Nov. 3, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) -- Kim Wyant came home from work one day in early September and had to break the news to her daughters that she needed to cancel plans for the weekend.
Knowing that her daughters were aware she juggled multiple soccer teams, Wyant clarified that she was going to start coaching the men's team at NYU.
"You're coaching the boys?" her eldest daughter, Alexandra, asked.
"From the perspective of a 9-year-old, she'll grow up not knowing that it's significant for a woman to coach a men's team," Wyant said.
Wyant, a UCF alum and the United States Women's National Team's first goalkeeper, got promoted to the gig at NYU after former head coach, Joe Behan, resigned because of family health reasons. While she's not the first female head coach of a men's team, she is currently the only female head coach for an NCAA men's soccer team.
It's just another significant chapter in history for the books of Kim Wyant's career.
As a member of UCF's women's soccer team in the 1980s, she was named Rookie of the Year her freshman year; the starting goalkeeper in the first ever NCAA Women's National Championship final; an All-American and eventually an inductee into UCF's Hall of Fame in 2010.
"Being at UCF, it really changed my life... Well, actually soccer changed my life. It gave me the opportunity to go to school and get a scholarship," said Wyant, who was the first of her family to attend college. "I feel very lucky to have ended up at Central Florida and it gives me great pride to be a Knight."
In 1985, Wyant traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a tournament where she was chosen along with 15 other women out of 80 to represent USA on the first women's national team.
Three Knights made the cut that year making UCF one of two universities to boast as many players on the national team. Alongside Wyant on her first trip abroad to Italy was future National Soccer Hall of Famer Michelle Akers and center-back Linda Gancitano.
Wyant appeared in the first national game, recording the team's first ever win and shutout. She later received the Special Recognitions Award from National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008.
After college she continued to play for the pros in the W-League. Her team, the Long Island Lady Riders, won the W-League championships every year from 1995-1997. She was named Goalkeeper of the Year for four consecutive years, honored as MVP of the 1997 championship series and was named an all-star twice.
Wyant eventually got into coaching, mostly through club teams but also at universities such as Florida Atlantic and Dowling College.
Wyant served on the Region 1 U.S national team's goalkeeping staff in addition to a number of New York club squads. Being heavily involved with these organizations, Wyant gained experience in working with three men's teams on top of working with the women.
"I went to practices and games for training session," Wyant said. "The game is no different, soccer is soccer, football is football. The [men's] games just move quicker."
Up until September, she had served on the women's staff as an assistant coach at NYU. Aware of her outstanding track record, the call came from NYU administration asking her to step into the role.
Before accepting the job, Wyant looked to her mentor and friend former UCF head coach Jim Rudy. Wyant talks to Rudy regularly and visits him as much as possible whenever she is back in Florida.
Rudy gave her the shot of encouragement she needed to jump into the new challenge.
"I said well look it's a team and you know your stuff... She knows how to run a session," Rudy said. "She is as sharp as any coach I know about tactics and training. She thinks about things on a very deep and intellectual level."
Wyant's transition into head coach couldn't have gone smoother. She has received an enormous amount of support from friends, family and most importantly the teams.
"They [NYU] showed a great, great high level of confidence in my ability to take this on and do well with it," Wyant said. "Friends and family, colleagues, people I have never met reached out to me. The guys on the team, the women on the other team, all tell me congratulations. In my perspective, the transition from going to what was to what it is now, it couldn't have gone better."
Of course she has faced some challenges settling into the new position, but Wyant was never one to back down from a challenge.
"No matter the coach, male or female, stepping into the program that has their coach leave one game into the season was going to have an enormous challenge and I think that [the challenge] is what intrigued me the most," Wyant said. "There is also the challenge of gaining respect and doing a good job."
Story by Christina Aguis; Photos courtesy of Kim Wyant and NYU Athletics