Jan. 9, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State bench boss Erica Walsh has been tapped by U.S. Women's National Team head coach Pia Sundhage as a part time assistant with the U.S. team and will head to China this week for the Four Nations Tournament in Foshan. Former U.S Under-17 head coach Walsh has been active among the coaching ranks both at the Division I level as well as with the Youth National Team program for nearly a decade including a stint an assistant for the USA at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Cup in Thailand.
"I'm thrilled to work with our Women's National Team during this crucial time as it prepares to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in China," said Walsh from California before the team's departure on Tuesday. "I'm looking forward to working with the best players in our country alongside such a talented leader and tactician as Pia Sundhage. I am confident that our Penn State program will be in very capable hands while I am away as both Michael Coll and Ann Cook have head coaching experience at the Division I level. This is a win-win situation for the professional development I will gain as well as the experience I will bring back to the Penn State program."
In her first year as Penn State's head coach, Walsh led the squad to its 10th consecutive Big Ten title and its 13th straight NCAA appearances. With an 18-4-2 record, the Nittany Lions earned a No. 1 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament and went all the way to the third round, finishing with an NSCAA rank of No. 12 nationally.
Walsh began her tenure at Penn State in February of 2007 after serving a year as head coach of the Harvard program. Prior to her time with the Crimson, she was part of a Florida State staff that led the Seminoles to its most successful year to date. FSU joined Penn State in the 2005 Women's Soccer College Cup, with both programs reaching the national semifinals. Walsh's coaching path began in 1997 as a graduate assistant with Bucknell University. In 1998, she accepted a position at Dartmouth where she was an assistant coach for two seasons. After helping the team to a final NSCAA ranking of No. 8 at the conclusion of the team's 1998 NCAA quarterfinal run as well as an Ivy League championship in 1999, Walsh assumed the head coaching duties before the 2000 season.
As head coach, Walsh led the Big Green to back-to-back Ivy League co-championships in 2000 and 2001. Her squad was ranked in the NSCAA's top 25 each year, rising as high as No. 13 in 2001. In her three seasons as head coach, Dartmouth was invited to the NCAA Tournament each season and reached the round of 16 twice. All three of her teams earned the NSCAA's Academic Team Award. Walsh left Dartmouth to earn her MBA in Business Administration at Lehigh University where she served as a graduate assistant from 2003-04.
Beginning in the spring of 2004, Walsh joined the United States Under-19 team as an assistant coach where she helped with preparations for the Under-19 World Cup. The U.S. finished with the bronze medal in Thailand after defeating Brazil in the third place match. Current Nittany Lion Sheree Gray (Toms River, N.J.) was part of the U-19 squad that year. After the World Cup, Walsh was appointed the U.S. National Team's U-17 head coach.
As a player, Walsh was an NSCAA all-region selection at William & Mary. A two-time first team All-CAA pick, she propelled her team to four NCAA Tournament appearances as well as two CAA regular season and two CAA league championships. A high school All-American at Lower Moreland, she was also a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team. She earned her bachelor of science degree with a concentration in biology from William & Mary in 1997.
WALSH'S COLLEGE COACHING EXPERIENCE
Penn State University Head Women's Soccer Coach (2007-pres.), 18-4-2 (9-1 Big Ten)
Harvard University Head Women's Soccer Coach (2006), 3-13-1 (2-5-0 Ivy League)
Florida State University Assistant Women's Soccer Coach (2005-06)
Lehigh University Graduate Assistant Women's Soccer Coach (2003-04)
Dartmouth University Head Women's Soccer Coach (2000-02), 37-15-2 (16-4-1 Ivy League)
Dartmouth University Assistant Women's Soccer Coach (1998-99)
Bucknell University Graduate Assistant Coach (1997)
Career Record as a Head Coach: 58-32-5 (18-9-1 Ivy League, 9-1 Big Ten)
WALSH'S UNITED STATES YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM COACHING EXPERIENCE
U.S. Women's National Team Assistant Coach, January 2008
U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team Head Coach, December 2004-Feb. 2007
U.S. Under-19 Women's National Team Assistant Coach, March-December 2004
--NITTANY LIONS--