The Most Winning Coach

Seattle University has had no shortage of outstanding coaches leading its sports teams, but only one stands on top as the winningest coach in SU history. And she still happens to be walking the sidelines, adding to that total.

Women’s Soccer Coach Julie Woodward, who has led the Redhawks program since 1997, has amassed more than 360 wins, more than any other SU coach of any sport, ever. In her nearly 30 years leading the program, only twice has a team finished with a losing record. Along the way, Woodward’s Redhawks have made five NCAA Division I tournament appearances and have consistently competed for the conference championship.

How has she been so consistently successful? Woodward told the Seattle Times in 2024 that it’s about the quality of student-athletes who come to Seattle University.

“The young women who come into our program, they’re just so committed to their education and they’re committed to being the best soccer player they can be,” Woodward said. “So, I would give most of the credit to the players that have come through the program.”

Woodward was actually one of those players. A native of West Seattle, she was a two-time All-American and led Seattle University to the 1993 NAIA tournament semifinals. But she did not think coaching would be in her future until she followed SU coach Betsy Duerksen to the University of Montana where, together, they started that school’s women’s soccer program.

Three years later, she returned to Capitol Hill to take over the Redhawks program.

“When I got the job, I was so excited because my years as an undergrad and student-athlete at Seattle U were so formative to who I am today,” Woodward told the Times. “I just had a great experience there and I thought it was a really great job, because I thought it would be easy to recruit student-athletes there because I believed in the university so much.”

Woodward has guided the program through its move back up to NCAA Division I and now into its first season in the West Coast Conference after moving from the Western Athletic Conference. SU won six regular-season WAC titles, including four in a row from 2013-16. The Redhawks exited the conference having won more WAC tournament games than any other school. She’s also coached nine conference Players of the Year.

In 2008, Woodward was inducted into the Seattle University Athletics Hall of Fame.

She’s also helped guide her own family into athletic success. Woodward and her husband Jason have four kids and all four played NCAA Division I sports.

Woodward told the Times that Seattle University has been “a perfect fit for me.”

“Working at a place whose mission and values align with mine makes it such an incredibly special thing,” she said. “I think that’s what keeps me so driven to keep doing what I’m doing.”