Kat Conner
Kat Conner has built quite a legacy since given the opportunity to build a women’s soccer program at Texas State. Entering her 19th season as the leader of the Bobcats, Conner has won four regular season conference championships, five conference tournaments and has led Texas State to the NCAA Tournament five times. She enters 2017 with a career record of 185-153-26.
The Bobcats started the 2016 campaign with two straight shutouts for the first time in program history. The team earned its 100th victory at the Bobcat Soccer Complex with a 1-0 overtime win over Little Rock during the program's Ovarian Cancer Awareness Game. During the 2016 season, Texas State also set a program record by playing in seven overtime contests.
The 2015 campaign saw Conner take a reduced coaching role as she battled ovarian cancer. In the Bobcats’ second season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, Conner guided Texas State to its second consecutive SBC semifinal match before ultimately falling to Troy. The 2014 Bobcats notched Conner’s ninth, 10-win team at Texas State and had a pair of student-athletes earn all-conference accolades.
As a junior in 2014, Lynsey Curry became the first Texas State soccer player to be named First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference after leading the Bobcats with seven goals including two game winners. Freshman defender Elizabeth Havenhill earned Second-Team All-SBC honors as a pivotal member of the Bobcat backline.
In Texas State’s first season in the SBC, Conner led the team to a 4-3-1 record and a semifinal finish in the tournament. The move to the SBC was the third conference realignment in as many years for Texas State.
After earning Freshman of the Year honors in the WAC in 2012, Curry was named Second-Team All-SBC alongside Tori Hale, who finished her Texas State career as program’s all-time assists leader. In 2013, Hale tied the single season record in assists with nine.
Conner’s latest appearance in the NCAA Tournament came in 2011 after the Bobcats defeated Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference Tournament, 1-0. Heading into the game, SFA was the leading goal scoring team in the country with over 3.4 goals per game.
Texas State finished that season 14-6-1, just one of 20 teams in the country to win at least 12 games. From 2008-11, the Bobcats won a combined 53 games, 30th most in the NCAA.
Individually, Texas State finished the 2011 season with a league-high six All-Southland Conference selections along with Newcomer of the Year, Andrea Mauk.
| KAT CONNER YEAR BY YEAR RECORD |
|
| Season |
School |
Overall |
Pct. |
Conference Record |
Pct. |
Postseason |
| 1999 |
Texas State |
9-9-3 |
.500 |
6-3-3 (Southland) |
.625 |
NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2000 |
Texas State |
12-8-0 |
.600 |
9-3-0 (Southland) |
.750 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2001 |
Texas State |
14-7-0 |
.667 |
10-2-0 (Southland) |
.833 |
NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2002 |
Texas State |
9-8-2 |
.526 |
7-3-2 (Southland) |
.667 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2003 |
Texas State |
9-10-2 |
.476 |
8-4-0 (Southland) |
.667 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2004 |
Texas State |
13-10-0 |
.565 |
8-4-0 (Southland) |
.667 |
NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2005 |
Texas State |
9-10-0 |
.474 |
5-2-0 (Southland) |
.714 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2006 |
Texas State |
7-13-2 |
.364 |
5-4-2 (Southland) |
.545 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2007 |
Texas State |
5-11-2 |
.374 |
3-4-2 (Southland) |
.444 |
|
| 2008 |
Texas State |
13-4-4 |
.714 |
7-0-2 (Southland) |
.888 |
NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2009 |
Texas State |
14-6-1 |
.690 |
8-0-1 (Southland) |
.944 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2010 |
Texas State |
12-8-1 |
.595 |
5-3-1 (Southland) |
.611 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2011 |
Texas State |
14-6-1 |
.690 |
8-1-0 (Southland) |
.889 |
NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2012 |
Texas State |
8-12-1 |
.405 |
4-4-0 (WAC) |
.500 |
WAC Tournament |
| 2013 |
Texas State |
8-9-2 |
.474 |
4-3-1 (Sun Belt) |
.562 |
Sun Belt Conference Tournament |
| 2014 |
Texas State |
11-7-2 |
.600 |
5-3-1 (Sun Belt) |
.611 |
Sun Belt Conference Tournament |
| 2015 |
Texas State |
12-6-0 |
.667 |
6-3-0 (Sun Belt) |
.667 |
Sun Belt Conference Tournament |
| 2016 |
Texas State |
6-9-3 |
.417 |
3-5-2 (Sun Belt) |
.400 |
|
| Career Totals |
185-153-26 |
.544 |
111-51-17 |
.668 |
Nine Team Championships |
During her tenure in the Southland, Conner coached three Conference Players of the Year, four Newcomers of the Year, three Freshmen of the Year, one All-American and 55 All-Conference team members.
In Texas State’s inaugural season in 1999, Conner led the Bobcats to a 9-9-3 overall record and a 6-3-3 mark in the Southland Conference to finish third overall and advance to the league’s postseason tournament. Despite the inexperience, Texas State claimed its first-ever SLC Tournament title and played in the NCAA Tournament play-in game.
Two years later, the Bobcats returned to the NCAA Tournament after posting a 14-7-0 overall record and claiming the SLC title and sweeping through the SLC tournament. It was just the second time in league history a team had won both the conference and conference tournament championships.
