University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Michigan Midwest

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Jennifer Klein

Jennifer Klein enters her sixth season at the helm of the of the University of Michigan women's soccer program. Klein was announced as the third head coach in women's soccer program history on February 28, 2018.

The Wolverines scrapped their way to a 7-8-3 overall record in 2022, The season began with a 5-2-1 start, but a 2-6-2 Big Ten record did not result in a postseason berth. Graduate student Meredith Haakenson was named All-Big Ten Third Team at the conclusion of the season.

The 2021 season proved to be one of the best in program history. U-M won its first Big Ten Tournament title since 1999, and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals before falling in overtime to eventual national champion Florida State. Michigan concluded the season with a record of 18-4-3, tying the school record for wins in a season, and went 12-1-1 at home to match the best home record in school history. U-M finished the season ranked No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Six Wolverines earned All-Big Ten honors, while five were named to the United Soccer Coaches all-region team. Senior Alia Martin was named a MAC Hermann Semifinalist, and became the second first-team All-America honoree and third in program history.

In year three, Klein led U-M to a 5-3-3 Big Ten-only record in the COVID-19 shortened season. Even through the difficult season, Klein was instrumental in the development of Jayde Riviere, who earned a gold medal for Team Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. U-M also had six players named to the All-Big Ten teams (most since 2012). Three players earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region plaudits in Nicki Hernandez, Alia Martin and Sarah Stratigakis.

In just her second season with the Wolverines, Klein capped off one of the best seasons in recent history as she led the team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2016 season and also making its first appearance in the Big Ten Tournament final for the first time since 2005. U-M's 17 wins in the 2019 campaign tied for the third-most in program history, while the Wolverines earned their first ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Poll since the 2017 campaign.

Michigan tied for second in the Big Ten Conference and earned the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, while defeating four ranked opponents in 2019. Furthermore, Michigan had 46 goals, which ranks fourth in program history and its 47 assists ranked fifth in the history of the program.

Individually, Klein helped Sarah Stratigakis become the first-ever Big Ten Midfielder of the Year in Michigan history in 2019, while also helping her to United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America accolades. The Wolverines had a record eight student-athletes honored by the Big Ten Conference in 2019 and four players garnered all-region honors.

Klein led Michigan back to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since the 2016 season in her first season at the help of the U-M program in 2018. Michigan started the season going 4-0 at U-M Soccer Stadium and notched one win over a ranked opponent, shutting out No. 17 Wisconsin 2-0 at home. U-M had three Wolverines earn United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors, while three garnered Big Ten honors in the 2018 campaign.

Klein also helped Reilly Martin finish out her career as one of only four players to score over 20 goals and notch 20-or-more assists as a Wolverine and earn All-District Second Team honors.

Off the field, 13 Wolverines were recognized as Academic All-Big Ten honorees, while four were Big Ten Distinguished Scholars.

At USC, Klein oversaw recruiting for a program that won the 2016 national championship. That season, the Trojans lost their first two games before an extraordinary run that saw them finish 19-4-2 and 8-2-1 in the challenging Pac-12 Conference. In her four seasons, Klein helped USC to a cumulative 71-19-9 record overall and a 31-11-2 mark in conference play.

Prior to her time at USC, Klein spent two seasons as an assistant at Washington State, where the program twice advanced to the NCAA Tournament and produced the 2014 Pac-12 Player of the Year in Michaela Castain. In 2013, the Cougars tied the program records for victories with a 14-3-4 mark, as the team and players set or tied 27 school records including allowing just 11 goals.

Prior to her time in Pullman, Klein spent five seasons at UNLV including her final two as the program's head coach as she guided the Rebels to a 19-18-4 record. At the time she was named head coach prior to the 2010 campaign, Klein was the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I women's soccer. In Klein's first year as head coach, the Rebels improved their win total from the previous season from five to 11 and set a program record with 38 goals scored.

Klein's collegiate coaching career began as a volunteer assistant at the University of Arizona, her alma mater, during the 2006 season.

In addition to her work at the collegiate level, Klein is also an assistant coach with the U.S. Soccer U19 women's national team. Klein also worked for four years as a coach with U.S. Soccer's LA Market Training Center, part of a national platform designed to improve player identification, player development, and coach development for the national team.

