The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
What was your path to becoming the head coach at Texas?
I was born in Glasgow, Scotland, where my dad played at a high level, but then my parents immigrated to Canada when I was four. I started playing soccer at a young age and eventually I was lucky enough to be noticed by the University of North Carolina. At UNC, we won four national and four ACC titles and only lost one game in my four years. After my time at UNC, I wanted to stay in the sport, so my first coaching role was as the assistant coach at the University of Tennessee where they were just starting a program. Eventually, they took a chance on me and offered me the head coaching position. Over my 16 years at Tennessee, we brought that program to a top ten program. Then the real UT called, and when Texas calls, you listen. My mentor, Pat Summitt, told me that I needed to take the role at Texas because this was where I'd be able to coach the highest-level players. I've been here for the last 10 years, and Pat could not have been more correct.
How have you seen the University and Texas Athletics grow during your ten years here in Austin?
Well, the whole town is growing in a wonderful fashion. Throughout the course of the last 10 years, there have been a few athletic directors and few presidents, but there are none greater than what we have in the leadership roles right now at Texas. When you find an institution with this type of leadership, you end up having the outcomes we've had in the last two years here on campus, where we’ve won back-to-back Directors’ Cups.
How crucial are donors and supporters to the success of your program?
They're everything. The excitement, the enthusiasm, the facilities, the resources, all those things are not possible if we don't have our donors and our supporters. They bring the excitement to the field, to the pitch, to the pool and to the court. As head coaches, we are just always so incredibly grateful for their support. You find that when a person, a small group of individuals, or a large group of 10,000 individuals, is cheering in your direction – that collective group is so powerful. I think that's what the fans really need to understand. They have the power to motivate and push these young athletes over the line, to get them through a tackle, to give them the adrenaline to score a last-second goal. They have the ability to do these things, and it's wonderful to witness.
As a former student-athlete yourself, how can a scholarship change the life of not only a student-athlete, but future generations to come?
There is so much talent in this world, and the last thing that any successful person wants is talent that gets missed, goes unused, or falls off by the wayside. Many student-athletes would not be able to afford this university, and the opportunity to be a student-athlete, to prepare them for success in the real world without a scholarship. Scholarships touch home for every individual fortunate enough to earn one. It impacts their entire family – in the present and for generations to come. I promise you, those individuals who possibly would have missed out on this opportunity without a scholarship will never forget the generosity of our donors.
My mentor, Pat Summitt, told me that I needed to go to Texas because this was where I'd be able to coach the highest-level players. I've been here for the last ten years, and Pat could not have been more correct.- Coach Angela Kelly
If you could say anything to a Longhorn Foundation donor, what would you say?
Thank you! We are very grateful for their commitment to our student-athletes and the pride they have for this institution. The power of a degree from Texas is invaluable. That, paired with the resources at Texas Athletics and on campus and in the classroom, prepare these student-athletes for the real world. Our donors allow us to treat these individuals like young professionals during their time on the Forty Acres. We are so lucky to have them on Team Texas!
What is it you hope to instill in your players for when they leave UT?
Our sport is growing all over the world. There's so much more money being vested into the women's game across the globe. However, it's still hard to make a living being a professional. Female soccer players are not leaving college making a million dollars like some other sports. The most important thing in my eyes is their degree. Building their academic prowess and confidence so that when they go and play for five, hopefully, 10 years post-college, they can fall back on that degree. We want three things for our players – to become better athletes, to become better students, and to become stronger women. If those three things are combined, then they have the greatest chance at success when entering the real-world.
What is the team looking like this upcoming fall?
They are the most talented group of individuals I've had the privilege of coaching in my 23 years. We had the number one recruiting class in the country in 2021. We have five super seniors returning for a chance to lead a second senior season. Jilly Shimkin, a sophomore transfer, is incredibly talented. Holly Ward and Trinity Byars will be representing Canada and the United States, respectively, at the U-20 World Cup in a couple of weeks. Lexi Missimo, regarded as one of the world’s top 10 youth players, is on our squad. The list just goes on and on with the amount of talent we have. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish together this year.
