Last week, Saint Louis University announced the addition of a new head coach for the women’s soccer program, completing a months-long search to fill the position.
Kat Mertz, a collegiate coaching veteran with more than a dozen years of experience under her belt, joins the Billiken soccer program with tangible excitement and a clear vision for success.Mertz has spent time at four Division 1 programs and has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 13 seasons.
For the past two years, she served as an assistant coach with the University of Texas. The Longhorns made NCAA Tournament appearances in both of those seasons. Prior to her stint at Texas, Mertz held the head coaching job at UNLV for five seasons, from 2005-2009.
The Rebels made two NCAA Tournament appearances during her tenure and three times shared in the Mountain West Conference title. In 2007, Mertz was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.
“I knew I wanted to be a head coach,” Mertz said.
Her time at Texas allowed her to grow in understanding of the collegiate game, and it also helped her realize her calling as the head of a program.
“When the [Saint Louis head coaching] job opened up, there was a lot of vibe about the position,” Mertz said.
“I hadn’t seen the campus, but I know the A-10 is a wonderful conference, and there’s such a rich soccer history and tradition here in St. Louis that I was excited about.”
After touring campus, Mertz said she knew right away Saint Louis could be a winner.
“I’ve been on a lot of different campuses,” Mertz said. “As a coach, you want to be somewhere where you can bring a recruit to campus and get them to say ‘Wow!’ You can really do that here.”
Mertz also said that SLU’s academic reputation is an important recruiting tool.
“In this day and age, there’s such a high value in education, and that’s something we want our athletes to place a high value on,” she said. “You need a place where students are going to grow on the field and off the field. They’re going to get a good education, and I really believe that we can do that here.”
For any new head coach, recruiting is hot on their radar. Mertz has experience recruiting in the Southwest through her time at Texas and UNLV, as well as her stints with UCLA and her time coaching the Regional Olympic Development Program for youth soccer.
But she knows that coming to the Midwest presents a new set of challenges and a new set of talent.
“There’s some really great talent and great club teams in this area,” Mertz said. “If I get in the car and drive five hours, I can hit a lot of really great club teams. I think it’s important for us to build that relationship with the local club teams and with the Midwest region.”
But her first concern is to work with the players already wearing the Billiken uniform.
“I’ve watched a few game tapes from last year and noted the areas we are good at and where we need to improve,” Mertz said. “We’re going to have to work hard this spring.”
Mertz’s soccer philosophy is built around ball possession. It’s a seemingly simple-minded idea with complex strategic implications, but above all, it stresses smart play and a balanced attack.
During Tim Champion’s 16 seasons at SLU, the team was known as a defensive stronghold, but at times it lacked an offensive spark. Mertz’s philosophy continues to stress a defensive presence, but she looks to emphasize offensive production.
“In the end, you have to score goals,” she said.
As far as one overarching goal, Mertz again opts for the simple answer. But again, it’s one that requires years of work and strategy.
“My basic goal is to win.”
