Nicole Van Dyke hired as new Penn women's soccer coach

It was difficult to imagine this week becoming even more hectic for Penn Athletics.

But one day after introducing Steve Donahue as its next head basketball coach, the Red and Blue have hired Stanford assistant Nicole Van Dyke to take over the women’s soccer program after a lengthy coaching search.

A former player at Cal State Bakersfield, Van Dyke spent four seasons with the Cardinal as an assistant to head coach Paul Ratcliffe beginning in 2011. Prior to joining the staff at Stanford, Van Dyke was at the helm of her alma mater for five seasons, helping transition the Roadrunners from Division II to Division I.

“There was a strong connection and sense of fit with Nicole from our first conversation,” Athletic Director Grace Calhoun said. “Her charisma, grasp of Penn’s academic values and confidence set her apart in a thorough search that yielded many impressive candidates. She is a nationally recognized coach and a proven recruiter.

“Nicole’s understanding of what it takes to be a national contender on the field coupled with her academic background will serve her well at Penn.”

Van Dyke takes over six weeks after former coach Darren Ambrose’s departure from the program. After 15 seasons at the helm, Ambrose left the Quakers in January for the same position at Vanderbilt, sending shockwaves through the program.

“Leaving Penn is the most difficult decision I have had to make to this point in my life,” Ambrose said in a press release at the time of his resignation. “The student-athletes, the coaches and the administration have been a major part of my life, both professionally and personally, for the past 15 years.

“I will leave behind a huge part of me as I make the transition. Penn and its athletic department will always hold a very special place in my heart.”

Throughout Ambrose’s tenure, the Quakers were consistently competitive in the Ivy League, winning all three of the program’s Ancient Eight titles – in 2001, 2007 and 2010, respectively. As the Red and Blue move forward, Van Dyke is excited about the opportunity to bring Penn back to the NCAA Tournament.

“They have done some incredible things in the past and some great players have come through there,” Van Dyke said. “I feel like Penn is definitely a place that can be successful and we can continue success, not just in the Ivies, but also from a national standpoint.

“It’s an incredible opportunity and I hope that I can elevate the program back to the Tournament.”

Van Dyke is no stranger to playing in the postseason. The Cardinal made the NCAA College Cup in three of her four seasons in Palo Alto, the highlight of which came in her first year with the team in 2011 when Stanford won its first ever national championship. The squad also won 86.6 percent of its games during her time with the Cardinal.

Prior to assuming control at Cal State Bakersfield, Van Dyke was the head coach at Division II’s Cal State Stanislaus, taking over the program when she was only 23 years old.

In addition to her assistance in guiding Stanford to postseason and Pac-12 success, Van Dyke established herself as a top-notch recruiter. The Cardinal’s incoming group of freshmen is the highest-ranked recruiting class in the nation after showcasing midfielder Andi Sullivan, the National Freshman of the Year, in 2014.

Although leading the Red and Blue will be her first coaching job outside the state of California, Van Dyke recognizes the positive similarities between Stanford and Penn.

“Penn is an amazing and prestigious academic institution, and I really do enjoy working with the true student-athlete,” Van Dyke said. “It has a lot of parallels to Stanford in that sense and I think that the commitment and drive that they have in the classroom is no different than what they have on the soccer field.

“I hope to motivate them in that direction and hopefully we have a fun journey.”

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