Grinnell College Women's Soccer

Kirsten Koester was named the Grinnell women's soccer coach in June of 2014 after serving as head coach at Cornell College.  She has enjoyed a successful stint at Grinnell, qualifying for the Midwest Conference Tournament four of her six years while going 32-20-4 in league play and 51-48-8 overall. Her 2018 team posted a 7-2 league record, their most MWC wins since 2012. In 2016, Koester guided the Pioneers to their first trip to the MWC championship match for the first time since 2006. Additionally, the 2016 team strung together a six-game winning streak, the longest for a Grinnell squad since 2008. In 2022, women's soccer claimed the MWC Title and Championship to make a post-season appearance in the NCAA Tournament.    Before coming to Grinnell, Koester found success at Cornell and in 2013 guided the Rams to their best season since 2002. Prior to coaching at Cornell, Koester was head soccer coach and athletics recruiting coordinator at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland for two years.   The Stoughton, Wis., native attended Luther College where she was a standout player. A two-time All-Iowa Conference midfielder for the Norse, she also served as team captain and was voted the teams Most Valuable Player as a senior while leading the squad to the league title. Koester also played basketball three years at Luther.   Koester received a bachelors degree in English and Art in 2005 and remained in Decorah as an assistant basketball coach for Luther during the 2005-06 season.   Koester gained her masters degree in English from Washington College in Maryland in 2009. She was the assistant womens soccer coach at Washington from 2006-08 and also assisted the womens basketball squad for a season.

Second season as the Assistant Women's Soccer Coach and Goalkeeping Coach at Grinnell College. Played at Drake University as a goalkeeper from 2018-2021. Grinnell College Women's Soccer - Midwest Conference: Back-to-back Midwest Conference Tournament Appearances '22 & '23 NCAA Tournament Birth in 2022 Undefeated Conference Champions 2022 Undefeated Regular Season Conference Title 2022