Baker University

Baker University Athletics
PO Box 65 Baldwin City, KS 66006

NAIA Kansas Midwest

Private Small Competitive team

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Coaches

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Sara Matthews

Sara Matthews is in her fourth year as the head coach of the women's soccer team for 2023-2024.

The 2022 season saw Matthews lead the Wildcats to an 8-8-2 record and reach the quarterfinals of the Heart of America Conference Tournament for the third straight year. She had a pair of players earn Heart All-Conference honors in Melissa Siegel (2nd Team) and Emma Schieber (3rd Team).

Her first two seasons of 2021 and 2020 saw much success on and off of the field. In 2021, the program finished 11-6-2 and included wins over nationally ranked/RV teams and a conference playoff run to the semifinals, only falling 0-1 to an eventual NAIA Final Four team. The 2020 season was one for the memory books for multiple reasons. The program finished 12-6-1, was the conference regular season runner-up, made a postseason run to the first round of the NAIA National Tournament, and finished the season nationally ranked at No. 17. Off of the field, the team finished with the second highest GPA on campus.

In 2020, Matthews was awarded the Heart of America Conference Coach of the Year.

Matthews spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach for the women's soccer team at Kansas City Kansas Community College. In those two seasons, she helped the team achieve new heights as they reached the top-25 of the national rankings for the first time in team history, and helped raise the team's GPA from a 3.00 to a 3.40.

Matthews got her start as head coach at Avila University for four seasons growing the program from 12 girls in her first spring to 26+ and produced team GPAs of 3.5. This came after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at Baker from 2010-2014. In that four year span with the Wildcats she helped Baker make multiple runs deep into the NAIA National Championships including the team's only National Semifinal appearance in 2010, while coaching more than 20 All-Conference student-athletes and six NAIA All-Americans.

Prior to her time at Baker as an assistant coach, Matthews attended Washburn University to receive her Masters of Business Administration (MBA), while serving as an assistant coach for the women's soccer team.

Matthews continues to coach at the club level for the KC Fusion Soccer Club, which she has done since 2013. Throughout her time with the club, Sara has had over 75 percent of her players play at the collegiate level and was named the Kansas Youth Soccer Association Girls Competitive Coach of the Year in 2017 after winning US Youth Soccer Region II President's Cup. In 2020 one of her teams won the NPL Central States Regional League which earned them a place at the National Tournament, however that tournament was cancelled that summer due to the pandemic.

As a graduate of Baker University in ‘09, Matthews played on the women’s soccer team for former head men’s soccer coach and current Associate Vice President of Advancement Nate Houser. In her four seasons, Sara was a three-time team captain, a Heart of America All-Conference performer and was the 2007-2008 Baker University Student Senate Female Athlete of the Year.

Matthews is a Kansas City native, having graduated from and played at Olathe East HS.

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Gordon Temple

Coach Gordon Temple joined the Baker University women’s soccer teams' coaching staff in 2017.

Before coming to Baker University, Temple was previously an assistant coach at Ottawa University for the men’s soccer program. He also currently coaches with US Youth Soccer’s Olympic Development Program as a head coach. He has earned his USSF National ‘C’ Coaching License as well as the NSCAA National Diploma.

Temple has an extensive playing background, captaining Ottawa University’s men’s soccer program. In 2005, he helped the team to a 2nd place finish in Conference and runners up in the KCAC tournament. Prior to Ottawa, he played for Iowa Central Community College men’s soccer team, winning the NJCAA Region tournament and a 2nd place finish in Conference in 2004. In 2003, he was part of the team that won Conference and set an ICCC college record with an 18-2 season finish. Temple was awarded 2nd team all-conference selection at ICCC in 2004 and again in 2006 at Ottawa University.

Temple earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physical Education from Ottawa University and is currently working on his Master of Science in Sports Management at Baker University.