Penn State women’s soccer head coach Erica Dambach announced the addition of Declan Doherty to the program’s staff on Wednesday, June 12, completing the Nittany Lion coaching roster ahead of the team’s 2024 campaign.
Doherty arrives in Happy Valley with a wealth of experience at the professional, collegiate and academy levels, both in the United States and his native Northern Ireland. In the collegiate ranks, Doherty most recently served as a performance analyst for the Louisville women’s soccer program from 2019 to 2023, helping the Cardinals make an NCAA Tournament appearance in his inaugural campaign while leading multiple student-athletes to All-ACC accolades. Doherty played a key role in the development of 2021 ACC Player of the Year and fifth overall NWSL Draft choice Emina Ekic during his time with the Cardinals, marking both the first ACC Player of the Year and NWSL Draft selection in Louisville program history.
During his stint with the Cardinals, Doherty also served as an academy coach and performance analyst with the NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC. From 2021 to 2024, Doherty maintained an Assistant Director of Coaching title, helping develop the next generation of women’s soccer stars as a key contributor to Racing’s academy efforts in Kentucky. He also served as a key contributor to the senior club’s strategy and performance analytics in 2024, working alongside head coach Beverly Yanez’s staff in their inaugural season at the helm in Louisville.
He began his career at Louisville after spending three seasons with the University of Evansville as an assistant coach and graduate assistant. While working with the Purple Aces, Doherty helped guide the team to a 2016 appearance in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship match, in addition to a 2018 appearance in the MVC Semifinals. Prior to his stint at Evansville, Doherty spent one season at the University of Buffalo, helping the men’s program post an 8-7-4 overall record, marking the organization’s first winning season since the 2008 campaign.
Doherty, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, was the head coach of the Ulster University Jordanstown women's team in his native country, leading the squad to a 7-3-1 overall record and a National League championship in 2013. After that, he moved on to an assistant role with the Queens University Belfast men's team, helping the squad post a 19-5-6 record in the process. Doherty, who also played for the Rosario Youth Football Club before pursuing a coaching career, graduated from Ulster Jordanstown in 2013 with a degree in sport and exercise science. Doherty also boasts a pair of Master’s Degrees, including a Master’s in Public Service Administration from the University of Evansville and a Master’s in Sport Administration from the University of Louisville.
Doherty arrives in Happy Valley with a wealth of experience at the professional, collegiate and academy levels, both in the United States and his native Northern Ireland. In the collegiate ranks, Doherty most recently served as a performance analyst for the Louisville women’s soccer program from 2019 to 2023, helping the Cardinals make an NCAA Tournament appearance in his inaugural campaign while leading multiple student-athletes to All-ACC accolades. Doherty played a key role in the development of 2021 ACC Player of the Year and fifth overall NWSL Draft choice Emina Ekic during his time with the Cardinals, marking both the first ACC Player of the Year and NWSL Draft selection in Louisville program history.
During his stint with the Cardinals, Doherty also served as an academy coach and performance analyst with the NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC. From 2021 to 2024, Doherty maintained an Assistant Director of Coaching title, helping develop the next generation of women’s soccer stars as a key contributor to Racing’s academy efforts in Kentucky. He also served as a key contributor to the senior club’s strategy and performance analytics in 2024, working alongside head coach Beverly Yanez’s staff in their inaugural season at the helm in Louisville.
He began his career at Louisville after spending three seasons with the University of Evansville as an assistant coach and graduate assistant. While working with the Purple Aces, Doherty helped guide the team to a 2016 appearance in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship match, in addition to a 2018 appearance in the MVC Semifinals. Prior to his stint at Evansville, Doherty spent one season at the University of Buffalo, helping the men’s program post an 8-7-4 overall record, marking the organization’s first winning season since the 2008 campaign.
Doherty, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, was the head coach of the Ulster University Jordanstown women's team in his native country, leading the squad to a 7-3-1 overall record and a National League championship in 2013. After that, he moved on to an assistant role with the Queens University Belfast men's team, helping the squad post a 19-5-6 record in the process. Doherty, who also played for the Rosario Youth Football Club before pursuing a coaching career, graduated from Ulster Jordanstown in 2013 with a degree in sport and exercise science. Doherty also boasts a pair of Master’s Degrees, including a Master’s in Public Service Administration from the University of Evansville and a Master’s in Sport Administration from the University of Louisville.