Pitalo joined the Gonzaga staff in July 2023.
Pitalo was named as the head coach of the Corban women's soccer team in April of 2022. In her lone season as head coach of the Warriors, her staff coached the squad that finished 11-4-3 overall and 7-2-3 in conference play. Corban's defense set single-season team records in fewest goals allowed (12), fewest losses (4) and most shutouts (12).
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"I'm excited to join the Zag family and contribute to the continued success of the women's soccer program," Pitalo said. "It's an honor to work for this prestigious institution and under the leadership of Chris Watkins and Katie Benz. I'm looking forward to my first season as a Zag and for the opportunity to work with the talented and dedicated student-athletes of the women's soccer team."
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Prior to Corban, Pitalo was at Umpqua Community College, where she served as the head women's soccer coach and assistant athletic director. At UCC, she was tasked with starting the school's women's soccer program, and she recruited and trained a roster that would go on to finish third in the NWAC Southern Region, developing five NWAC All-Stars and securing a playoff berth in the program's first year of existence. Prior to her time there, she was an assistant at nearby Willamette University.
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Before her coaching career, she was a standout student-athlete at USC, serving on the Trojan back line as a team captain. During the 2014 season, Pitalo was named the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Week. She was the recipient of the PAC-12 Postgraduate Scholarship award graduating from USC in 2016, before earning her MBA at Willamette University in 2018.
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"Whitney has a lot of successful head coaching experience that she brings to our program," Watkins said. "She's a winner and has proven to do it the right way. She will specifically work with our defense to keep our blue collar, tough approach progressing."
