Dec. 18, 2013
San Jose, Calif. - Lauren Hanson, winner of NCAA Women's College Cup championships as a coach and player, accepted the position of San José State University women's soccer head coach. Athletics Director Gene Bleymaier made the announcement.
Hanson won both of her NCAA Women's Cup championships with the University of Portland. In 2005, she was an assistant coach with the Pilots and in 2002, was the team captain of Portland's championship team.
"I'm excited about coming to San José State and am very thankful that the committee and Gene gave me this opportunity," said Hanson about her first major college head coaching position. "I'm looking forward to turning the program into a future Mountain West powerhouse.
"There is a lot of potential to grow San José State's women's soccer into a strong program. The university is located in a recruiting hotbed and San José State has great opportunities to offer student-athletes."
"We are very pleased that Lauren has agreed to be our next women's soccer head coach," said Bleymaier. "We were very impressed with her background and her experience. We believe that she is a great fit for San José State and that she will be very successful here."
Hanson has seven seasons of NCAA Division I coaching experience. As the University of Oregon's Associate Head Coach during the 2009 through 2011 seasons, she coached the Ducks' backline and was the program's recruiting coordinator.
Hanson began her college coaching career at her alma mater, the University of Portland, in 2004. In 2005, Portland completed an undefeated season (23-0-2) en route to its second NCAA Women's College Cup championship. In 2006, Hanson was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) West Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Portland earned a berth to the NCAA Women's College Cup in four of her five seasons on the Pilots' staff.
As Lauren Orlandos, Hanson enjoyed an illustrious playing career. She was a four-year centerback for Portland and a member of three Pilot teams to play in the NCAA Women's College Cup. The 2000 and 2001 clubs reached the semifinals, and she captained the 2002 Pilots to the program's first NCAA Women's College Cup championship.
Hanson also has national team playing experience. She was a member of the United States Women's National Team in 2001 and competed on the U-18 and U-21 U.S. women's national teams.
Hanson played one season professionally after she was the ninth-overall selection in the 2003 Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) draft by the New York Power.
A native of Lake Forest, Calif., Hanson graduated from Portland in 2003 with her Bachelor of Arts degree. She and her husband, Travis, have two children, Cole and Taylor.
Hanson replaces Jeff Leightman, who stepped down after six seasons as the Spartans' head coach.