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CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois women’s soccer coach Grant Williams announced on Tuesday that former professional soccer player and standout goalkeeper Libby Stout will join his staff as an assistant coach. 

Stout played for Williams at Western Kentucky, where she earned All-American status and was a three-time team Most Valuable Player. She posted a 45-17-11 career record from 2008-11 and set school records for wins, shutouts, goals against average and save percentage. Her 39 career shutouts ranked second all-time in NCAA Division I history at the time she graduated and still ranks eighth all-time.

“Our program just got better today and I couldn’t be more excited that Libby is joining our staff,” Williams said. “When I started to evaluate what characteristics would be important in helping me, and more importantly, our team develop on and off the field, Libby was the first person I thought of.”

After graduation, Stout played professionally overseas for five years with stops in France, Germany, England and Cyprus. Among her many career highlights, she helped Liverpool win a league title in 2014. Stout also played two seasons (2016-17) in the United States with the Boston Breakers of the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) and has international-team training camp experience with the U.S. Under-23 National Team in 2013.

“Her experience and success as a student-athlete and as a professional at the highest level will be an invaluable asset as a resource and role model for our team,” Williams continued. “I have witnessed first-hand her passion, character, and work ethic, as a collegiate athlete and I can’t wait to see it again as a coach with our program.”

Since retiring from professional soccer last fall, Stout has worked in the private sector while maintaining her Stout Goalkeeping (stoutgk.com) personal training platform for aspiring goalkeepers. She also served as an assistant goalkeeper coach with the Region 1 Olympic Development Program, based in Massachusetts, for youth soccer players.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Grant and the women’s soccer program at SIU,” Stout said. “I’m really looking forward to the transition from playing the game to coaching Division I soccer. Not to mention, the opportunity to start a program from the ground up is a unique and exciting prospect. I’m humbled to work alongside Grant and I can’t wait to get started and make SIU proud.”

Southern’s newly created women’s soccer program is preparing for competition in the fall of 2019 and entry into the Missouri Valley Conference in 2020.