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Women’s Soccer Head Coach Kia McNeill Signs Multi-Year Contract Extension
1/30/2025 12:26:00 PM | Women's Soccer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Messing Family Head Coaching Position for Brown Varsity Women's Soccer Kia McNeill has signed a multi-year contract extension with Brown University, Samuel M. Mencoff '78 Vice President for Athletics and Recreation M. Grace Calhoun '92, Ph.D. has announced.
"We are so proud to extend our commitment to Coach McNeill, whose vision, passion, and leadership have truly transformed our women's soccer program," Calhoun said. "Kia's achievements at Brown are remarkable. We are grateful that College Hill is where she wants to be, and we know she and the program will only continue to rise."
"It's not often that you find a place where your personal and professional values align so seamlessly, and that's exactly what I've found here at Brown," McNeill said. "I'm incredibly grateful to Vice President Grace Calhoun, Assistant Vice President Jake Silverman, and President Christina Paxson for their unwavering support and belief in me, our women's soccer program, and the mission of Brown University as a whole. Their commitment is truly unmatched. I take great pride in ensuring that our program reflects excellence both on and off the field, and it's a privilege to serve as a coach, role model, and mentor to the young women who represent our program. I'm excited to continue to build upon this foundation and elevate our program in the years to come."
After arriving at Brown in December 2015, McNeill has an 86-31-19 overall record and a 39-10-6 record in Ivy League play. McNeill led the Bears to four consecutive Ivy League titles (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), the second four-peat in Brown women's soccer history. Brown Women's Soccer currently holds the record for the most Ivy League Championships in the league, with 16.
McNeill is a three-time Ivy League Coach of the Year (2019, 2021, 2023), and she and her staff have been named United Soccer Coaches East Region Staff of the Year twice (2019 and 2023). McNeill also received the Black Soccer Coaches Legend Award for College Coach of the Year (2022) and was named the New England Soccer Journal Coach of the Year and the World's Unlimited Female Sports Coach of the Year in 2019.
Brown's 25-0-2 Ivy League record from 2019-2023 was the best four-year Ivy League record in the last 35 seasons.
McNeill took the Bears to the 2019 NCAA Tournament and led them to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1994. In 2022, Brown picked up its second NCAA Tournament victory under McNeill with a 1-0 win at Rutgers. In 2023, Brown hosted an opening-round NCAA Tournament game and defeated Quinnipiac, 3-0, at Stevenson-Pincince Field. The Bears were a No. 3 seed at the 2023 NCAA Tournament and peaked at No. 5 in the RPI (Ratings Power Index) during the 2023 season.
Heading into the 2024 season, Brown was named by SoccerWire the No. 38 women's soccer program and the best Ivy League program in the nation.
Under McNeill's leadership, former Bear Brittany Raphino '23.5 became the first Ivy League women's soccer player to earn Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons. Raphino was also a three-time All-American and a MAC Hermann Trophy Semi-Finalist, awarded to the best player in college soccer. Joining Raphino as All-Americans under McNeill are Sydney Cummings (2019) and Kayla Duran (2022). Under McNeill, two Bears have won Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Christine Etzel (2016) and Kayla Duran (2021).
Brown has had the Ivy League Rookie of the Year three times under McNeill, Rebecca Rosen (2018), Brittany Raphino (2019), and Ella Weil (2024). Twenty-seven student-athletes earned All-Ivy League honors, and eight earned Academic All-Ivy honors.
After graduating from Brown, Brittany Raphino signed a professional contract with Sporting CP in Portugal, and Clare Gagne '24 signed a professional contract with the KC Current of the NWSL. As a graduate student, Gagne also won the 2024 National Championship with the University of North Carolina and was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the NCAA Tournament. More than ten players have gone on to play professionally under McNeill's leadership.
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the backbone of our athletics program, playing a crucial role in enhancing the student-athlete experience. This is possible through philanthropic support from our alumni, parents, fans, and friends. Your gift through the Sports Foundation can immediately impact today's Brown Bears, helping them excel in the classroom, in competition, and, most importantly, in the community. Please click here to learn more about how you can support the Bears.