Klein boasts experience with the youth soccer ranks, having coached club teams and regional Olympic Development Program teams during her tenures at UNLV and Arizona. She received her National "A" License in the summer of 2011.

Klein graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in May of 2006. She earned her master's degree in athletic administration at UNLV in May of 2011.

At Arizona, Klein was a four-year letterwinner from 2002-05 and was a two-time team captain. She was part of the school's first Pac-10 championship team in 2004 and was a starter on the 2005 squad that advanced to the third round of the NCAA Championship. Klein appeared in 78 career games, starting 60 contests at midfield and outside back. She was also a member of the Arizona Heatwave in the semi-professional W-League from 2003-05.

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Sammy Boateng

Sammy Boateng was named as the program's newest assistant coach June 1, 2022. He joins the fold after serving as the head coach at Western Michigan University for the past three seasons.

During his time in Kalamazoo, he compiled a 20-24-3 mark, highlighted by a 6-2-2 mark during the COVID shortened 2019 season.

During the fall of 2019, Boateng led WMU to a third-place finish in the Mid-American Conference and home field advantage during the MAC Tournament after posting a 6-4-1 league record. In addition, he navigated the team through a challenging non-conference schedule, including games against Iowa, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, and No. 18 Kansas.

Boateng guided junior midfielder Bailey Korhorn and senior defender Savanna Bosworth to Second Team All-MAC accolades. At the same time, Otteson also pulled in regional honors, earning United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Midwest Region accolades.

He had ten student-athletes earn Academic All-MAC honors. Senior midfielder Lydia Bajema was also a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District selection, while Korhorn and Otteson were named MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes.

Before his time at Western Michigan, Boateng spent the 2018 season at Boston College as an assistant coach and was elevated to interim head coach for the latter part of the campaign. He was then promoted to the interim head coach title. He helped the Eagles to a fourth place finish in the ACC and the program's first trip to the league tournament since 2015 while coaching the 2018 ACC Midfielder of the Year, Samantha Coffey.

After a successful playing career at Marshall University, he coached at his alma mater for a season before joining New Hampshire's women's soccer staff as an assistant coach from 2015-to-18. During his time at UNH, he helped the team to a regular season title in 2017, was part of the America East Coaching Staff of the Year, and coached the conference's Striker of the Year, Brooke Murphy, in 2015-16.

Boateng holds a degree in biology and a master's in healthcare administration, both from Marshall. He left the Thundering Herd ranking third all-time in assists as a player.

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Chaka Daley

Chaka Daley enters his 12th year as the head coach for the University of Michigan men's soccer program. Daley is 90-80-34 during his 11-year run in Ann Arbor. He was named the second head coach in program history on Dec. 23, 2011.

AT MICHIGAN

Daley has engineered a massive turnaround the last five years, leading Michigan to a record of 53-37-19 with one Big Ten title (2017), two trips to the Big Ten Tournament final and three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 2017-2019 -- a program first. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2017.

Returning to a normal schedule following the Covid-19 pandemic shortened season, the Wolverines went 8-7-3 overall in the fall of 2021 and finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan ranked second in the B1G and No. 12 nationally in its strength of schedule in 2021 and played eight matches against Top 25 RPI opponents. Daley led the Wolverines to a 2-1 road win at No. 13 Indiana and finished the season 6-3-2 at U-M Soccer Stadium.

The Wolverines went 11-5-6 in 2019, the third consecutive year with at least 10 victories. They finished third in the Big Ten (4-1-3), reached the Big Ten Tournament final for the second consecutive year (lost in a shootout to Indiana) and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Wolverines conquered their regional rivals, reclaiming the Big Bear Trophy from Michigan State for the first time since 2015, in addition to road wins over Ohio State and Notre Dame. It was arguably the best defensive unit in program history, conceding only 18 goals in 22 matches (tying the school record from the previous year) and securing 11 shutouts, a new school record for a single season. Andrew Verdi was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year (despite missing the final seven matches due to injury), while graduate transfer Nebojsa Popovic was Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in both goals (10) and points (24). Six players earned All-Big Ten honors: Verdi (1st), Popovic (1st), midfielder Jack Hallahan (1st), defender Jackson Ragen (1st), midfielder Marc Ybarra (2nd) and forward Derick Broche (Freshman).

