Krista McKendree
Head Women's Soccer Coach

Phone: (812) 488-1016
Email: km57@evansville.edu

All in all, not a bad start for Krista McKendree. In her first year as head coach of the Purple Aces' women's soccer team, in 2008, McKendree led her squad to a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship, the State Farm MVC Tournament championship, and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.

To cap it off, McKendree received the 2008 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year award, shared with assistant coach Matt Kagan and goalkeepers coach Corey Southers. Never before had a first-year coach at the University of Evansville in any sport led his or her team to an NCAA Division I Tournament.

McKendree deflects the attention, saying that she inherited a veteran team when she took over from Chris Pfau following the 2007 season, and insisting that "It was all about the players last season, and the effort they put forth to bring us a championship and take us back to the NCAA Tournament."

But, McKendree had much to do with the growth of the Aces' program that resulted in the great 2008 season. She returned to her alma mater in 2005 soon after Pfau was hired as head coach, and Evansville's win total immediately more than tripled, from three in 2004 to 10 in 2005.  In 2006, McKendree was part of the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year.  And in 2007, the Aces climbed to second place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings and won 10 matches for the third consecutive year.

Then came the outstanding 2008 season in which the Aces produced a 13-5-2 record and the all-time leading scorer in MVC history, senior forward Kayla Lambert.

Before leading the 2008 Aces to the NCAA Tournament as a coach, McKendree led Evansville to the NCAA Tournament as a player in 1998, 1999 and 2001. She is regarded as the best defender ever to play for the Purple Aces, and in 2006 was chosen for the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer All-Centennial Team.  Remarkably, she was a first team all-MVC player all four years, from 1998 through 2001.  McKendree was the MVC Defensive Player of the Year in 1999, and in 2000 was MVC Player of the Year.  She was chosen third team on the 2000 NSCAA / Adidas Women's Soccer Division I All-America Team, becoming Evansville's first All-American in women's soccer.

McKendree was also a member of the MVC Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete Team in 2000 and 2001.  With her in the lineup, UE won three MVC regular season championships, three MVC post-season tournament championships, and reached the NCAA Tournament three times during her career.  In McKendree's four years as a player at Evansville, the Aces posted a record of 52-28-7.



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