Page 6 - Winter 2017 | Rochester Athletics News

Alumni Profile

Nikki Izzo-Brown ’93

Nikki Izzo-Brown has served as the only “Nikki was one of the best
women’s soccer coach in West Virginia
University (WVU) history. Over the past defenders ever to play for
21 seasons, she has led the Mountaineers
to numerous victories and NCAA Rochester—tough, smart,
appearances. In December 2016, the team
narrowly lost the NCAA Division I national absolutely fearless, and a
championship game. Dozens of her players
have achieved All-American and Academic great leader. Today, she is
All-American status and many have gone
on to compete in the Olympics and in the one of the finest coaches
FIFA World Cup.
in the country.”
Here are highlights from a recent —Terry Gurnett ’77,
conversation with Brown about her life women’s soccer coach 1977–2010
and career.

Why did you become a coach?
My experience at Rochester and the could be. It was the same way on the field,
coaching from Terry Gurnett had a huge as a soccer player. And Terry encouraged us
impact on me. When I was a student to apply our drive to everything we did, on
at Rochester, Terry encouraged me to and off the field.
become a coach someday, but I didn’t So, I’ve been lucky. I’ve been able to apply
really even think about it as a career until my undergraduate degree in psychology,
I enrolled in an MBA program at West my MBA, and my passion for soccer to
Virginia Wesleyan years ago. At that time, my job. My end goal is always to make a
I took on a graduate assistant role as an positive impact on the lives of the amazing
assistant coach for the women’s Division young women I work with.
II collegiate program there. I thought I’d
end up in the business world, but when What’s your fondest memory here?
WVU decided to start the women’s Division The first thing that comes to mind would
I soccer program, they asked me to be the road trips with the team in Terry’s
interview and the rest is history. van. Some of those memories are priceless.
Many lifelong friendships were cemented
How did the University prepare you for as we logged the miles to our games.
this work? I’m also just very proud to have earned
It’s been a very rewarding career and my a degree from such a prestigious, top
time at Rochester served a pivotal role in tier private university. I worked so hard,
shaping my approach. Rochester was— and being able to do it alongside my
and still is—a think tank. Academically, I teammates was quite something.
was always around people who were goal
oriented and striving to be the best they What does it mean to you to be a
Friend of Rochester Athletics?
It means supporting the place that has
served as my bedrock. The University
gave me a great education and an
exceptional athletic experience, and for
that I am grateful. Being a coach, I know
firsthand how important it is to support
the programs that enrich us. I try to give
back what I can because the University
gave me such great academic and athletic
experiences. It’s part of my DNA to do what
I can to help others in whatever way I can.
Nikki Izzo-Brown poses with 2016 seniors
Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence,
2016 Olympic Bronze medalists.

Photo courtesy of WVU Athletic Communications