The Bryan College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is proud to announce the hiring of Kerri Butler as an Assistant Coach of the Lions Women’s Soccer program.
A native of Fredericksburg, Va., Butler comes to Bryan where she served as an assistant coach with NCAA Div. I and Mid-American Conference school, University of Akron (Ohio) Women’s Soccer Team, and helped the Lady Zips in 2015-16 to their best start in a season since 2008 and first MAC tournament appearance since 2011. Akron had an unlucky matchup with the No.
1 seed of tournament play, Ball State University (Ind.), but Butler and the rest of the Zips were determined to play the game to their strengths and did just that. Akron and Ball State battled 110 minutes of hard-fought soccer, but neither were able to capitalize, which sent the game into a shootout. With a 4-3 mark in penalty kicks, the Zips pulled off the upset of the Cardinals to advance to the MAC Tournament Semifinals for the first time in program history. Akron was able to accomplish the feat with Butler on board, aiding alongside the Zips’ first-year Head Coach, Noreen Herlihy.
Prior to Akron, Butler called NCAA Div. II Slippery Rock University (Penn.) her home where she performed the duties of a graduate assistant during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. But her passion for the sport truly revealed itself at NCAA Div. I powerhouse, West Virginia University, where she competed in her undergraduate career for the Mountaineers and earned a spot in both the NCAA and West Virginia University’s record books. Her 44 shutouts compiled during her career while wearing old gold and blue is the 7th-highest in NCAA history and the best by any Mountaineer. She also holds the record at West Virginia for career goals-against average (0.67) and single-season shutouts (14). With Butler between the posts for the West Virginia, the Mountaineers took the BIG EAST Conference crown in 2007 and 2010 before switching over to the BIG 12 Conference where they also were named conference champions, while also seeing the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. Her performance on the pitch earned her All-BIG EAST, BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team, BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Soccer Buzz All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team, and NSCAA All-Region honors.
In 2012, Butler received her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia in exercise physiology. Instead of moving on directly after graduation, she chose to keep the high reputation alive of Mountaineer’s goalies by mentoring the women’s soccer keepers for two years, as well as, pass on her knowledge to participants of the West Virginia United Soccer Club and West Virginia Women’s Soccer summer camps.
Her playing career was far from over following her time as a Mountaineer as she gained attention at an Atlanta Beat open tryout, giving way to her first action in Women’s Professional Soccer. Her extensive playing career also includes being a part of D.C. United Women’s Soccer’s inaugural season, which is a member of the W-League, the second tier of Women’s Professional Soccer in the United States and Canada.
Founded in 2009, the Chattanooga Football Club, which is just a short 45-minute drive south of Bryan College, has had several Lions’ coaches and players either play or coach the Southeast Division member of the National Premier Soccer League, and the newest Lion to be a part of the organization is Butler. In addition to guarding the goal for CFC, her background as a goalkeeper trainer at Pro Performance and the Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albemarle will help her serve as a CFC Academy Coach and Goalkeeper Trainer.
Continuing education has been important to Butler, and the time spent at “The Rock”, Slippery Rock, allowed her the opportunity to receive a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education. Her impressive resume continues to build as she already has her NSCAA Level 1 Goalkeeper License, USSF “F” License, and is registered to take the USSF “E” License this month. Another goal of hers is to complete both the USSF “D” License and bump her NSCAA Goalkeeper License to Level 2 this summer.