Coaches

Chase Wooten

Chase Wooten is currently in his 13th season as head coach of the Northeastern State women’s soccer program. He was named to the position in January 2010 and is the third person to serve in this capacity since the sport was added in 1996.


In their first entire fall season since 2019, the RiverHawks battled through adversity with an assortment of critical injuries limiting the team to have only four players play in all 19 matches. Northeastern State also suffered several injuries at keeper and had three different starters. Despite this, its defense only allowed a 1.37 goal average. The RiverHawks would qualify for the MIAA Tournament and have three named All-MIAA.


Northeastern State went 4-2-1 and was the top seed in the Spring MIAA Tournament, a makeup for the missed fall due to COVID-19. Statistics did not count towards career records. Two student-athletes were named to the All-MIAA teams.


The RiverHawks more than surpassed their MIAA peers' expectations before the 2019 season started where they were picked to finish seventh in the league standings. NSU finished runner-up in the MIAA regular season, reached the MIAA Tournament Finals for the second time of five seasons, and archived its first NCAA Tournament berth. The 14 wins were tied for second-most in program history, Wooten took top-MIAA coaching honors for the second time at NSU with five student-athletes named All-MIAA.


During the 2018 season, Wooten celebrated his 100th career victory at NSU, while guiding them to a seventh straight appearance in the MIAA Tournament. The season was highlighted by an upset 2-1 win against rivals Central Oklahoma who was ranked #5 nationally.

In 2017, NSU finished with a 15-3 and 9-2 in MIAA action. The 15 wins tied the school mark for wins in a season with the 2013 squad. The RiverHawks opened 2017 with 10 straight wins. The nine MIAA victories are the most under Wooten.


Wooten has taken the program to new heights since arriving at NSU. He has led the RiverHawks to the five best defensive seasons in school history, including a 2013 team that conceded a program-low 14 goals. The 2010 team allowed just 17 goals, and the 2015 side conceded just 18. The other two top defensive units in school history were also under Wooten’s watch (2011-12). Wooten has guided Northeastern State to winning seasons in five of his first six campaigns, which marks the greatest stretch in school history. Prior to Wooten's arrival, NSU had just four years with double-digit victories. He has led the RiverHawks to four such occurrences in his six years at the helm. The 2013 team broke the school record with 15 wins, while the 2015 club is second with 14 wins. The 2012 team is tied for third in school history with 13 victories.


Northeastern State opened the season with a program best 11 match winning streak and rose as high as number-19 in the nation, and spending several weeks in the NSCAA National Poll. The RiverHawks finished the season with 13 wins which matched for third most in program history, and they finished fourth in the MIAA standings. In the postseason, NSU had three all-region players, six named as All-MIAA, and its first Academic All-American with Jordan Woodruff being selected third team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).


The 2015 club made history by becoming the first Northeastern State women's soccer team to advance to the finals of a conference tournament. NSU won its quarterfinal match and then advanced to the championship after winning a shootout in the semifinals. The RiverHawks placed third in the MIAA with a 7-3-1 league record, while boasting three all-region players and a school-record eight all-conference performers. For his efforts, Wooten was named the MIAA Coach of the Year. Northeastern State scored 56 goals, which was second in the MIAA and second-most in a single season in school history. The RiverHawks also conceded just 18 goals and led the conference with a school-record-tying 55 assists. The RiverHawks earned a regular-season shutout road victory over then-No. 8 Central Missouri, which was the first win by NSU over UCM since 1998 and the highest-ranked team NSU had ever defeated in school history.


The 2014 season saw NSU qualify for the MIAA Championship for the third-straight year. The RiverHawks posted an 8-11 record and a 5-9 mark in the MIAA, which was good for eighth place in the league. The team tallied five All-MIAA performers and one all-region player.