U-M built off its Big Ten championship run in 2018, winning 12 matches for the second consecutive year (12-5-4). The Wolverines finished tied for third in the Big Ten (4-2-2, 14 points), made a run to the Big Ten Tournament final and were a part of two thrilling PK shootouts in the NCAA Tournament, toppling Princeton in 14 rounds on a snow-covered pitch at U-M Soccer Stadium before bowing out in 12 rounds to Notre Dame in the second round. Despite injuries throughout the season to several key contributors, U-M was plus-18 in goal differential, aided by a record-setting defense that allowed the fewest goals in a season in school history (18 in 21 matches). Jack Hallahan was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, while Robbie Mertz (1st), Umar Farouk Osman (2nd) and Marcello Borges (2nd) also earned All-Big Ten honors.

The program's turnaround began in 2017, as Daley was named Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Michigan to its first Big Ten title and its first NCAA Tournament in five years. The Wolverines won eight more matches than the previous year, making strides both offensively (scored 10 more goals) and defensively (conceded five fewer goals). They secured a crucial early-season 1-1 draw against then-No. 1 Indiana, shut out rival Ohio State and clinched the Big Ten title by beating No. 9 Maryland, 2-1, in double overtime on the final day of the season -- all away from U-M Soccer Stadium. Hallahan, Francis Atuahene, Mertz and Borges received All-Big Ten honors, while Mohammed Zakyi, Marc Ybarra and Osman each made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Atuahene went on to be selected fourth overall by FC Dallas in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.

The Wolverines went 8-6-4 (3-3-2 in the Big Ten) in 2015 behind a stellar defense, conceding just over one goal per contest. Atuahene was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was an All-Big Ten (first team) selection after leading the team in goals (10) and points (25). The Wolverines successfully defended the Big Bear Trophy with a win over Michigan State in Ann Arbor, marking the first time in school history the Wolverines have won the trophy in back-to-back campaigns.

The 2014 season saw the Wolverines defeat No. 6 Notre Dame at home, and reclaimed the Big Bear Trophy with a 3-2 win at Michigan State, marking the first time U-M won in East Lansing since 2003. Colin McAtee and Tyler Arnone earned All-Big Ten (second team) honors. Arnone became only the fourth player in U-M history to accomplish the feat. Additionally, freshman Billy Stevens and Ahinga Selemani were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman squad.

Prior to the 2014 campaign, Daley welcomed the best recruiting class in program history to Ann Arbor, and was ranked as the consensus No. 2 class in the nation.

The 2013 season brought an 8-7-3 mark in his second season at the helm, with the marquee win of the season coming against No. 17 Creighton at U-M Soccer Stadium. Individually, Daley guided Arnone to the first-ever Big Ten Midfielder of the Year honor, as well as All-Big Ten First Team. Two members of his first full recruiting class, Rylee Woods and Lars Eckenrode, earned spots on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team

In year one as the head man for the Wolverines, Daley guided the Wolverines to a berth in the Big Ten Championship game, defeated Niagara 3-1 in an NCAA Tournament home match, and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history. The Wolverines finished No. 21 in the NCAA RPI on the heels of playing the fourth toughest schedule in the nation. U-M defeated the eventual NCAA champion Indiana by a 2-1 count on Oct. 19 in its signature win of the season.

PRE-MICHIGAN

Prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, Daley spent the previous 12 seasons as head coach at Providence, his alma mater. Daley was a four-year letterwinner and graduated in 1996, playing in 69 matches as a defender.

In 2011, the year before Daley left for Michigan, Providence went 11-8-1 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In his final seven seasons, he guided the Friars to a 72-47-21 mark and five NCAA Tournament appearances. Providence hosted NCAA Tournament match-ups during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns.

On Nov. 29, 2011, Daley was inducted into the New England Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2005, Daley was named NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I New England Coach of the Year and was one of eight candidates for NSCAA National Coach of the Year.

Daley was also a member of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Committee for four seasons (2003-06). Daley was also the regional advisory committee chairperson for New England and was part of the 10-member selection committee for the men's tournament during that time.

