The 2025 season marks the 23rd season Travis Connell has led the Western Washington University women’s soccer program … has 29 total seasons as a coach with WWU soccer (men's and women's) dating back to 1996, which includes 14 seasons as the WWU Men's Coach from 1999-2012 (125-123-17) ... compiled 450 career victories as a WWU head coach … has led the WWU women's program to a 325-89-46 (.757) record with 13 appearances in the NCAA Division II Championships ... WWU has recorded 21 consecutive winning seasons (319-76-45/.776) during this stretch dating back to 2004 ... head coach of the 2016 and 2022 NCAA II National Champions ... WWU has played in the NCAA II West Regional Final in nine of the last 12 seasons, and made five trips to the NCAA II National Championships (Final Four) ... Vikings played for the national title in 2019, losing a 1-0 overtime contest to Grand Valley State (the team WWU beat in 2016 to win the title).
DOMINATING THE GNAC
WWU won its 12th GNAC regular-season title in 2024 with a 11-0-3 record ... went 12-0-0 to win the 2019 GNAC title marking the Vikings fifth undefeated run through the conference slate ... have won the GNAC title in eight of the last 12 seasons ... claimed the 2022 GNAC Championships title in 2022 for the sixth trophy in 10 years of the event.
WEST REGION & NATIONAL SUCCESS
The Vikings have played in the West Region Championship match in nine of the last 12 seasons (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), while winning five West Region titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022) ... WWU is a perfect 5-0 in national quarterfinal contests, hosting four of those events in Bellingham ... advanced to play in the NCAA II National Championships in 2013 (Evans, GA), 2015 (Pensacola, FL), 2016 (Kansas City, MO), 2019 (Pittsburgh, PA) and 2022 (Seattle, WA) ... WWU is 29-10-1 all-time in NCAA II Championships play.
2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The Vikings won the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship with a 19-2-4 record, conceding only three goals over seven postseason matches … Conceded just 13 goals all-season while keeping 15 clean-sheets for a goals against average of 0.52 ... beat #1 ranked West Chester in the national championship game 2-1 in front of a sold-out pro-WWU crowd at Seattle's Interbay Stadium … led the NSCAA Division II Staff of the Year ... coached three All-Americans in Morgan Manalili, Estera Levinte and Division II Player of the Year Tera Ziemer as well as having eight players recognized on the All-GNAC team.
2019 NATIONAL RUNNER-UP
The Vikings advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship match in 2019, finishing with a 23-3-0 record ... defeated by Grand Valley State 1-0 in double-overtime ... recorded a 19-game winning streak that was snapped in the national title match, the third-longest winning streak in program history ... marked eighth consecutive season with at least 15 victories ... set a conference record with 12 GNAC Player of the Week selections (10 different players) ... six players earned All-West Region honors and five players were selected as All-Americans ... finished with No. 2 national ranking by the United Soccer Coaches ... led NCAA Division II with a 0.341 goals against average.
2016 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The Vikings won the 2016 NCAA Division II National Championship with an undefeated 24-0-1 record, putting together a 24-game winning streak after a season-opening tie … beat three-time defending champion Grand Valley State in the national championship game 3-2 in Kansas City … led the NSCAA Division II Staff of the Year ... coached four All-Americans (Sierra Shugarts, Emily Webster, Caitlyn Jobanek, Ashley Homer) and had eight players recognized on the All-GNAC team.
THE WINNING STREAK
WWU set a program and GNAC record with a 39-game winning streak spanning the 2016 and 2017 seasons ... was the 4th-longest winning streak in NCAA Division II history ... also had a 40-game unbeaten streak (39-0-1 to tie for 4th-longest in Division II history), 30-game home winning streak at Harrington Field, 23-game road winning streak and 64-game unbeaten streak vs. conference opponents (58-0-6) that all carried into the 2017 season.
THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Connell has helped WWU to a final national ranking in the top 25 in 2008 (#10), 2012 (#13), 2013 (#3), 2014 (#17), 2015 (#3), 2016 (#1), 2017 (#8), 2018 (#11), 2019 (#2), 2021 (#10) and 2022 (#1) … appeared in 107 of the last 110 national polls (including receiving votes) between 2012 and 2021.
WHAT A DECADE
WWU combined to go 179-26-16 (.846) from 2010-19, recording the third-best record during the decade among NCAA II programs ... trailed only Grand Valley State (224-15-15) and Central Missouri (195-22-12) ... four national semifinal appearances were also 3rd-most among NCAA II programs (GVSU-9, Saint Rose-5) ... 179 wins during the decade were also 6th-most among all women's collegiate soccer programs at the NCAA I, II and III levels.
