Nicole Van Dyke - Women's Soccer Coach - University of Washington Athletics

Nicole Van Dyke

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
nvandyke@uw.edu

Career Highlights
• 2025 Big Ten Coach of the Year
• 2025 United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year
• 2025 Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Champions
• 2018 Ivy League Champions
• 2005 CCAA Coach of the Year
• 2005 CCAA North Division Champions
• 55 All-League selections as a head coach
• Three United Soccer Coaches All-Americans
• Two Scholar All-American
• Two Kegley-McCall awards for highest team GPA at Cal State Bakersfield

Hired on Jan. 4, 2020, Nicole Van Dyke has continued the excellence demonstrated throughout the decades by the Husky program. Not only has Van Dyke kept Washington at the national forefront during her six seasons on Montlake, but she has ushered in a new era for the Huskies, immediately establishing UW as a championship side in the prestigious Big Ten Conference.

A veteran with nearly 20 years of experience as a head coach at the collegiate level, Van Dyke has set her players up for both team accomplishments and individual success, having guided numerous all-conference, all-region and all-American honorees.

Owning a 60-32-27 record during her stint in Seattle, Van Dyke's Huskies have not only built resumes worthy of a postseason bid, but have done damage once there. UW has reached the NCAA Tournament three times under Van Dyke, making runs to the Elite Eight in 2025 and the Sweet 16 in 2020-21. Over the course of 19 seasons as a head coach at Cal State Stanislaus, Cal State Bakersfield, Penn and UW, the Husky gaffer owns a 163-130-62 career record.

Just as importantly, Van Dyke has developed and positioned her players for future success. Van Dyke has guided six former Dawgs to NWSL contracts during her time on Montlake in Olivia Van der Jagt (Seattle Reign), Shae Holmes (Seattle Reign) and Summer Yates (Orlando Pride), Olivia Sekany (Racing Louisville FC), McKenzie Weinert (Seattle Reign) and Kolo Sulifu (Kansas City Current). In the last five years alone, Van Dyke, a former professional player in Scandinavia herself, has seen 15 of her former Huskies move on to professional careers around the world.

Van Dyke's pro Dawgs include Jessika Cowart (Çaykur Rizespor, Spartak Subotica, IFK Kalmar, Perth Glory, Vancouver Rise), Ameera Hussen (ÍBV), Van der Jagt (Seattle Reign FC, Spokane Zephyr FC), Holmes (Seattle Reign FC), Kala McDaniel (Racing Power FC, Stallion Laguna FC), Vanessa Millsaps (C.F. Pachuca), Evelina Pettersson (Trelleborgs FF), Ioanna Papatheodorou (OH Leuven), Sekany (Racing Louisville FC), Shaye Seyffart (S.F. Damaiense), Alice Sondergaard (U.C. Sampdoria, Hellas Verona FC, Bologna FC, Genoa CFC), Kolo Suliafu (Kansas City Current), Cori Sullivan (Cruz Azul, Glasgow City, Lexington SC), McKenzie Weinert (Melbourne Victory, Seattle Reign FC, Spokane Zephyr FC, Lexington SC) and 2024 NWSL Champion Yates (Orlando Pride).

Under Van Dyke's tutelage, Yates became UW's first All-American selection in nearly 20 years, collecting four All-Pac-12 honors along the way. Four years later, Suliafu and Alex Buck became the fifth and sixth Huskies ever to earn All-America recognition and the first teammates ever to do it in the same season. During Van Dyke's six seasons on Montlake, nine Huskies have combined to earn 11 all-conference nods.

Nicole Van Dyke, Mia Hamant, Bree Nichols

Nicole Van Dyke, Mia Hamant, Bree Nichols

After putting the league on notice the season prior, Van Dyke's Huskies proved themselves as the Big Ten's best in 2025, becoming the first team to win the conference's regular season and tournament titles outright since 2013. Washington's Big Ten Regular Season Championship was its first conference title since the 2000 season, going on to claim the 2025 Big Ten Tournament Title before embarking on an NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight for the third time in program history.

Every moment of UW's magical season was accomplished with something bigger in mind, playing in honor of teammate Mia Hamant, who bravely battled Stage 4 kidney cancer for much of the season before coming to rest in November. Celebrating Hamant's fighting spirit, the Dawgs played with orange ribbons in the hair and a specially designed jersey patch throughout the campaign.

