By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University Head Women's Soccer Coach Hillary Arthur is leaving the Bearcats to begin working for the State of Oregon. Arthur's last day at Willamette was Friday, Jan. 7. She will begin her new job on Jan. 18.
"My new career will allow me to have a better work-life balance and I look forward to spending more time with my family," Arthur said.
Arthur was at Willamette from the 2009 season through the fall 2021 season. She led the Bearcats to a winning record or a .500 record eight times, including a string of five consecutive seasons from 2015 through 2019. Top seasons for the Bearcats were 13-4-3 in 2017, 12-4-4 in 2018, 12-8-0 in 2008, and 11-7-2 in 2019.
Willamette finished third in the nine-team Northwest Conference in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2019. Arthur was chosen NWC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year in 2011, when the Bearcats were ranked seventh in the West Region of NCAA Division III. She recorded her 100th win at Willamette in a victory over Pacific University on Sept. 28, 2019. Her record at Willamette was 115-127-26 (.478). Her teams were 93-100-23 (.484) in the NWC.
In the fall of 2020, Arthur was selected as the winner of the inaugural NCAA Division III LGBTQ Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award, and she was honored at the NCAA Convention in January of 2021. The Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award pays tribute to the service, leadership, and promotion of LGBTQ inclusion by an LGBTQ athletics administrator, coach, or staff member.
Arthur looked back at her years with the Bearcats and recalled key moments with the team. Some of her top memories were:
"In 2011, we beat Puget Sound at home 2-1 with 21 seconds left in the game when Stephanie Skelly ('12) ... scored the winning goal. Willamette hadn't defeated Puget Sound in a number of years, so it was a top memory for sure. Skelly was named NWC Player of the Year," Arthur commented.
"Jill Phillips ('16) scored on a header goal from a corner kick sent in by Sarah Desautels ('15) with three seconds left in double overtime to beat George Fox 1-0 in 2013," she said.
"In 2017, we traveled to the University of Texas-Dallas for games against Concordia University (Chicago) and UTD. Emmy Manset ('18) scored the tying goal in regulation and the winning goal in overtime to beat nationally-ranked UT-Dallas. During our time in Dallas, I took the team to the JFK Memorial and that was impactful to see that part of our nation's history," she noted.
Arthur also commented about the team's bonding trips to build team chemistry and about the excitement of returning to a full schedule in the fall of 2021. In addition, it was important to Arthur to develop values on the team that impacted the players on and off the field.
"Going back to 2017 we had a motto or hashtag for each year, and I think those mottos are where I was able to teach core values and attributes," Arthur asserted.
Two of the mottos that stand out were #ICEU (I See You) in 2019 and #GPS during the 2020-21 season. The ICEU motto stood for Inclusion, Community, Excellence, and United. A year later, with COVID-19 impacting the season and moving games into the spring of 2021, the Bearcats chose GPS as their motto, which stood for Grace, Patience, and Support as the team navigated its way through a challenging time.
Arthur's approach to team-building added to her success at developing the skills of her players and creating a focused group of players each season.
"Knowing that I've always done my best for our program, department, and University makes me the proudest," Arthur said. "I've remained open -- always looking to learn and I have grown as a person and a coach. I've experienced immeasurable success over my 14 years here, both on the field and off the pitch, and had a lot of fun."
According to Arthur, it was also important to develop lasting relationships with the members of her teams.
"I've created lasting and impactful relationships with my players, where weekly I'm in contact with my alumni," she noted. "It's great to see who they are becoming and the impact they are having on the world. Along the coaching trail, I've enjoyed my friendships with other coaches from all levels: club, DI, DII, DIII, junior college."
At Willamette, Arthur had an impact on the Athletics Department and throughout campus. She was active within Athletics and also served on campus committees during her years with the Bearcats.
"There are so many people and relationships that I'm grateful for here on campus, both within and outside of Bearcat Athletics," Arthur said. "The coaches and athletic administrators here at Willamette are a fantastic group of people dedicated to our student-athletes and their success. I loved the fact that I could walk down the hall and pop in and say hello to each and every one of our coaches. The camaraderie was real, the laughs were joyful and the impact of these coaches will last a lifetime. I will miss them.
"I'll miss walking across campus and saying hello to almost every person," Arthur added. "I love the small campus community and knowing so many friendly people."
With great memories from coaching the women's soccer team and working with coaches, administrators, and staff, Arthur has developed many close ties within the Willamette community. That makes it difficult to leave, but she's also looking forward to beginning her new job.
"It's surreal moving on from Willamette," Arthur commented. "I spent fourteen years here creating, building, mentoring, and coaching. It's been a great experience. I leave with a full heart, and I am looking forward to spending more time with my family."
