Heather Cairns

Entering her ninth season at Utah State is Heather Cairns, who became the winningest soccer coach in school history after recording her 27th career victory on Sept. 30, 2006, defeating Eastern Washington 1-0. In her eight seasons at the helm of the Aggies, Cairns has compiled a 75-70-17 (.515) record passing former head coach Stacy Enos (1996-2000) who went 26-59 (.306) in five seasons with the Aggies. Cairns’ teams have also recorded a school-record 57 shutouts in the last eight seasons. USU recorded a total of just 16 shutouts in the six years prior to Cairns’ appointment as head coach.

In Cairns’ first year at Utah State, she led the Aggies to a shcool-record 10 wins and its highest conference winning percentage (.556, 4-3-2) in the program’s eight seasons. Utah State also garnered school-records in its number of all-Big West (5) and academic all-Big West (13) selections.

In 2004, she led USU to a 6-11-1 mark, becoming the only Aggie coach to reach 16 wins in their first two seasons. Additionally in 2004, Cairns coached three all-Big West selections, two NSCAA Regional Scholar-Athletes and saw her team grab the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the second-straight year. The Aggie soccer team also led USU for the second consecutive year in its number of fall academic all-Big West honorees, garnering eight.

The 2005 season saw Cairns and the Aggies amass a 7-9-4 ledger in their first season in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Cairns and USU recorded a 4-2-1 WAC record, tying for second-place in the conference standings and advancing to the WAC Tournament, where the Aggies lost in the first round to eventual tournament champion Fresno State.

Utah State soccer recorded one of its best seasons in 2006, after Cairns posted a 10-8-2 overall record and went 5-0-2 in conference action. The 10 wins tied the school’s record for the most wins in the program’s 11-year history. The Aggies’ 5-0-2 conference record topped the previous record for conference wins (4) and the .750 conference winning percentage was also a school record.

In 2006, one player earned the NSCAA Scholar-Athlete Award, as Cairns coached the 2006 WAC Freshman of the Year, Lindsey Smart, who also garnered second-team all-WAC honors. Two more Aggies earned first-team and second-team all-WAC accolades with Charity Weston and Dana Peart earning those honors, respectively. USU had 15 players named to the fall academic all-WAC team with two newcomers honored in the spring for a total of 17 players recognize by the conference, the most in the league.

The 2007 season saw Cairns bring similar results as 2006, as USU posted a 10-11-0 record, tying the most-ever wins in the program’s 12-year history. The Aggies’ 5-2-0 conference record tied the previous program-record mark of five league wins set in 2006. In 2007, USU also set records for most points in a season (114), most goals in a season (40) and most assists in a season (34). Utah State also captured its first conference tournament victory as it shutout San Jose State, 4-0, in the first round of action before falling to the eventual tournament champion Hawai’i in the semifinals, 1-0, in double overtime.

In 2008, Cairns and the Aggies had a breakout season with a 13-8-1 overall record and a perfect 7-0-0 WAC mark. The 13 wins was the most ever by an Aggie squad, and the team set another record when it won eight-straight matches. USU was the first WAC team since SMU in 2001 to go undefeated. Utah State had a historic seven players named to the all-WAC team, including Shantel Flanary earning Freshman of the Year honors. Cairns also earned her first WAC Coach of the Year honor, leading the Aggies to their first WAC Tournament championship match.

In 2009, Utah State had its fourth-straight 10-win season, finishing 10-9-2 overall record and a 5-2-1 conference record. The Aggies ended the season second in WAC play. Sophomore Chandra Salmon-Christensen earned first-team all-WAC honors in her first two seasons, while Flanary garnered WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Last season, Cairns and the Aggies won their second WAC regular season title in three years when USU tied San Jose State for the league title. USU ended the season with a 9-7-5 overall record and a stellar 5-2-1 WAC record. Sophomore defender Natalie Norris was the first Aggie to earn WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was joined on the all-WAC first team by Salmon-Christensen and Flanary. Salmon-Christensen is the first USU player to earn first-team all-conference honors her first three seasons.

The Aggies received the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the eighth-straight season in 2010, and Salmon-Christensen earned NSCAA Scholar All-American honors. Cairns had 17 players earn academic all-WAC honors in 2010.

Cairns holds a 31-8-5 (.761) record in WAC action, giving her the highest winning percentage among the eight current league coaches in conference matches.

Before becoming Utah State’s third soccer coach, Cairns spent four years as an assistant coach at Creighton University. At Creighton, Cairns worked with all aspects of the program. In her time at CU, the Bluejays went from a 7-13-1 record in 1999 to winning the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference championship with a 12-8-2 overall record. Additionally, Creighton qualified for the 2002 NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program’s history. From 1999-2002, the Bluejays produced a NSCAA regional All-American, 18 all-conference players, six freshmen all-conference honorees, 13 academic all-conference selections and 11 NSCAA regional scholar-athletes.

