Coaching Staff

Daman Hagerott, the last coach to lead Whitworth to a conference title in women’s soccer, retakes the reins of the Pirates in 2009. Hagerott, who has his USSF "A" license, returns to the position he held from 1993-96.

During his four seasons leading the Pirates in the mid-90’s, Hagerott posted a record of 46-22-5 and won or shared NCIC championships in 1993 and 1995, earning conference Coach of the Year honors in 1995. The 1995 squad finished 13-6-2, while the 1996 team went 16-5-2 and was ranked as high as #2 in the NAIA polls. He coached Janay Mountain (1994) and Jennifer Tissue (1995 and 1996) to NCIC Player of the Year awards. Tissue was an NAIA All-American later selected in the inaugural draft of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA).

Hagerott stepped away as head coach of the women’s team to pursue a doctoral degree, but continued to serve as an assistant coach with Bushey in 1997. Currently an associate professor in Whitworth’s kinesiology department, Hagerott took a sabbatical in 2000 to study and work at Gonzaga, during which he was an assistant for the Bulldogs women’s team in 2000 and 2001. Hagerott resumed his teaching and assistant coaching duties at Whitworth in 2002 and continued through 2007. He did not coach this past fall.

Hagerott also has collegiate head coaching experience at Sterling College where he was the head men's coach from 1989-91, earning Kansas Collegiate Athletics Conference Coach of the Year in 1990, and also was the head women's coach in 1991. He was the head men's coach at Pacific Lutheran in 1983 where his record was 9-4-2.

He was a successful head coach at several Washington high schools: Federal Way (1982-85), Riverside (1986-87) and University (1992-95).

Hagerott was also the assistant coach for with the Spokane Shadow during its first three seasons (1995-97) as a member of the Northwest Division of the USL (United Soccer League). Hagerott has over 25 years of providing team training services to both coaches and players.

Hagerott takes over a team that finished 15-4-1 in 2008 and returns several key starters.

Matt Stueckle, Assistant Coach
E-mail Coach Stueckle at mstueckle@whitworth.edu

Matt Stueckle enters his eighth season as an assistant coach for the Pirate women's and men's soccer programs in 2009. He has helped coach the Whitworth men to four NWC titles in the last five years and the women to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2007.

Stueckle was a four-year standout on the Whitworth football team from 1996-99, earning First Team All-NWC honors three times. When he graduated he held the school record for career points scored (262). He then turned his attention to soccer, playing two seasons as a Pirate defender in 2000 and 2001. The 2001 team went 14-5-2 overall, earning Whitworth’s first league title since 1993. Stueckle was a First team All-NWC selection and a Second team NSCAA All-American. That 2001 team still holds the school record for most shutouts in a season with (13). In the summer of 2001 Stueckle started a semi-pro playing career with the Spokane Shadow, a PDL (Premier Development League) team that played in the Northwest Division of the USL (United Soccer League). Stueckle lead the league in scoring in 2002 along with being the team captain for two seasons (2002-03).

Along with coaching at Whitworth, Stueckle is in his 5th year as the head boys soccer coach at Mead High School in Spokane, earning a Greater Spokane League title in 2008 and state tournament appearances in 2006 (3rd place finish) and 2008 (top 8). Stueckle also coaches for the Spokane Shadow Youth Club where he’s coached U12 and U13 boys (2002-05), trained the club's goal keepers (2004-05) and now has coached the U16 age group for the past two years. For the past 5 years he has also assisted with the Spokane Soccer Academy. Stueckle has his USSF “B” License.

Stueckle earned a Master's of Arts degree in Special Education in 2004.

Jael Hagerott, Assistant Coach
E-mail Coach Hagerott at jhagerott07@whitworth.edu

One of the greatest players ever to don the Crimson and Black on the soccer field, Hagerott returns to help coach her former squad.

Hagerott was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American who finished her Pirate years as Whitworth's all-time leader in career assists with 30, and as one of the all-time goal scorers in Pirate history (also 30), despite an injury-plagued career.

A 2007 NSCAA Third Team All-American, she was a four-time First Team All-Northwest Conference honoree and was voted as the NWC's Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2003.

In 2007 she was instrumental in Whitworth's 18-3 season and concluded in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament, the Pirates' first-ever appearance in that championship.

Kate Horak, Graduate Assistant
E-mail Coach Horak at khorak11@whitworth.edu

Before joining the Whitworth Soccer Program as a graduate assistant in 2008, Kate Horak played soccer at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. She was a four-year starter and received NAIA All-America, All-Region, and All-Conference recognition as a senior. In 2007 she led the Fighting Saints to their best season in school history with 17-2-2 record that culminated in a NAIA national quarterfinal appearance. She graduated in the spring of 2008 from Carroll with a B.A. in Psychology and is continuing her education at Whitworth working towards an M.Ed in School Counseling.