Finishing the season with its highest United Soccer Coaches ranking ever at No. 6, as well as No. 5 by TopDawerSoccer.com, Washington did some of its best work against the best competition. The Huskies posted a 6-1-2 record against ranked opponents, defeating multiple top-five ranked sides in the same season for the third time in program history (1993, 2002). Also defeating No. 5 Michigan State in 2024, the Dawgs earned a top-5 win in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever.

Despite being picked to finish ninth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, Washington earned the respect of its league opposition by seasons end. Six Huskies received All-Big Ten honors in Buck, Kelsey Branson, Jadyn Holdenried, Maya Loudd, Anna Menti and Suliafu, while rookie Maylen Montoya received an all-freshman nod to bring UW's honor roll to seven. Van Dyke was the unanimous choice for Big Ten Coach of the Year, also garnering United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year recognition.

Washington finished the historic season with a 15-3-7 overall record, Washington's most wins since 2014. The Huskies' eight conference wins were tied for the most in a season in program history. The success was built behind a historically stingy defense that set a new program record with 12 clean sheets, ranking second in the Big Ten with a 0.66 GAA and holding opponents to six or fewer shots 12 times.

After capping a 10-match unbeaten streak in Big Ten play with a 1-0 win over No. 15 Wisconsin to celebrate the league championship on its home soil, top seed Washington defeated Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals before claiming the rematch with the Badgers in the semifinal round. A few days later, the Huskies made headlines with a penalty kick shutout victory over No. 9 Michigan State, capturing the Big Ten Tournament Title just days after Hamant's passing.

Despite all the success, Washington would have to face most of the postseason on the road after receiving a No. 4 national seed. After defeating Montana in front of one of the largest crowds ever at Husky Soccer Stadium in the opening round, UW headed across the country to Charlottesville, Virginia, taking down No. 4 ranked Arkansas and host Virginia, ranked No. 7 nationally and the region's top seed, to reach the Elite Eight for the third time in program history.

Extending outside of its comfort zone and traveling across the country as a Big Ten newcomer in 2024, Washington defied expectations after being picked to finish 13th in the league during the preseason. What ensued was a 10-7-4 campaign that saw the Huskies defend its home field with a 7-1-2 record, highlighted by a 2-1 upset of No. 5 Michigan State. After the upset, UW was ranked No. 22 by TopDrawerSoccer, while Papatheodorou was named the NCAA National Player of the Week.

Bolstered by one of the stingiest defenses in America, Washington finished tied for fifth on points in the Big Ten table, receiving a First Round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. UW followed with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over No. 17 Iowa to advance to the Big Ten Semifinals and eventually secure the 17th NCAA Tournament bid in program history. Washington went on the road to No. 25 Utah State to begin tournament play and upset the Aggies in another penalty shootout before falling 1-0 to No. 2 Mississippi State in a hard fought Round of 32 battle.

Tying the Washington record for the second time in Van Dyke's Husky career with just 12 goals conceded, UW posted the nation's best save percentage at .893, ranking eighth nationally in goals against average at 0.560. The Huskies were highlighted by a stellar one-two punch between the posts, as junior Mia Hamant ranked third in the NCAA with a .882 save percentage and 18th nationally in GAA at 0.657. Meanwhile, senior Olivia Juarez completed a tremendous UW career, setting program records in GAA for a career (0.89) and single season (0.32).

Replacing a roster that lost 10-of-11 starters from the previous season, Van Dyke led a youthful Husky squad to a 9-5-5 record in 2023, including 4-4-3 in UW's final Pac-12 season. Among the highlights of the season was a 1-1 draw at No. 2 Stanford, the Huskies' first point off the Cardinal since 2004. Washington also claimed the Apple Cup for a second year running, topping Washington State 2-0 in front of the second largest crowd ever at Husky Soccer Stadium. Washington closed the campaign strong, going undefeated over the final seven matches of the season, amassing a 4-0-3 record.

