Krista McKendree
Head Women's Soccer Coach

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

She brought success to Evansville as a player, and now she’s doing the same as a coach. In her first year in charge of the Aces' women's soccer team, in 2008, Krista McKendree led UE to a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship, the State Farm MVC Tournament championship, and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

To cap it off, McKendree received the 2008 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year award, shared with assistants Matt Kagan and 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.

Following a rebuilding season in 2009 with a team dominated by freshmen, McKendree signed an outstanding group of newcomers for 2010, led by Canada native Vanessa Legault-Cordisco, the first National Team player ever to sign with UE.

McKendree’s rise to the head coaching position at her alma mater began when she returned to UE in 2005 soon after Chris Pfau was hired as head coach. 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. When Pfau left UE to become head coach at Akron, McKendree was the popular choice to replace him.

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.

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. 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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