After five seasons with Penn women's soccer, coach Nicole Van Dyke is leaving the Red and Blue for Pac-12 member Washington.
Credit: Son NguyenPenn women's soccer coach Nicole Van Dyke resigned from her position on Saturday after five seasons as the head coach of the team to take on the same position at the University of Washington.
In her tenure at the helm of the Quakers, Van Dyke compiled a 41-24-15 overall record. Her .606 win percentage is the second highest in program history for coaches with at least two seasons as head coach.
"From the first day at Penn, I felt like I was part of something special," Van Dyke said in a Penn Athletics statement. "It has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside such professional and dedicated people.
The highlight of her tenure was in 2018, when she led the team to a share of the Ivy League championship, ending the season with a 13-2-1 record. The team's 13 wins were the second most in program history. The 2018 team gave up only five goals, the lowest in program history.
Penn ended the 2019 season with a 8-7-1 record and a 2-5 record in Ancient Eight play.
"We are sad to see her leave, but we understand the draw of returning to the West Coast at a program like Washington. I am confident that we will find a head coach who will continue the upward trajectory of the program and provide an unrivaled academic and athletic experience for our student-athletes," Penn Athletics Director M. Grace Calhoun said in the statement.
A native of California and a former coach at Stanford, Van Dyke will hope to carry over her Ivy League success in her return to the Pac-12.
Penn Athletics will begin the search for a new head coach immediately.
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