PULLMAN, Wash. - Making a splash on the national stage Washington State's soccer coaching staff was named the 2019 NCAA Division 1 Women's National Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches Friday morning. The Cougars' coaching staff of head coach Todd Shulenberger, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jon Harvey, and assistant coach Greg Sheen led the team to new heights in 2019 earning them top recognition by their fellow coaches in the national organization. 

In a season for the record books, the Cougars won a program record 16 games on their way to the first College Cup in WSU history. No team prior had made it further than the third round of the NCAA Tournament, a feat Shulenberger and Harvey accomplished two years prior in 2017. With Sheen added to the mix, the Cougars ran through the postseason defeating No. 14 Memphis (1-0), No. 3 Virginia (3-2), West Virginia (3-0), and No. 5 South Carolina (1-0, OT) before falling to No. 2 North Carolina (2-1) in the national semifinals. The combined record of WSU's opponents in the postseason, who had a combined nine all-americans on their rosters, was an impressive 89-17-10 with four of those losses coming to the Cougs in tournament play. In all, the Cougars defeated both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds on the road in their bracket before facing off with a second No. 1 seed in North Carolina at the College Cup.

In addition to the team's historic postseason run the Cougars put together one of the best statistical performances in program history in 2019. Offensively, the Cougars finished the year scoring 45 goals with 46 assists for 136 total points. The 45 goals and 136 points both rank as the third most in program history and the most for a Cougar team in 28 years. The 46 assists finished second all-time in WSU history, one shy of the all-time record of 47 set in 2002. Even more impressively, the Cougars put together a stellar defensive campaign while breaking in a young and inexperienced back four. Overall, WSU would finish with 10 shutouts, including three in the postseason, a mark which ranks tied for fourth most all-time in program history.

Under the guide of WSU's coaches, senior Morgan Weaver would be named a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American becoming just the second Cougar all-time to earn national recognition.

The Cougars return eight of their 11 starters in 2019 including all-region honoree Brianna Alger and USWNT camp invitee Makamae Gomera-Stevens. The Cougs also welcome in a stellar recruiting class to bolster their ranks for another run at the College Cup.