The Huskies put together another solid campaign together during Van Dyke's third year in charge in 2022, posting a 10-6-3 record and protecting their home turf with a 7-1-1 mark at Husky Soccer Stadium. U Dub's offense scored in bunches, bagging 40 goals on the year, UW's most since 2010. The Dawgs reached as high as 15th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll after putting together the program's first-ever undefeated non-conference season. The Huskies also capped the year with a historic victory, going into Pullman and pulling out Washington's first Apple Cup road victory since 1996.

After the campaign, three Huskies were named All-Pac-12 as Summer Yates earned a First Team nod, Shae Holmes landed on the Second Team and Kelsey Branson garnered Pac-12 All-Freshman honors. With their Husky careers wrapped up, the bulk of UW's roster moved onto the next level, with 10 former Huskies turning pro.

In her second season, Van Dyke led the Huskies to a 6-8-4 record but had the Dawgs playing their best when it mattered most. Washington posted a 4-4-3 mark in Pac-12 play, finishing in the top-5 in the league table for the third consecutive season. Following the season, All-Pac-12 star Olivia Van der Jagt became the third Husky ever drafted into the NWSL.

Nicole Van Dyke Team Huddle

Van Dyke's first season at Washington was as memorable as they come, with the Huskies making their sixth Sweet Sixteen appearance and first since 2014. Van Dyke coached a Husky defense that allowed just 12 goals all year, matching the program record set in 2001. The Huskies finished third in the Pac-12 and spent six straight weeks ranked, their longest streak in the rankings since 2004.

Four Huskies earned All-Pac-12 honors, including two First Team honors for Summer Yates and Ameera Hussen. Yates also earned All-American honors, the first Husky to earn an All-American award since 2004. Three Huskies earn all-region honors: only once in program history, 2000, have the Huskies had more all-region awards.

Washington recorded 10 total shutouts, its fourth season with double-digit shutouts and just one shy of the program record. Washington had a five-game shutout streak that stretched into the NCAA Tournament, Washington's second-longest shutout streak ever and the longest since 1991. The Huskies would only trail in five of 18 matches and allowed multiple goals only once. At the end of the season, the Huskies were ranked 15th in the United Soccer Coaches poll, their highest end-of-year ranking in over a decade and their third-highest ever.

Prior to moving to Montlake, Van Dyke spent five seasons at Penn, going 41-24-15 and winning the Ivy League for the fourth time in school history. The Quakers outscored their opposition by 57 goals and finished in the nation’s top 20 in goals against average three times. That included leading the nation in GAA and save percentage in 2018, when Penn recorded 12 shutouts and allowed only five goals all season, a school record. Van Dyke coached the Ivy League’s Defender of the Year that season, as well as three All-Ivy League First Team selections and the only Scholar All-American in the league.

Before leading Penn, Van Dyke spent four seasons at Stanford, three as an assistant coach and one as the associate head coach. During that time, Stanford made three College Cup appearances and won the 2011 national championship. Van Dyke helped Stanford earn eight All-American awards, 26 All-Pac-12 selections, and 42 Pac-12 All-Academic honorees.

Van Dyke coached her alma mater of Cal State Bakersfield for five years, leading the program during its transition from Division II to Division I. Twice in her five seasons there the women’s soccer team earned the Kegley-McCall award for the highest team GPA at the university. The team earned the All-Academic Team Award twice as well.

Van Dyke’s head coaching career began at Cal State Stanislaus, which she took over as a 23-year-old and led for three seasons. Stanislaus went 35-19-7 under Van Dyke, advancing to the CCAA championship game in 2005. Van Dyke earned CCAA Coach of the Year honors that year. In her three seasons, Stanislaus recorded double-digit wins every year and outscored the opposition 102-67 overall.

A native of Palm Desert, California. Van Dyke played college soccer at Cal State Bakersfield, where she also earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees. She holds the career record for points (88), is second all-time in goals (36), and fifth all-time in assists (16) for that program. Van Dyke has played professionally in Sweden for Mallbacken IF and played for the California Gold in the WPSL. She is married to Jason Werner, with whom she has two sons, Rory and Riley.

Coaching History
2020-Present: Washington head coach
2015-2019: Penn head coach
2014: Stanford associate head coach
2011-13: Stanford assistant coach
2006-10: Cal State Bakersfield head coach
2003-05: Cal State Stanislaus head coach
2001-02: Cal State Bakersfield assistant coach