Tara Koleski Position: Associate Head Coach

Tara Koleski comes to UNI after spending two seasons as the head coach at UMBC. Prior to working with the Retrievers, Koleski worked at West Chester University for three seasons, two of them as head coach.

Koleski led the Division II Rams to a 20-2-2 record in 2005, a run that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. After that season she earned coach of the year honors from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Northeast Region, and the Southeast Pennsylvania Coaches' Association. She led the Golden Rams to a conference title in both seasons she served as head coach.

Koleski joined the coaching ranks after a standout career as a player. She was an All-America forward and outside midfielder at the University of Portland. She helped the Pilots reach an NCAA Final Four in 1996 and 1998. She also earned first-team All-West Coast Conference honors.

From 1999-2000 she played professionally in Germany, and in 2001 she was drafted by the San Diego Spirit of the Women's United Soccer Association. Koleski also played for the Philadelphia Charge and New York Power in her WUSA career.

Koleski was a member of the U.S. U-21 National Team in 1996-97, and she was part of the full women's national team pool in 2002.

Before joining West Chester, Koleski worked as the head coah of the semi-professional Rochester Reign of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), and she served as a volunteer assistant at Villanova in 2002 and Swarthmore College in 2003.

Koleski also has experience running camps, and she has served as a head coach in the Pennsylvania and Olympic Development Programs. In 2007 her Maryland Under 17 team won the Region I championship. She is also a member of the Region I ODP staff.

Koleski has an NSCAA National Diploma, an NSCAA National Advanced Advanced Diploma and an NSCAA Premier Diploma.

A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Koleski earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Portland in 1999. She is pursuing a master's degree in sport and athletic administration.