The Erie, Pa., native spent two years as an assistant at New Mexico from 1997-98 and worked as a graduate assistant coach for three years (1994-96) at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

The Erie, Pa., native spent two years as an assistant at New Mexico from 1997-98 and worked as a graduate assistant coach for three years (1994-96) at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Cairns earned her bachelor’s degree in biology in 1994 from Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., where she was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain of the women’s soccer team. She completed her bachelor’s of education while at St. Ambrose. She holds a “B” license from the United States Soccer Federation and a NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.

Trevor Wachsman (pronounced Walks-man) enters his second season as an assistant coach at Utah State.

“I am very pleased to have Trevor here at Utah State. His experience as a head coach, with all the responsibilities that it entails, is invaluable, and he has proven he knows what it takes for a team to be successful both on the field and in the classroom. His Missouri Southern team has been successful on the national stage due to his passion for the game and competitiveness. He has such a positive impact on our team,” Cairns said when Wachsman was hired.

Wachsman replaces former assistant coach Josh Walters who left to take on the director of women’s soccer operations at Florida State University.

Wachsman helped lead Utah State to a share of its second Western Athletic Conference regular season title in three seasons. The Aggies were 9-7-5 last season and 5-2-1 in WAC play with Natalie Norris earnng WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Prior to his current position, Wachsman was head coach for seven seasons (2003-09) at Missouri Southern, an NCAA Division II school located in Joplin, Mo. He ended his tenure as the winningest coach in Lions history. He led the team to its first-ever national ranking and appearance in an NCAA Division II Regional when the team went 11-4-5 in 2006 and finished in second-place in the MIAA with a 9-2-3 mark.

He led the Lions to three-straight 11-win seasons from 2005-2007. After an inaugural campaign of 3-13-4, he helped lead the fifth-best turnaround in Division II as the 2004 team went 10-8-2 to place third in the MIAA.

His Missouri Southern squads experienced much of the same success in the classroom as Utah State. The Lions received the NSCAA Team Academic Award six-straight seasons, while the Aggies have earned the same award eight consecutive seasons.

In all, Wachsman coached 37 all-conference players, the MIAA Most Valuable Player (2005), MIAA Freshman of the Year (2005), one NSCAA All-America, two NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-Americans, one Daktronics All-American and had nine players named NSCAA All-Region.

Prior to Missouri Southern, Wachsman was an assistant coach at Northern Colorado, helping the Bears compile a record of 28-12-1 and advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament both years. In 2001, Northern Colorado posted a 15-7 overall record and made it to the round of 16 nationally. In 2002, UNC finished 13-5-1. Wachsman also helped the Northern Colorado squad to NSCAA Team Academic and Ethics awards in both 2001 and 2002.

While at UNC, Wachsman assisted head coach Tim Barrera with all aspects of the program, including practice, game-planning, coaching, recruiting, fundraising and monitoring student-athletes academic progress. A certified strength and conditioning specialist, he also served as strength coach for the team, establishing an off-season fitness, weight, speed and power training program. With Wachsman’s assistance, UNC produced one NSCAA All-America and had several national and regional award-winners, both athletically and academically.

Wachsman holds a National “B” license from the United States Soccer Federation as well as a Advanced National Diploma from the NSCAA. He previously has worked as administrative director/staff coach at the Steamboat Soccer Academy in Steamboat Springs, Colo. From 1995-2000, Wachsman was a head coach for competitive youth soccer teams in Greeley, Durango and Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Wachsman earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Fort Lewis College in 2000 and his master’s degree in physical education-kinesiology in December of 2002 from Northern Colorado.

He and his wife, Tiffany, welcomed their first child, Alik, last summer.

Marla Nelson will be entering her third season as an assistant coach.

“Coach Nelson brings a unique combination of Division I playing, coaching and teaching background to our program” Cairns said. “Our goalkeepers will really benefit from learning from a player who has played the goalkeeper position at the collegiate level.”

Before joining the Utah State staff, Nelson spent seven years as a high school English teacher in Southern California and Utah. Nelson has been coaching soccer since 2000, starting out assisting club teams and coaching goalkeepers in Southern California. Upon moving to Utah, she was the assistant coach for Lone Peak High School’s girls’ soccer team where she helped head coach Mike Lahargoue and the Lady Knights to four region championships and three appearances in the state finals. Nelson also assisted the Lone Peak High School boys’ soccer team in 2009, and Lone Peak track and field (2003-2008) where she coached two state champion high jumpers and 27 other state finalist high and long jumpers. She coached for Utah Soccer Alliance in Salt Lake City in 2008-2009, worked with Infinity Soccer Club in Logan in 2010 and has been a member of Utah’s Olympic Development Program staff since 2008 as a goalkeeper coach and assistant coach.

Nelson was the starting goalkeeper for California State University, Fullerton in 1997,1999 and 2000, and team captain in 2000 (she sat out her 1998 season due to a knee injury). She earned Big West Conference Scholar Athlete honors in 2000 and 2001, and received the Titan Scholar-Athlete Award from 1998-2001. After moving to Utah, Nelson played for the State Select Soccer Team representing the state of Utah in 2004 in a regional tournament in Southern California. Nelson received a bachelor’s degree in English from Cal State Fullerton in 2001 and completed her Master’s in Education degree from Utah State University in 2011. She holds a NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.