Jen Simonetti - Women's Soccer Coach - University of Akron Athletics

Jen Simonetti

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
womenssoccer@uakron.edu
Phone:
(330) 972-7651

Jen Simonetti is in her third season on the Zips' sidelines in 2024 after being named head coach of The University of Akron women's soccer program in July 2022.

The Zips have proven to be true student-athletes under Simonetti as Akron has posted department-best grade-point averages in each of the last three semesters, including a 3.674 GPA for the 2023-24 academic year. The Zips were tabbed as a United Soccer Coaches Collegiate Team Academic award winner during each of her first two seasons and for 13 consecutive years overall.

A quartet of Zips earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District accolades in 2023 led by Katharina Bilz, Ella Hadley, Morgan Pentz and Katie Stafford. Earning Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors were Bilz, Caitlin Bruni, Quinn Casey, Hadley, Emma King, Pentz, Laurie-Anne Renaud and Stafford.

In Simonetti's initial campaign in 2022, Ella Hadley was tabbed a Second-Team All-MAC selection, while King was named to the All-MAC Freshman squad. Additionally, 10 Zips garnered Academic All-MAC accolades.

Simonetti arrived at Akron after three successful campaigns at Case Western Reserve University where she led the Spartans to a 30-7-3 mark after being named head coach in 2019.

During the 2021 campaign, Simonetti guided the Spartans to a 16-2-2 record en route to being named by D3Soccer.com as its 2021 National Coach Staff of the Year, while being honored as the United Soccer Coaches Division III Region VII Coaching Staff of the Year.

Simonetti led one of the biggest turnarounds in Division III, leading the Spartans to 30 victories and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of her two full campaigns, including setting or equaling the program record for wins each season. Case Western Reserve had one previous NCAA Tournament berth in program history prior to Simonetti's arrival in 2019.

In 2021, CWRU reached the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament, the furthest a Spartan women's soccer team has ever advanced. The Spartans' 16 wins set a new program-best en route to finishing second in the conference, their highest finish in program history. In addition, Case Western Reserve ended the year ranked 10th in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches poll.

In her first year as the Spartans' head coach in 2019, the Spartans advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for just the second time in program history. The Spartans finished the season with a record of 13-5-1, including an 11-0-1 record in non-conference play. The 13 victories tied a program record for wins in a season with the 2011 squad.

Simonetti brings with her extensive experience as a collegiate coach to the Akron women's soccer program, with stints serving as the Head Coach at both Eastern Oregon University (NAIA) and Marietta College, and making multiple stops as an assistant coach, including the University of Massachusetts Lowell (Division I), and Division III programs in Oberlin College, Westfield State University, Chatham University, and Marietta College.

A standout defender at the University of Dayton, Simonetti earned a spot on the NSCAA All-America Third Team as a senior in 2004. She also claimed the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior and was a two-time all-conference first team selection during her time with the program. Simonetti was also a starting defender for the Cincinnati Ladyhawks of the W-League while in college. Simonetti graduated from Dayton with a bachelor's degree in Pre-Physical Therapy and Exercise Science, has her USSF 'C' License, and has received multiple United Soccer Coaches Diplomas, including her Director of Coaching, and State and Regional Goalkeeping

She resides in Fairlawn, Ohio with her husband, Mark, and their three children, Sydney, Charlotte and Jackson.