Conner continued her winning ways in 2002 when Texas State shared the SLC championship with Southeastern Louisiana, and again in 2004 when the Bobcats won the SLC Tournament and made its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas State turned in the best season in school history during the 2008 season. The Bobcats posted a 13-4-4 overall record and went undefeated against SLC opponents with a 7-0-2 mark to claim the SLC championship. Duplicating the feat previously achieved in 2001, Texas State also won the Southland Tournament and advanced to the NCAA’s.
Texas State met Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA postseason for the third time in program history. The Aggies held a 2-0 lead by halftime, and despite scoring its first two goals ever against the Aggies, Texas State fell by a score of 5-2.
After losing four members from the spectacular squad, the 2009 season seemed to fall right into place. The Bobcats enjoyed another undefeated conference season, going 8-0-1 and with a 14-6-1 overall mark.
Conner was named Southland Coach of the Year and junior Britney Curry was named the 2009 Player of the Year. Curry ranked seventh nationally averaging .842 goals per game and eighth with an average of two points per game. The honor marked the third-straight season Curry was named to a postseason team, a feat a number of athletes have enjoyed under Conner’s leadership.
Conner has coached quite a few stars during her time in San Marcos as Curry finished her career as Texas State’s all-time career scoring leader with 123 points (53 goals, 17 assists). In 2010, she was the leading scorer in the conference, with 33 points (14 goals, five assists). Nationally, she ranked 13th in both total goals (14) and goals per game (0.667) and 18th in points per game with 1.57. For her career, she finished just four points shy of the all-time Southland Conference record of 127 points by Kim McNally (Southeastern Louisiana, 2002-04).
Marva Bailey (1999-2002) earned First-Team All-SLC honors each year of her career at Texas State and Kendra Kade repeated the achievement from 2001-2004. In 2002, Sarah Buchrucker became Texas State’s first soccer All-American after being named to the Verizon Wireless All-American Team. In 2004, Danielle Holloway became the SLC’s first player in history to be named Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season.
In addition to the success on the field, Conner prides herself on student-athletes performing well in the classroom. Along with a championship caliber program on the field, she demands the same for her player’s education.
| THE KAT CONNER FILE |
|
| Coaching Honors |
| Southland Conference Coach of the Year |
2008, 2009 |
|
| Coaching Experience |
| Pacific Lutheran - Assistant Coach |
1991-92 |
| Texas A&M - Assistant Coach |
1993-98 |
| Texas State - Head Coach |
1999-present |
|
| Playing Experience |
| Hardin Simmons |
1987-89 |
| Pacific Lutheran |
1990 |
|
| Team Championships |
| 1999 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2001 |
Southland Conference Regular Season |
| 2001 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2002 |
Co-Southland Conference Regular Season |
| 2004 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2008 |
Southland Conference Regular Season |
| 2008 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
| 2009 |
Southland Conference Regular Season |
| 2011 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
In 2015, the soccer team earned its second Emmett Sheldon Award, an honor given to the Texas State’s highest female team GPA. The first time that the Bobcats earned the award was after the 2004-05 school year.
Jayne Sherman, a two-time All-SLC Academic winner, became the first Texas State soccer player to be named SLC Student-Athlete of the Year in 2005.
The 2013 school year also marked a first academically for the Bobcats, as Tori Hale was named a Capital One Academic All-District First-Team selection. Hale matched that honor in 2014 alongside fellow senior Jourdan Brown.
Prior to taking the reins at Texas State, Conner was an assistant at Texas A&M under Aggie head coach G. Guerrieri. There, Conner was responsible for recruiting and coaching all phases of the game, scheduling, travel, budget, summer camps, as well as monitoring academics for the team.
During her five seasons at A&M, the Aggies made four NCAA tournament appearances, won one Big 12 Championship and one Big 12 Tournament championship.
Conner began her coaching career at Pacific Lutheran University after completing a successful playing career for the Lutes in 1990, where she earned a B.A. in physical education. Conner served as the Lutes’ defensive coordinator, handling recruiting and travel. As a coach, Conner helped lead the team to a national championship in 1991 and a national runner-up finish in 1992. The Lutes combined record over Conner’s stay as a player and a coach was 57-8-7, and they made the NAIA Championship game all three years.
The 1991 championship team has been inducted into the Pacific Lutheran Hall of Fame. It marked the last time the Lutes won a NAIA national championship.
Prior to finishing her playing career at Pacific Lutheran, Conner played three years at Hardin Simmons. There, she led her team to the NAIA Championship game in 1988. She also was named to the NAIA All-Tournament team in 1988.
In addition to coaching at Texas State, Conner has been involved with developing Texas youth soccer. She has been a member of the coaching staff for the Region III Olympic Development Program and served as the coach for the South Texas U16 team.
Collegiately, Conner was a member of the 2011 NCAA Central Ranking Committee during the season. She was the chairman of the NSCAA Central Ranking Committee in 2011 after serving on it since 2009.
From 2004-07, Conner was appointed to the NCAA soccer rules committee by both the Southland Conference and the NCAA. Conner holds a USSF “A” license as well as a U.S. Soccer Goalkeeping license and NSCAA Premier License.
Conner, a native of Irving, Texas, graduated from Nimitz High School.
