA in Oshkosh.