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Paula Wilkins
One of the most accomplished women’s college soccer head coaches in the country, Paula Wilkins, the winngest coach in UW program history, is in her 17th season as head coach of the Wisconsin women's soccer program in 2023.
With a pair of College Cup Semifinal appearances and 13 NCAA tournament berths, Wilkins has long been regarded as one of the game’s elite coaches. In 16 seasons at the helm in Madison, she has made great progress in rebuilding the culture and sustaining success with the women's soccer program at Wisconsin.
Wilkins ranks third in Big Ten history for career coaching wins (298). Wilkins also ranks second all-time in Big Ten history with eight Big Ten titles, and that doesn’t include her three Big Ten tournament titles.
This past season, Emma Jaskaniec was named the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, while Natalie Viggiano, also an All-Big Ten Team member, became the seventh Badger in program history to be drafted professionally.
UW advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four seasons in 2021, and enjoyed an eight-game unbeaten run on its way to the program's fifth Sweet 16 appearance under Wilkins.
Wilkins became the winningest coach in program history during the 2020-21 season with a 1-0 win over Iowa while Jordyn Bloomer earned her second-straight Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year award while she was named a second-team All-American.
The 2019 season was one for the history books as the Badgers went undefeated in conference play for the first time in two decades thanks to a 10-0-1 ledger and claimed the 2019 Big Ten Regular Season Championship outright. Wilkins earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the seventh time in her career while Jordyn Bloomer, Camryn Biegalski and Dani Rhodes all earned All-America honors for the Cardinal and White. In addition, Bloomer was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Biegalski was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year and Rhodes was awarded the Big Ten Forward of the Year honor. Wisconsin advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fourth-straight season and the Sweet 16 for the second-consecutive season before bowing out to UCLA.
In 2018 Wilkins experienced success with Wisconsin yet again. Posting a 14-4-4 record on the season, Wilkins & co. were awarded a No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and made the NCAA Tournament for the 20th time in program history. Blowing by conference champions Memphis 4-0 in the first round, Wisconsin then traveled to Palo Alto, Calif. to face off against conference champs Hofstra in the second round. Due to poor air quality Wisconsin was forced to travel to Salinas to play. Unfazed, the Badgers defeated Hofstra 6-0 to advance to the sweet 16. Forward Dani Rhodes set a Wisconsin program record in the contest by scoring four goals, and six goals was a Wisconsin women's soccer record for goals in an NCAA game. It was Wisconsin's second trip to the sweet 16 ever. The Badgers met No. 1 seed Stanford, a team that would make it to the final four before losing to eventual-champion Florida State, and was defeated 1-0 on the road.
Wilkins, known in part for her helping out with the career of Rose Lavelle, has another midfielder making national headlines in Victoria Pickett. The Canadian native was a MAC Hermann semifinalist in 2018 and given First Team All-Big Ten, First Team All-Region and First Team All-American.
One of the biggest success stories of Wilkins’ career is that of former Wisconsin standout, Rose Lavelle. Lavelle was the No. 1 draft pick in the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League after being selected by the Boston Breakers, becoming the first ever Badger to be selected first in any respective sport’s professional league. The Cincinnati, Ohio native has also been a breakout star for the U.S. Women’s National Team, recording her first goal with the national team in just her fourth appearance. During her time at Wisconsin, Lavelle shined under the leadership of Wilkins, becoming the first player in program history to emerge as a three-time All-American. Additionally, Lavelle was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year for back-to-back seasons in 2015 and 2016 and capped off her collegiate career as a four-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. Lavelle also earned preseason recognition this past year by being named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list and by being tabbed as the No. 1 player in the country by Top Drawer Soccer.