The 2013 team broke the school record for most wins (15) and best win percentage (.789) in a single season, while tying the all-time mark for fewest losses in a single campaign (4). The squad boasted four first-team all-region performers and the MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year. NSU finished runner-up in the MIAA at 8-3 in the conference, which was the best league placement in school history. The RiverHawks also competed in the MIAA Championship, advancing to the quarterfinal round. They posted a 2-0 victory over Central Oklahoma late in the season, which was the first victory over their rivals in 14 years. NSU led the MIAA in shots (399) and goals-against average (0.74), while finishing third in goals (32), assists (28) and points (92).


The 2012 campaign marked the beginning of a new era as NSU competed in its first year as members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Wooten led NSU to a fourth-place finish in the regular season and a berth in the MIAA Championship semifinals. The team finished 13-5-1 overall, tying the then-school record for most wins in a single season and recording the second-fewest losses in a single campaign. The team also broke the then-school record for best winning percentage (.711). In their first year in the league, the RiverHawks led the conference in all major offensive statistical categories, including shots per game (19.7), goals per game (2.26), assists per game (1.74) and points per game (6.26).


Northeastern State was an independent in 2011 and finished the year with an 11-4-3 mark. The team embarked on a 9-0-1 streak early in the campaign and set the school record for fewest losses in a single campaign.


The 2010 season was the final year for NSU in the Lone Star Conference, and Wooten led the team to a 7-6-5 record.


During his six seasons at Northeastern State, Wooten has coached 22 all-conference selections, 18 all-region performers and one MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year. He has also had 71 MIAA Academic Honor Roll recipients, eight MIAA Scholar-Athletes and six MIAA Academic Excellence award winners.


The former head coach at Centenary College and an assistant at the University of Alabama has brought a wealth of NCAA Division I coaching experience to the Tahlequah campus.


Wooten, who served as head coach of the women’s program at Centenary for six years (2003-09), led the Ladies to two Summit League semifinal appearances and had three players named Summit League Players of the Week. He also had several all-conference and freshman all-conference selections.


During his tenure at Centenary, Wooten placed a high priority on academics and every team obtained a 3.25 grade point average or higher.


Wooten served as assistant women’s coach at the University of Alabama from 2001-03. He was the Crimson Tide’s recruiting coordinator and served as the goalkeeper trainer. The Tide’s 2001 team had the sixth most-improved record in the nation.


He was the boys head goalkeeper trainer for the Alabama Olympic Development Program during his time at UA.


Wooten served as the Shreveport Futbol Club head coach, which included a U18 Dallas Cup participant. He also coached the Shreveport United squad, where three teams were Louisiana Premier State finalists.


Wooten coached high school soccer at Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport from 1996-98, where he served as head coach and assistant coach of both the boys and girls programs. His girls program placed second in the Class 5A State Championship in 2001, won district titles and Wooten earned District Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2001. They were listed among the Top 50 girls teams in the nation in 2001 by Fox Sports.


Wooten’s boys teams were district champions three consecutive years from 1999-01. He was also selected as district coach of the year in 1999 and 2001.


Wooten holds coaching licenses with the USSF B (University of Oklahoma), NSCAA Advanced National (University of Notre Dame), NSCAA National (Trinity University), and USSF National D (Houston).


He played at Centenary College from 1995-98 where he was a goalkeeper and the 1998 male student-athlete of the year. He also played at Lindsey Wilson College from 1994-95 before transferring to Centenary, where the Columbia, Ky., school reached the NAIA Final Four.


Wooten is a graduate of Taylor High School in Katy, Texas, where he was captain and selected MVP of the team. He was also a first team all-district selection, second team all-region performer and member of the Texas Senior All-Star Team. He was also a member of the Classic Soccer Club in Houston. Wooten was a member of the South Texas Olympic Development Team, and was a USA Cup Bronze Medal winner, a Dallas Cup participant and a member of the 1991 South Texas State Champions.


Wooten and his wife, Amber, have one daughter, Catherine.