Kelly Kuss was named the next head coach of the women’s varsity soccer program at the University on March 24 in a press release from John Hardt, Director of Athletics and Recreation. Hardt called the announcement “an exciting hire.”

Kuss was most recently an assistant coach at Dartmouth and also has coaching experience at Amherst. She is a former student-athlete herself, having played for the Colgate Raiders, a Patriot League rival. During her time at Colgate, she held leadership positions as both a team captain and a Patriot League Academic Honor Roll student.

“I am honored to join the Bucknell athletic department and lead the women’s soccer program. I was impressed with the top rate facilities and felt warmly welcomed by all the people I met on my visit. Bucknell’s commitment to high academic standards and a strong athletic program within the Patriot League is very important to me,” Kuss said.

In the 25 years of the Bison women’s soccer program, Kuss is the fourth hire. The University began a national search for a new head coach on Feb. 12 after Athletic Communications released a statement saying that former head coach Ben Landis was no longer being employed by the University. No additional information was provided on his disaffiliation with the soccer program at the time.

During the search process, Kuss, according to Hardt, quickly rose to the top of the pile as a pick for head coach because “being a student-athlete at a school like Bucknell presents many unique challenges, and Kelly Kuss is a perfect example.” He continued, saying that the primary mission of Bison athletics is to develop “successful, well-rounded, scholar-athletes” who are “just as passionate” about their academic pursuits as their own individual sports and he expects that Kuss will help shape this mold given her experience at institutions where the scholar-athlete concept is front and center.

The rest of the team is equally hopeful.

“We, as the women’s soccer team, are so excited to welcome Coach Kuss to our family. It’s been a long process, in which every teammate’s input was heard,” Lauren Dandie ’15 said.

The women’s soccer team held a 10-9-1 overall record last season, with a 4-4-1 finish in the Patriot League.

“We are looking forward to working together and pursuing a Patriot League championship under her leadership,” Dandie said.