Terryn Soelberg made history this week as both the first woman and first full-time coach/instructor to direct the Pasadena City College women's soccer program. Soelberg was hired as just the fifth Lancers head coach in the sport's 23-year history at the college in being approved at the PACCD Board of Trustees Meeting on April 15.
Soelberg coached the past five seasons as an assistant at Santa Ana College. Working with head coach Jaymie Baquero, Soelberg helped the Dons reach the postseason for the first time in 10 years in 2019. In the Southern California Regionals, Santa Ana defeated Cuesta, then took eventual CCCAA state champion Santiago Canyon to double overtime in a 0-0 tie after 120 minutes. Santiago Canyon would advance on penalty kicks (5-3) ending one of the most successful seasons in Santa Ana soccer history. Soelberg assisted in the development of Orange Empire Conference MVP Lenya Wood.
Soelberg, 29, also served the past two seasons as head soccer coach at University High School in Irvine, twice guiding the team to second place finishes in the Pacific Coast League and earning two trips to the CIF playoffs.
Since 2016, she has coached teams for the Pateadores Soccer Club in Newport Beach.
As a student-athlete, Soelberg first attended Bakersfield's Highland High then Bakersfield College. Playing for the Renegades in 2009, she led the Western State Conference in scoring with 18 goals and five assists. A forward, Soelberg scored her team's lone goal in a playoff loss to San Bernardino Valley.
Soelberg went on to earn a scholarship to attend NCAA Division II Brigham Young University-Hawaii. She made the 2012 All-PacWest Third Team as a senior. Soelberg played on the same high school and college teams as her twin sister Torree Soelberg.
Soelberg earned an AA degree at Bakersfield, received a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science at BYU-Hawaii, and accomplished her master's in kinesiology at Cal State Long Beach.
PCC Athletics has increased full-time coaching hires in the past seven years with the additions of Soelberg, softball coach Monica Tantlnger (2014), baseball coach Pat McGee (2015), women's volleyball coach Mike Terrill (2016), and men's and women's track and field and cross country coach Innocent Egbunike (2016). With Soelberg's hire, the Kinesiology, Health & Athletics Division now totals 14 full-time instructors.
Soelberg's first season on the Lancers sideline is slated for August, 2020, pending how the current pandemic affects Fall athletics sports schedules.