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For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on X and @BrownU_Bears on Instagram. Like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.
"We are so proud to extend our commitment to Coach McNeill, whose vision, passion, and leadership have truly transformed our women's soccer program," Calhoun said. "Kia's achievements at Brown are remarkable. We are grateful that College Hill is where she wants to be, and we know she and the program will only continue to rise."
"It's not often that you find a place where your personal and professional values align so seamlessly, and that's exactly what I've found here at Brown," McNeill said. "I'm incredibly grateful to Vice President Grace Calhoun, Assistant Vice President Jake Silverman, and President Christina Paxson for their unwavering support and belief in me, our women's soccer program, and the mission of Brown University as a whole. Their commitment is truly unmatched. I take great pride in ensuring that our program reflects excellence both on and off the field, and it's a privilege to serve as a coach, role model, and mentor to the young women who represent our program. I'm excited to continue to build upon this foundation and elevate our program in the years to come."
After arriving at Brown in December 2015, McNeill has an 86-31-19 overall record and a 39-10-6 record in Ivy League play. McNeill led the Bears to four consecutive Ivy League titles (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), the second four-peat in Brown women's soccer history. Brown Women's Soccer currently holds the record for the most Ivy League Championships in the league, with 16.
McNeill is a three-time Ivy League Coach of the Year (2019, 2021, 2023), and she and her staff have been named United Soccer Coaches East Region Staff of the Year twice (2019 and 2023). McNeill also received the Black Soccer Coaches Legend Award for College Coach of the Year (2022) and was named the New England Soccer Journal Coach of the Year and the World's Unlimited Female Sports Coach of the Year in 2019.
Brown's 25-0-2 Ivy League record from 2019-2023 was the best four-year Ivy League record in the last 35 seasons.
McNeill took the Bears to the 2019 NCAA Tournament and led them to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1994. In 2022, Brown picked up its second NCAA Tournament victory under McNeill with a 1-0 win at Rutgers. In 2023, Brown hosted an opening-round NCAA Tournament game and defeated Quinnipiac, 3-0, at Stevenson-Pincince Field. The Bears were a No. 3 seed at the 2023 NCAA Tournament and peaked at No. 5 in the RPI (Ratings Power Index) during the 2023 season.
Heading into the 2024 season, Brown was named by SoccerWire the No. 38 women's soccer program and the best Ivy League program in the nation.
Under McNeill's leadership, former Bear Brittany Raphino '23.5 became the first Ivy League women's soccer player to earn Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons. Raphino was also a three-time All-American and a MAC Hermann Trophy Semi-Finalist, awarded to the best player in college soccer. Joining Raphino as All-Americans under McNeill are Sydney Cummings (2019) and Kayla Duran (2022). Under McNeill, two Bears have won Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Christine Etzel (2016) and Kayla Duran (2021).
Brown has had the Ivy League Rookie of the Year three times under McNeill, Rebecca Rosen (2018), Brittany Raphino (2019), and Ella Weil (2024). Twenty-seven student-athletes earned All-Ivy League honors, and eight earned Academic All-Ivy honors.
After graduating from Brown, Brittany Raphino signed a professional contract with Sporting CP in Portugal, and Clare Gagne '24 signed a professional contract with the KC Current of the NWSL. As a graduate student, Gagne also won the 2024 National Championship with the University of North Carolina and was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the NCAA Tournament. More than ten players have gone on to play professionally under McNeill's leadership.
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the backbone of our athletics program, playing a crucial role in enhancing the student-athlete experience. This is possible through philanthropic support from our alumni, parents, fans, and friends. Your gift through the Sports Foundation can immediately impact today's Brown Bears, helping them excel in the classroom, in competition, and, most importantly, in the community. Please click here to learn more about how you can support the Bears.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on X and @BrownU_Bears on Instagram. Like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.
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