Veteran NCAA Division I head coach and assistant Kat Mertz was named head coach of the MSU Denver women’s soccer program on May 14, 2021, and immediately produced the Roadrunners' best two-season stretch since 2014-15.

Mertz guided the Roadrunners to a 12-4-4 overall finish in 2022, posting the program's highest win total and best regular-season Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record (7-2-3) since 2014, the last time MSU Denver reached the NCAA Division II Tournament. MSU Denver posted a second straight unbeaten home season with Mertz in charge -- the Roadrunners are 14-0-5 at the Assembly Athletic Complex under Mertz. MSU Denver had an 0.64 goals-against average that led the RMAC and had 12 shutouts. Jaimy Sawaged put together an outstanding senior season, scoring nine goals while earning All-RMAC first team and D2CCA All-South Central Region scond team honors. Defender Elli Zimmer earned the same accolades, while midfielder Luna Garcia was named to the All-RMAC first team and defender Emily Sirois made the All-RMAC second team.

MSU Denver finished 10-6-2 overall in 2021, including 7-5 in RMAC play. That mark was good for the seventh seed in the tournament, though the Roadrunners' total of 21 points was closer to first place (30) than it was to eighth (11). MSU Denver had an incredibly difficult road schedule in league play, facing five of the top six teams away from home. They lost all five of those matchups, though by a total of only six goals, before losing at 10th-ranked UCCS 1-0 in the first round of the RMAC Tournament. The Roadrunners allowed only 12 goals in 18 games all season, and their 0.65 goals-against average was the program's best since 2014 and was the 10th-best in program history. Veteran defender Jordan Lewis and midfielder closed out their careers by earning All-South Central Region second team and All-RMAC first team honors. Zimmer and true freshman goalkeeper Kayla Caballero earned All-RMAC second team honors, and defender Kate Giordano was a CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 selection.

Before joining MSU Denver, Mertz had been an assistant coach at Oklahoma since January, 2020, after previous stints as a head coach at Oregon, Saint Louis and UNLV. She participated in nine NCAA Tournaments as a coach while compiling a record of 102-122-36.

She also has 12 years of experience coaching in the U.S. Women’s National Team program.

While coaching Oregon from 2013 through 2019 led the Ducks to program-high No. 14 RPI ranking during the 2018 season and to a 47-74-13 overall record, including 30-39-8 over her last four seasons.

She was the head coach at Saint Louis for the 2012 season, leading the Billikens to a 5-9-3 record, before taking the head coaching position at Oregon.

Prior to Saint Louis, Mertz was an assistant coach at Texas in 2010 and 2011, helping the Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament both seasons.

While head coach at UNLV from 2005 through 2009, Mertz compiled a 50-39-19 record and led the Rebels to NCAA Tournament berths in 2005 and 2006 after winning Mountain West Conference Tournament titles. She was also named Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading the Rebels to the regular season league crown in 2007.

In 2005 — Mertz's first season as head coach — UNLV set school records for wins and fewest goals allowed. The program earned its first national ranking in 2008. Mertz coached 17 all-conference performers at UNLV, including MWC Co-Offensive Player of the Year and three all-region honorees.

She was an assistant coach at UCLA from 2000 through 2004, helping the Bruins reach the round of 16 in each of her five seasons, including NCAA College Cup appearances in 2000, 2003 and 2004. UCLA won three Pacific-10 Conference championships during her stay there.

She was an assistant coach at Virginia in 1999.

A member of the U.S. Women’s National Team’s U-20, U-19 or U-18 coaching staffs from 2007 to 2016, Mertz helped lead the U-20 squad to the 2008 FIFA World Cup title. She was also an assistant coach for the U-15 team in its inaugural season in 2004.

Mertz served as head coach of the Olympic Development Program Region IV '94 age group team and was the ODP Region IV assistant director of goalkeeping from 2004 to 2010.

As a player, Mertz was a goalkeeper at North Carolina State from 1994 through 1997, where she helped the Wolfpack qualify for three NCAA Tournaments and reach the 1995 national quarterfinals. She started 88 of a possible 90 matches and set school records for saves in a career (436) and a season (135 in 1994) while posting 24 career shutouts.

Following her collegiate career, Mertz played two seasons for the Raleigh Wings, a W-1 (top tier) team in the United Soccer League's W-League.

Mertz earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State in natural resources, ecosystem assessment in 1998. She holds a United States Soccer Federation "A" national coaching license and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Advanced National Diploma. She is also a member of WeCOACH, an organization dedicated to the recruitment, advancement and retention of women coaches of all sports and levels.

Mertz and her wife Erica have a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Blake.

Collegiate Head Coaching Record of Kat Mertz 

Year

School

Overall

Conf.

Postseason/Championships

2005

UNLV

14-7-3

5-2

Mountain West Conference tournament champions

NCAA Tournament

2006

UNLV

9-11-3

3-4

Mountain West Conference tournament champions

NCAA Tournament

2007

UNLV

11-5-5

5-1-1

Mountain West Conference regular season champions

2008

UNLV

11-7-3

3-3-1

2009

UNLV

5-9-5

1-5-1

2012

Saint Louis

5-9-4

3-4-2

2013

Oregon

4-12-3

2-8-1

2014

Oregon

7-10-2

3-7-1

2015

Oregon

6-13

3-8

2016

Oregon

8-10-2

2-8-1

2017

Oregon

8-11

2-9

2018

Oregon

9-9-1

3-8

2019

Oregon

5-9-5

1-8-2

2021

MSU Denver

10-6-2

7-5

2022

MSU Denver

12-4-4

7-2-3

2 years

MSU Denver

22-10-6

14-7-3

15 years

Total

124-132-42

50-82-13