Daley was affiliated with the U.S. Soccer Academy, serving as the head coach for the U16 FC Greater Boston Bolts (1998 to 2011). He also spent two seasons with the U17 & U18 Olympic Development Program in Rhode Island. Additionally, he holds a USSF "A" Coaching License and earned an MBA from Providence in 2005.

PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

In his eight years, Daley has seen eight of his players get selected in the MLS SuperDraft: Jack Hallahan (LAFC; No. 50 in 2020), Andrew Verdi (D.C. United; No. 65 in 2020), Marcello Borges (Colorado; No. 28 in 2019), Robbie Mertz (Colorado, No. 76 in 2019), Francis Atuahene (FC Dallas; No. 4 in 2018), Lars Eckenrode (Toronto FC; No. 83 in 2017), Fabio Pereira (Sounders FC; No. 77 in 2014) and Kofi Opare (LA Galaxy; No. 24 in 2013). Other players reaching the professional ranks include Adam Grinwis (MLS: Orlando City SC), Evan Louro (MLS: New York Red Bulls), Luke Coulson (England: Bromley FC), Billy Stevens (NPSL: New York Cosmos), Ivo Cerda (USL: Lansing Ignite), Daniel Mukuna (USL: Des Moines Menace), Marcos Ugarte (USL: Birmingham Legion) and Abdou Samake (Canadian Premier League: Pacific FC).

Four of Daley’s former players at Providence played signed professional contracts, including Chris Konopka (Sporting KC), Tim Murray (New England Revolution), Andrew Sousa (New England Revolution) and midfielder Ryan Maduro (New York Red Bulls).

PERSONAL

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Daley pursued a professional career following his graduation from Providence. He played for the United Soccer League's Rhode Island Stingrays (1996-97) and spent two seasons with the New England Revolution's A-League affiliate, the Boston Bulldogs (1998-99). On June 14, 1999, he was promoted to Major League Soccer with the Revolution, and spent the 1999 season with New England, before accepting the job as head coach of the Friars in 2000.

He and his wife, Heather, have two children: Donovan and Savanah.

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Jhojan Obando

Jhojan Obando is in his 10th year as an assistant coach, primarily working with the team's goalkeepers and assisting with recruiting. He also spent two years (2012-13) as volunteer assistant.

Obando has been instrumental in producing some of the program's best goalkeepers. In 2021, he helped Hayden Evans to being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team as he made 48 saves on the season, including a season-best eight saves at no. 8 Maryland. In 2019, he coached Andrew Verdi to Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year honors and a school record for lowest goals-against average (0.78, minimum 1,000 minutes). After Verdi went down with an injury late in the season, Obando quickly installed freshman Owen Finnerty between the pipes. Finnerty played every minute of the final seven matches, which included runs to the Big Ten Tournament final and the NCAA Sweet 16. Between the two of them, U-M had 11 shutouts in 2019, most in a single season in school history. Four of the five spots behind Verdi on the school's all-time list for lowest GAA were coached by Obando, including Henry Mashburn (0.81 in 2018), Verdi (1.02 in 2017) and Evan Louro (1.05 in 2015).

With Obando's goalkeepers in net, U-M has set, then tied, the school record for fewest goals allowed in a season, conceding 18 goals in both 2018 and 2019. Four of the top seven defenses in program history -- as judged by goals-against average -- have come in the last five years under Obando's watch (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). He's mentored 2012 All-Big Ten second-team honoree Adam Grinwis (formerly of Orlando City SC) and fellow program alum Evan Louro (formerly of the New York Red Bulls).

A native of Colombia, Obando possesses a USSF National C License, as well as an NSCAA Level III goalkeeping certificate. He played in 44 career matches (42 starts) as a goalkeeper at Providence under the guidance of Chaka Daley as a student-athlete, helping the Friars to a 24-14-4 record and recording 13 shutouts. In 2010, Obando helped the Friars to the championship game of the Big East Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Additionally, he was part of three Providence teams that made the NCAA Tournament. During the last two seasons, the Friars hosted an NCAA Tournament first-round match for the first times in school history, and advanced to the second round on each occasion. He was one of four goalkeepers invited to the 2012 adidas MLS Player Combine and most recently played for the Des Moines Menace in the Premier Development League.