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10 years ago head coach Kat Conner was asked to develop a soccer program at Texas State. Conner followed through on those ambitions, but added her own twist to the equation by not only creating a program, but creating a legacy.
Conner began her journey in 1999 when she led the inaugural Texas State soccer team to a 9-9-3 overall record and a trip to the Southland Conference Tournament. There, the first-edition Bobcats capped the postseason with the school's first-ever SLC Tournament Title. Two short years later, Conner made history again, leading the team to a 14-7 record, finishing first overall in the league and claiming the school's first-ever Regular Season Championship. In 2001, the league granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship Tournament for the first time to the winner of the SLC Tournament and Texas State picked up that prize as well.
This was the first time in conference history that the regular season champion had won the tournament title, but it would not be the last.
Next season, Conner coached Texas State to back-to-back regular season titles and by 2004; the Bobcats had made its second trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Conner regrouped the troops in 2008 for a season that topped the Texas State record books. Last year, the Bobcat soccer team went 13-4-4 with an undefeated 7-0-2 league season that clinched the Southland Conference Regular Season. Texas State entered the SLC Tournament as the No. One seed and defeated McNeese State, securing both championships, a feat that had not been accomplished by the Bobcats since 2001.
In Conner's 10-year span, she has led Texas State to three Regular Season titles, four Tournament Championships and three appearances to the NCAA Championship Tournament. Conner has also coached two Players of the Year, a pair of Newcomers of the Year, three Freshman of the Year, an All-American and nearly 30 All-Southland Conference team members.
Conner also added a personal achievement last year to her list of accolades when she was named the 2009 Southland Conference Coach of the Year.
From the span of 1999-2002, Marva Bailey claimed First-Team All-SLC honors and from 2001-2004 Kendra Kade repeated the accolade. In 2002, Sarah Buchrucker was named a Verizon Wireless All-American. In 2004, Bobcat newcomer Danielle Holloway became the first player in Southland Conference history to be named Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season.
Along with a championship-caliber program on the field, Conner has the same commitment to her player's education.
"We compete very hard on the field and with that same intensity in the classroom," said Conner.
In 2001, SLC Player of the Year Reta Derouin was named to the All-Southland Conference Academic Team. Last year, All-SLC First-Team selections Britney Curry and Jessica Lewis were both named to the All-SLC Academic team, as well.
During the 2004-05 school year, the Bobcat soccer team earned the Emmett Shelton Award, an honor given to Texas State's highest female team GPA. Jayne Sherman, a two-time All-SLC Academic winner was also named the SLC Student-Athlete of the Year in 2005.
Prior to taking over at Texas State, Conner served as an assistant coach at Texas A&M University under Aggie head coach G. Guerrieri. Conner was responsible for recruiting and coaching all phases of the game, oversaw scheduling, travel, budget, summer camps, as well as monitoring academics for the team.
During her tenure at A&M, the Aggies made four NCAA tournament appearances, won one Big 12 Regular Season Title and one Big 12 Tournament Championship.
Conner began her coaching career at Pacific Lutheran University after completing a successful playing career for the Lutes in 1991. Conner serves as the Lutes' defensive coordinator, handling recruiting and travel. While there, Conner helped lead the team to a national championship in 1991 and a national runner-up finish in 1992. During both years, the Lutes claimed the Northwest Conference Championship.
Conner earned a B.A. in physical education at Pacific Lutheran. As a student-athlete, she was named All-American in 1990 and was a member of a Pacific squad that won the NAIA championship three-straight years.
As well as coaching at Texas State, Conner has been involved with developing Texas youth soccer. She has been a member of the coaching staff for the Region III Olympic Development Program and serves as the coach for the South Texas U16 team.
In 2005-2006, Conner was appointed to the NCAA soccer rules committee by both the Southland Conference and the NCAA. Conner holds a USSF "A" license.
Conner is a native of Irving, where she graduated from Nimitz High School.
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