Campus News

College Hires Joanna Barney to Coach All Women's Soccer Club

Westminster College Institutes an All Women’s Soccer Club. College Hires Joanna Barney to Coach Club.

January 19, 2006

SALT LAKE CITY – Two time All-American soccer player Joanna Barney has been selected as the new women’s soccer coach for Westminster College. Barney will be responsible for the administration and management of the women’s soccer program, including recruitment of top level student athletes; scheduling, organizing and supervising practices, and game management. Barney will also work closely with other staff to promote intercollegiate athletics and support the academic success of the athletes.

Barney, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance -Magna Cum Laude from University of Utah in 1995. She also completed various classes on Personnel Law, Employee Benefits, and Managing Employees. In spite of her education she had an athletic talent as well; Barney has over 12 years of premier level soccer coaching experience and over 25 years of premier level playing experience. Barney was a former collegiate standout for the University of Utah. She was also a key forward for the Utah Spiders in 2000 and 2001 and the team’s leading scorer.

Barney has a reputation as one of the top youth soccer coaches in the state. Barney has a USSF National “B” level coaching license. She started and put together the first premier all-female soccer club in Utah and is now the Director of Coaching for the girls Utah Avalanche Team. Barney is also the head coach for Utah Spiders WPSL (Woman’s Premier Soccer League).

Westminster Athletic Director, Trevor Wilson, adds, “We welcome Joanna Barney to Westminster athletics. Joanna brings an outstanding background as a player and a coach. We are confident Joanna will recruit the quality of student-athletes to Westminster College that is required to build a strong, competitive women’s soccer program.”

The new women’s soccer club team will debut at Westminster in fall 2006, and the college is looking forward to developing the team for intercollegiate competition by the following year. In reference to the new club team, Wilson explained, “The women’s soccer club will begin play at the club level, but we are hopeful it will transition successfully as full intercollegiate sport by 2007, if all goes as planned.”