Caroline Kelly - Women's Soccer Coach - Oregon State University Athletics

Caroline Kelly

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
caroline.kelly@oregonstate.edu

Caroline Kelly was elevated to Interim Head Coach in July of 2024 before having the interim tag removed on Nov. 13 after a successful first season leading the Beaver soccer program.

Kelly made an instant impact during her first season, which included notable improvements on both sides of the ball, a six-game unbeaten streak and three-win improvement compared to the prior season.

The offense in 2024 improved its goalscoring total by 37.5%, finding the back of the net 22 times, while defensively the Beavers allowed eight fewer goals and had one of the best defenses during conference play, allowing 10 goals in 10 games, which tied for second-best in the WCC.

Oregon State defeated No. 11 Santa Clara, 2-1, on Senior Day at Paul Lorenz Field, claiming the program's first win over a ranked opponent since Sept. 30, 2021. Having played No. 20 Pepperdine to a 1-1 draw the week prior, the Beavers claimed points against ranked opponents in consecutive games for the first time since 2012.

Six players earned All-Conference recognition after the season ended, which featured Amaya Bautista being named WCC Defensive Player of the Year. McKenna Martinez was a Second Team All-Conference selection as Bautista, Juju Barker, Carly Carraher and Mya Sanchez were All-Conference Honorable Mentions and Hayden Wilson earned a spot on the All-Freshman team. 10 Beavers were also recognized when the conference announced its All-Conference Academic honorees.

She originally came to Corvallis in the summer of 2021 and played a key role in developing in developing both the OSU goalkeepers and back line, also serving as the team's recruiting coordinator and helping send four Beavers to the professional ranks.

For just the second time in the last 10 years, Oregon State's defense in 2023 posted seven clean sheets, a number that was highlighted by a commanding 2-0 victory over Oregon on senior night in Corvallis. Goalkeeper Hailey Coll finished the season with 95 saves and a save percentage of 75.4 while playing in every single game and stopping an average of five shots per contest.

In 2022, Kelly helped coach Coll to a pair of top-two finishes in the conference, coming in second in saves and saves per game. Coll made 111 stops on the year, averaging 5.32 saves per game between the posts, with a pair of clean sheets in shutout wins over Boise State and James Madison.

In her first season with OSU, the Beavs recorded the first win in program history at Stanford, breaking into the United Soccer Coaches Poll for the first time since 2012. The team started the season 8-0, scoring in every match for the first time in program history. Bridgette Skiba recorded 82 saves to rank second in the conference, while her 4.32 saves per game ranked third among Pac-12 keepers.

Kelly joined the Beavers after spending the 2020 season at Cincinnati, where she worked primarily with the goalkeepers and the back line. She helped guide the Bearcats to a 5-5-1 record in their abbreviated spring campaign as well as to the AAC championship game. Under Kelly's direction, Ashley Brarron was named the 2020 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Prior to her time in Cincinnati, Kelly spent two seasons as an assistant at Army. Her tenure was highlighted by an impressive run in the 2019 Patriot League Tournament, as the Black Knights earned an upset over No. 2 seed Holy Cross before falling in the tournament final. Under Kelly's guidance, Army 'keeper Sydney Cassalia earned Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2019, as well as First Team All-Region recognition in 2018.

Kelly spent the 2017 season as an assistant at Dartmouth, helping the team hold four clean sheets that year. In 2016 she served as a graduate assistant at South Carolina, as the team won an SEC title and made the Elite Eight.

Having played between the posts during her collegiate career, Kelly set Virginia Tech records for career goals against average (0.628) and season goals against average (.690). She spent her final year of eligibility at South Carolina, where she made 12 starts.

Following her collegiate career, Kelly played one season for the Women's Premier Soccer League's Boston Breakers Reserves. She allowed 0.57 goals per contest on the season, while posting a 13-1-0 record to pace the squad to a WPSL championship.

Kelly graduated magna cum laude with a bachelors' degree from Virginia Tech and earned a master's degree in sport and entertainment management from the University of South Carolina.