Building on a season in which they lost multiple starters, Rose Lavelle and started three freshmen, Wilkins led Wisconsin to a season full of surprises. An upset over No. 3 Virginia on the road was just one win in Wisconsin's seven-game winning streak following a loss to Stanford. The Badgers also had a big upset win over Penn State late in the season to keep championship hopes alive. Upsetting Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers then went on to lose to Northwestern 2-1 in overtime in the semifinals. After receiving a bid into the NCAA Tournament, an uncertainty before the season, Wisconsin knocked off Toledo in the first round 5-0. The Badgers then faced No. 1 seed South Carolina in Columbia and lost 1-0, ending Wilkins' 11th season.
Aside from the success on the pitch, Wilkins helped led her three freshmen starters to All-Big Ten honors, Dani Rhodes was awarded Second Team All-Big Ten and, another diamond in the midfield, Victoria Pickett was recognized with First Team All-Big Ten honors at the end of 2017. Rhodes, freshman Sammy Kleedtke and Pickett all then went on to receive All-Region recognition. Rhodes and Pickett were given First Team Midwest All-Region and Kleedtke was third team.
The 2016 season saw the Badgers accumulate a 9-5-8 record, which included an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After defeating Marquette on their home field in the first round of action, Wisconsin nearly knocked off No. 9 Florida in the second round after an overtime battle. After starting the year 5-4-4, Wilkins guided the team to a seven-game unbeaten streak to close out the regular season, including a win over No. 8 Minnesota in Minneapolis as well as a tie against ranked opponent, Michigan.
Wilkins’ work in establishing a winning culture at Wisconsin culminated in one of the program’s most remarkable seasons in 2015. Despite beginning the year 3-4-2 overall, Wilkins rallied the Badgers to a nine-game unbeaten streak. The remarkable run included a 1-0 victory at Maryland on Oct. 24, which clinched UW at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title—the program’s first since 1994. Wilkins was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the sixth time in her career and became the second ever to win the award at Wisconsin, joining only Dean Duerst (1996). Under the mentorship of Wilkins, Rose Lavelle became the first NSCAA first-team All-American at Wisconsin since 1991 and the program’s first-ever Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. Victoria Pickett was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, just the second in UW history joining only Lavelle, both coached by Wilkins.
Under Wilkins, Wisconsin put together the winningest season in program history in 2014. The Badgers finished 19-3-2, winning the Big Ten tournament and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Wilkins coached Rose Lavelle and Genevieve Richard to become the program's first NSCAA All-Americans since 2000, while Richard also became just the second player in UW history to be named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. Cara Walls, Rose Lavelle and Kinley McNicoll joined Richard in earning First-Team All-Big Ten accolades, while Brianna Stelzer was Second Team All-Big Ten. Lavelle, McNicoll, Richard, Stelzer and Walls each earned All-Great Lakes Region recognition, as well.
Wilkins guided the Cardinal and White to a 10-win campaign in 2013, becoming just the second head coach in school history to earn double-digit victories in five consecutive seasons. A former All-American herself, Wilkins helped acclimate her heralded rookie class to the college game, while also aiding Rose Lavelle in becoming Wisconsin's first ever Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winner. Lavelle went on to become the 16th UW player to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors, the first since 2011.
In 2012, Wilkins guided Wisconsin an appearance in the NCAA tournament, the team's third in the last four seasons, and eclipsed 10 wins for the fourth-straight year.
In 2011, the Badgers made their third-straight appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. Wilkins guided UW to the NCAA Tournament in 2010, the school's best finish in 15 years, after reaching the third round of the NCAA tournament in just her third season with the program.
In her second season, UW finished with a 9-9-1 record finishing the season at .500, and narrowly missed a berth into the Big Ten Tournament. In her first season Wilkins led the Badgers to a 6-11-1 record, marking a three-game improvement overall and a one-game improvement in the Big Ten from 2007 to 2008.
Following the conclusion of her first season Wilkins scored one of the top recruiting classes for 2008, ranking 21st in the nation and marking the highest ranking in UW history. In her first recruiting class, two were named to the 2008 Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Laurie Nosbusch and Erin Jacobsen.
Prior to her start at Wisconsin, Wilkins was the head coach at Penn State for six years. The Nittany Lions earned six NCAA tournament berths, which included two College Cup appearances during her tenure. In addition, Penn State won the last six Big Ten regular season championships, along with a pair of Big Ten tournament titles.
