Entering her third season as the head coach of the Shepherd women's soccer program is Emily Hester.
Hester led the Rams to a 5-8-5 overall mark with a 4-4-5 record in MEC action. The Rams battled to a 1-1 tie with eventual MEC champion West Virginia Wesleyan in the season finale. Additionally, sophomore Katherine Eddy earned second team All-MEC honors.
Hester came to Shepherd after serving as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Southern Utah University for two seasons.
Prior to coaching at Southern Utah, Hester had stints at Chicago State in 2015 and Southwest Minnesota State in 2014.
A 2014 graduate of Bellevue University, Hester lettered four years for the women's soccer team. She was a three-time MCAC Scholar-Athlete and an All-MCAC second team honoree. Hester earned Team MVP, Bellevue University Female Athlete of the Year, and gained an NAIA Champions of Character award as a senior. She helped lead the Bruins to three MCAC regular season championships and four NAIA national tournament appearances.
Hester brings an extensive experience as she holds a USSF D National License, a USSF E License, and NSCAA Goalkeeping Level 1, 2 & 3 Diplomas. She also worked as a camp coach at the University of North Carolina for seven years and at the University of Texas for one year. Additionally, she has coaching experience with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) and various club teams.
Hester holds a master's degree from Southwest Minnesota State.
Open letter from Coach Hester
