5/12/2021 3:28:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Zags’ coaching staff led GU to 7-3-1 finish in spring season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Gonzaga's women's soccer coaches were named the West Region Staff of the Year. The honor is a result of a vote by other coaches in the region who are also members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services program.Â
The GU staff of Head Coach Chris Watkins, Assistant Coaches Lexi Brown and Katie Benz, and Volunteer Assistant Tyler Brown, will now be placed onto the National Staff of the Year ballot. The voting for National SOY in begins May 11. The National Staff of the Year will be announced on May 20.
The Zags' staff will be recognized at the College Awards Ceremony in late June. The annual ceremony will be a digital event available online celebrating all the 2020-21 intercollegiate awards including All-America, Scholar All-America and Staff of the Year at the NCAA, NAIA and Junior College levels.
Watkins was named a 2020-21 West Coast Conference co-Coach of the Year. He became only the second Bulldog Head Coach to earn WCC Coach of the Year honors, and the first since Shannon Stiles received the accolade in 2003.
Watkins and his staff guided the Bulldogs to their best-ever West Coast Conference finish in the Spring 2021 season, placing third for the first time since the league expanded to 10 teams. GU finished 7-3-1 overall and 5-2-1 in conference play.