MOST WINS 2010-2019
All-NCAA Women's Programs |
| GRAND VALLEY STATE (DII) |
224 |
| MESSIAH (DIII) |
215 |
| STANFORD (DI) |
206 |
| CENTRAL MISSOURI (DII) |
195 |
| FLORIDA STATE (DI) |
184 |
| WESTERN WASH. (DII) |
179 |
| COLUMBUS STATE (DII) |
178 |
| VIRGINIA (DI) |
177 |
| NORTH CAROLINA (DI) |
175 |
| WASHU (DIII) |
175 |
HARRINGTON FIELD
Since Harrington Field made its debut as WWU's on-campus soccer facility on the south edge of campus, the Vikings have combined to go 92-7-9 for a .894 winning percentage ... hosted NCAA II Championship games at Harrington Field in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
NCAA RECORD BOOK
Entering the 2020/21 season, Connell is listed in several charts in the NCAA Women's Soccer Record Book ... career winning percentage of .762 is listed 29th all-time in NCAA history across all divisions and 18th among active head coaches ... among active NCAA II coaches, winning percentage is 5th-best and 261 victories are No. 14 ... listed No. 10 in NCAA II history in winning percentage (min. 10 years as head coach) and 23rd in total wins.
ADDITIONAL COACHING EXPERIENCE
Was WWU head men's coach for 14 seasons from 1999-2012, recording a 125-123-17 record, best in school history … GNAC Coach of the Year in 2002, 2007 and 2008, directing Vikings to league titles in 2002 and 2008 … also an assistant coach for the men’s program for three seasons … holds USSF National "A" Coaching License, highest coaching license available … Washington State ODP Boys staff coach in 1999 and coached at Oak Harbor High School from 1995-98 … was Coaching Director for WFC Rangers, a local select club in Bellingham … played two years professionally with Lafayette (LA) Swampcats, which won Eastern Indoor Soccer League title in 1998 and the Everett BigFoot, winning PDL Northwest Championship in 1997.
|
Overall |
GNAC |
|
|
| Year |
W |
L |
T |
Pct. |
W |
L |
T |
Pct. |
Finish |
Games |
| 2003 |
6 |
13 |
1 |
.325 |
3 |
8 |
1 |
.292 |
5 |
20 |
| 2004 |
12 |
7 |
1 |
.625 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
.625 |
3 |
20 |
| 2005 |
9 |
8 |
2 |
.526 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
.542 |
3 |
19 |
| 2006 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
.725 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
.750 |
2 |
20 |
| 2007 |
13 |
6 |
1 |
.675 |
8 |
5 |
1 |
.607 |
3 |
20 |
| 2008 |
17 |
3 |
2 |
.818 |
10 |
0 |
2 |
.917 |
1 |
22 |
| 2009 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
.684 |
8 |
1 |
3 |
.792 |
2 |
19 |
| 2010 |
10 |
4 |
4 |
.667 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
.607 |
4 |
18 |
| 2011 |
10 |
5 |
3 |
.639 |
9 |
4 |
1 |
.679 |
3 |
18 |
| 2012 |
19 |
4 |
0 |
.826 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
.857 |
1 |
23 |
| 2013 |
20 |
2 |
1 |
.891 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
.929 |
1 |
23 |
| 2014 |
16 |
1 |
4 |
.857 |
11 |
0 |
3 |
.893 |
1 |
21 |
| 2015 |
21 |
2 |
1 |
.896 |
11 |
0 |
1 |
.958 |
1 |
24 |
| 2016 |
24 |
0 |
1 |
.980 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
1 |
25 |
| 2017 |
18 |
2 |
0 |
.900 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
.917 |
2 |
20 |
| 2018 |
18 |
3 |
2 |
.826 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
.875 |
1 |
23 |
| 2019 |
23 |
3 |
0 |
.885 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
1 |
26 |
| 2020 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
.714 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
--- |
--- |
7 |
| 2021 |
15 |
5 |
3 |
.717 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
.750 |
2 |
23 |
| 2022 |
19 |
2 |
4 |
.826 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
.857 |
1 |
25 |
| 2023 |
12 |
5 |
4 |
.635 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
.714 |
2 |
21 |
| 2024 |
14 |
4 |
5 |
.717 |
11 |
0 |
3 |
.893 |
1 |
23 |
| Totals |
325 |
89 |
46 |
.757 |
198 |
44 |
28 |
.785 |
|
437 |
PRIOR TO WWU
Earned bachelor's degree in 1995 at Seattle Pacific University … three-year starter, four-year letterwinner and was team captain as a senior for the Falcons … started on SPU's 1993 NCAA Division II National Championship team … scored tying goal with 65 seconds left in 6-5 national semifinal win over Florida Tech … played on four Falcon teams that reached the national playoffs … 1991 graduate of Oak Harbor High School … his father, John, was head boys soccer coach at Oak Harbor HS and his brother, Caleb, lettered four years in soccer at Seattle Pacific … he and wife Georgianne, a four-time All-America gymnast at Seattle Pacific, have one son, Gracen, and two daughters, Bella Rae and Luca Joy.
Updated Aug. 6, 2025
