Showcase of Champions

Success continues for the women’s soccer program under the direction of head coach Jeff Hooker. His presence at Denver serves as a symbol of commitment to the University’s goal of joining the national elite. Hooker became the third head coach in the program’s 20-year history after taking over the reins in 1992. He returns for his 18th season at the helm of the women’s program for the 2009 season.

The Pioneers have achieved greatness under Hooker’s watch with at least eight wins in all of his 17 seasons, including a string of 11 consecutive seasons of nine or more wins from 1994 to 2004. Hooker’s teams compiled a school-record 19 wins in two of the last three seasons.

In his 17th season in 2008, Hooker became the longest-serving current DU coach and tied Jim Bain, who coached women’s swimming and diving for 17 years, as the longest-serving coach of a women’s team at DU. Hooker earned his 200th career win in DU’s season-opening 3-1 victory over New Mexico. The Pioneers earned their third consecutive Sun Belt Tournament title along with claiming the regular season conference crown, earning Hooker Co-Coach of the Year honors. Senior forward Taryn Hemmings was named the SBC Player of the Year for a second time, and a league-high six Pioneers earned All-SBC honors.

Hooker led the 2007 Pioneers to a 13-5-4 record. On Sept. 23, 2007, Hooker guided DU past No. 1-ranked Stanford in a neutral site game in Boulder, Colo., marking the first time Denver defeated the nation’s top team. After going 9-2-2 in the Sun Belt Conference, the Pioneers captured their fifth SBC Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.