Penn State dominated Big Ten women's soccer for most of the 13 seasons of the school's sponsorship of the sport and Wilkins was part of the coaching staff the entire time. She joined the Nittany Lions as an assistant coach when the program debuted as a varsity sport in 1994 and served in that role until she was named head coach at the end of the 2000 campaign.
Wilkins coached nine All-Americans at Penn State, including four-time All-American Christie Welsh, the 2001 player of the year and winner of the prestigious M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. Wilkins also recruited and guided Tiffany Weimer, a three-time All-American, two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year and the conference's record holder in career goals.
The Nittany Lions won their ninth straight Big Ten regular-season title and fourth league tournament crown in 2006, finishing the conference slate with an 8-1-1 mark. Penn State was knocked out of the NCAA tournament quarterfinals by top-ranked Notre Dame. Wilkins was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fifth time. The team also boasted two All-Americans in senior captain Ali Krieger, a first-team selection for the second consecutive year, and sophomore Sheree Gray, a third-team honoree.
In 2005, Wilkins guided Penn State to a 23-0-2 record before losing to Portland in the NCAA semifinals. The Nittany Lions attained a No. 1 national ranking during the campaign, finished the season ranked No. 2 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Three players from that team earned All-America recognition, including Weimer, who was runner-up for the Hermann Trophy for the second straight year after breaking the Big Ten goal-scoring record. Weimer was one of six Nittany Lions to earn All-Big Ten honors that season. Additionally, Wilkins was named national and Big Ten coach of the year.
In 2004, the Nittany Lions claimed their seventh straight Big Ten title and made their 11th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Penn State claimed three Big Ten honors that year, with Wiemer collecting offensive player of the year honors, Natalie Jacobs earning defensive player of the year laurels and Wilkins being named conference coach of the year. Weimer additionally was runner-up for the Hermann Trophy and was one of three players who were named All-Americans.
Penn State made its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals in 2003 and won another Big Ten championship. Midfielder Joanna Lohman gathered Big Ten Player of the Year accolades and was runner-up for the Hermann Trophy. Ali Krieger was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Wilkins collected coach of the year honors.
Wilkins helped Penn State to its ninth straight NCAA tournament appearance in 2002 as the team reached the "Elite Eight" for the fifth consecutive season. Four Nittany Lions captured all-conference honors, including Weimer, who became the fourth PSU player in five years to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year laurels. Christie Welsh also became the first player in program history to earn NSCAA All-America honors all four years.
In her first season as head coach, Wilkins led the Nittany Lions to a No. 2 ranking to close the season. The team also was second in the nation in scoring with 3.19 goals per game, a mark that broke Big Ten records for goals (83), assists (67) and points (233) in a season. Welsh became the first player in school history to garner the Hermann Trophy. Welsh additionally was the first player named the NSCAA player of the year and the first to win Big Ten Player of the Year honors for three straight seasons.
Wilkins' Penn State teams also had tremendous success in the classroom. During her tenure, 41 of her student-athletes garnered Academic All-Big Ten accolades. In addition, six Nittany Lions were named NSCAA Scholar All-Americans and former Penn State standout Joanna Lohman was a two-time NSCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year and an NCAA postgraduate scholarship winner in 2003.
A defender at the University of Massachusetts from 1991-94, Wilkins captained the 1993 squad that went 17-3-3 and reached the NCAA College Cup semifinals. When she led Penn State to the 2002 College Cup, she became the first person in NCAA history to both play and coach in the event. During her collegiate career, Wilkins scored seven goals and collected 18 assists and was named NSCAA first-team All-American and to the Soccer News All-America first team in 1993.
Wilkins earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from UMass in 1994 and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American. She later received her master's degree in physiology from Penn State.
Wilkins, a native of Middletown, Pa., was an NSCAA youth All-American at Middletown Area High School. She also played on a national Olympic Development Program team.
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