New women's soccer coach Vettori excited about new opportunity

Sports Editor Dave Lomonico recently spoke with new women's soccer coach Katherine Vettori about her coaching experiences, her perception of Loyola and what she brings to the program:

You said you were waiting for the Loyola job to open up. Why did you want to come here?

Loyola's a place I've had my eye on for quite a few years. It's a great academic institution, which is very important to me. And the minute I stepped on campus years ago, I loved the architecture, the atmosphere and the type of student that attends Loyola. It reminds me of my higher education experiences. And obviously the soccer program is very successful, and the Loyola athletic department is very supportive of women's soccer. It's the type of program I want to be associated with.

With all of the coaching experience you've already had, what do you bring to Loyola?

I've been fortunate enough to work at the college-level for a while, but then recently I've been working on the youth-level day in and day out. I've been working with high school aged players, which will help recruiting. College coaches have been calling about my players, so it's been extremely educational getting to know that side of the recruiting process. I've gotten to know a lot of coaches, and recruiting is starting earlier and earlier in high school. The players are now committing their sophomore years, so I've been making contacts, getting to know high school and club coaches and building a relationship. It's going to be an advantage when I recruit.

You're only 33 and been through a lot of coaching already - how did you get involved in all this?

I was an assistant with UPenn, and when the coach left, his position opened up. I jumped on the job, and from there I just caught the bug. It's what I want to do with my life; I love to coach.

Are you a more hands-on, personable coach or a "me vs them" type of coach with a more distant relationship?

Communication is extremely important. Talking to the players and meeting with the captains so they understand where I'm coming from and vice versa is important. In women's athletics, relationships are essential. There will be some days when they don't like me, but I do think outlining goals and talking about that builds team chemistry. That's a big focus for me.

What was the interview process like?

Loyola was extremely thorough in their coaching search. They were very professional. It's the most professional and rewarding interview I've ever been through, and I appreciate the time they gave me.

Did you want to stay in Maryland; were there any limitations?

My husband's job restricted me to this area, so that option of going to the Big 10 or Big 12 has not been there. But this is where I want to be, this is where we want to raise our children. I've been waiting a long time for the Loyola job to open up.

What's your assessment of the team so far?

I'm thrilled; we're only losing three players for this upcoming year, and that's great for the immediate future. The effort and the work level are extremely impressive to me, especially it being the end of the spring season. I've just been impressed with their maturity and how articulate they are. They're hard working, intelligent players.

Are there any players on the radar for next year?

I've been recruiting in Pennsylvania already - I'm going at it. For next year though, we do have a good freshmen group coming in that I'm excited about, but it might be a year where the freshmen don't contribute a whole lot because there's so many returning players. It's a solid upper class.

How do you plan to get this team back to the NCAA tournament?

We have a very tough schedule coming up - we open up at UVA, we play the Big 10, we play the ACC, we play two Colonial teams - and if we can get some quality wins early, and win some of those one goal games the team lost last year, we can get a better seeding in the NCAA tournament. And if we don't win the MAAC tournament -- in case that doesn't happen -- the quality wins will give us another chance to get into the NCAAs.

What was it like being a professional soccer player?

It was the early days of the 'W' league, and we just wanted to play and there wasn't anything else. Playing for the Dynamo - Mia Hamm was on that team and Kristine Lilly - that really was a memorable experience getting to play with players of that caliber.

What was it like being a three-time MVP at Duke?

I could not have asked for a better college experience. There were five of us that came in as freshmen, we got to play, and we just kept winning and winning. And we got to play for a national championship, which was just great. Those players are still my friends till this day.

What was your most memorable coaching experience?

Last year when my under-16 team won the Maryland State Cup was very special. They kind of overachieved, and to finally get that big cup and take them through that whole thing was great.