University of Tulsa Women’s Soccer – Coach Dan Williams
In today’s episode, I speak with Coach Williams from the Tulsa Women’s Program in Oklahoma. We talk about how they recruit focusing on fit both within a system and a position. Coach also shares about the top notch support staff both on and off the field. Plus, we discuss the new coaching staff that brings a wealth of experience. Learn more about University of Tulsa Women’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I’m lucky enough to be joined by Coach Williams at the University of Tulsa Women’s Program. Welcome coach. Thanks Matt. Um,
Coach: I really appreciate you having me on. It’s, it’s, it’s a pleasure.
Matt: Yeah. No, I’m excited to talk to you. Um, I know you’re, you are new to the program, but not new to the Tulsa area.
Shifting over from Oral Roberts, but we’ll, we’ll, we’ll talk more, uh, about the University of Tulsa, not the city itself. Right. So, uh, well, you and I are talking end of, of June. Uh. Were you guys just at the GA showcase? Are you going to the ECNL playoffs? Like what, where are you guys at recruiting, uh, these, these days?
During the summer?
Coach: Yeah, during the summer, obviously there’s some big national events going on, so right now, um, our head coaches at, at the ECNL showcase, which starts, uh, which starts tomorrow, as we all know, in San Diego.
Matt: Okay, well, in. Terms of your timing? I mean, [00:01:00] obviously 10 days into the 27 recruiting class.
I mean, have you guys been. Super focused on that or still really on the 20 sixes or 20 sixes. Dawn, like what would you say your time split is right now between classes?
Coach: Yeah, so, uh, a little bit of both. June 15th went really well for us. We, we called, um, quite a few prospects. Um, had some really good conversations there.
And then, um, we still got three or four needs that we’re looking at to complete for 2026, so we’re kind of splitting a little bit of 50 50 more. Um, I would probably say 60 40 with 26, just trying to finish that class out. Um, but then our 2027 class is going to be pretty small. Um, probably about four or five, um, for 2027.
So we’re hoping to get that wrapped up pretty quickly.
Matt: So with the 20 sixes, ’cause I think there’s, uh, uh, you know, well, I have one, so I’m in the middle of it with my daughter, but the, [00:02:00] I think the, the real question is, especially on the D one front. Is, you know, come call it, I don’t know, August 1st, August 10th ish.
You know, when you guys are just full bore in season mode, how much. Like, are you trying to be done with your 20 sixes before that point, or will there still be a couple hanging out? And then how much is really happening during your season to, to lock those in?
Coach: Right. That’s a, that’s a great question. So for us, there’s probably gonna be a couple more hanging out.
Just, um, we’ve had a little bit more success in the transfer portal recently. So with that window opening up in November, we also kind of want to leave ourselves. An option if, if something happens after the season. Um, but as far as in-season recruiting goes, we are lucky enough in Tulsa to now we have GA and ECNL here.
So, um, we’ll be attending, uh, some of those games [00:03:00] during the season when the, when, you know, scheduled align. Um, and so there, there’ll be a couple, um, couple late probably 20, 26 commitments that we’re probably looking at, but we’re always active. Um, you know, we get. And I’m sure you know, internationals obviously as well commit kinda late.
So we get a few of those that, that come through, uh, a little bit later. So, like I said, probably about four or five. Um, and then we’ll, we’ll see what happens kind of November, sort of December time when that transfer portal, uh, window wraps up.
Matt: Okay. Um, well what about ID camps? Do you guys run your own, do you and your staff attend other ones?
How important are they in your overall recruiting process?
Coach: Yeah, so for ID camps, it’s, it’s good for us to be able to see, um, players that we wouldn’t normally get the chance to see within region. So we host a couple every year, one in the summer, one in the winter, we partner with Riser who runs our camps.
Um, and then, uh, we [00:04:00] also attend other ID camps in, in region, some of the bigger college, um, showcases that STING and FC Dallas Solar put on Will. We’ll get ’em. And, and go attend those and then we’ll go, you know, down to Oklahoma State and, and attend some of their camps as well.
Matt: Okay. Well, whether it’s camps, showcases, games, what, what kind of makes up the hierarchy of things you guys are looking for in a player both on and off the field?
Coach: I mean we, as, as far as hierarchy of a player, do they fit our system? Um, do they fit what we’re looking for for each individual position? Um, and then, you know, who’s the best player on the field? So, you know, being, um, an NCAA division one, um, institution that’s opted in, we actually only have a 28 player roster now.
So, um. We, we do obviously a lot of player evaluation and, and looking to see whether those players fit within [00:05:00] the style of play that we’re trying to do. And then, uh, um, and then if they’re going to fit within the culture. ’cause very, for us, culture is a, a very big deal within our program as far as kind of rankings of where we go.
Um, it’s usually probably the ECNL GA showcases and then, um, some, um, internationals, um, then rl and then where, and then I, usually ID camps is usually where you get those, those, um, those last one or two kids that you may not be able to see on a regular basis.
Matt: Okay.
Well, let’s talk a little, well, I, one last question on it. So I, some people ask about official visits, so Yeah. Do you guys do official visits? Is it usually for someone who’s already verbally committed or, or how do official visits work specifically for Tulsa?
Coach: Yeah. For us here at Tulsa, our official visits are usually reserved for when you verbally, um, commit to us.[00:06:00]
Um, and then we usually bring all of our verbal commits on campus, um, together at one time for an official, um, visit. Now, um, there are, there are some exceptions that we can make, especially if, you know, flying in, um, uh, a recruit from Florida, California. Um, Ohio. Um, we, we’ll definitely if the, if the student athlete wants to make an official visit, we’re not hard and fast on like, no, you’ve gotta commit first.
Um, but usually, yeah, we only do it when we have a verbal commitment from that player.
Matt: All right, coach. So you’ve, you’ve been at Tulsa for a few months now. Kind of talk to me about what are the really cool things about the University of Tulsa that you found so far? Kinda what, uh, what are some really neat things maybe we wouldn’t even know about going through the website?
Coach: Yeah, I mean, as, as far as te goes, um, some of the, the, the really cool stuff on the athletic side, obviously, as you know, we have, uh, n NCAA double Division one football here.
We’re actually the smallest school with division [00:07:00] one football. So we’ll play teams like Ohio State, Oklahoma State. So, um, they shut down the street, um, right outside the stadium. So some of that stuff, uh, is really, really cool on game days. Um, and then just the support staff that you wouldn’t really see, like our academic support staff, athletic training, strength and conditioning, all all that stuff is just a, a really core asset that you would probably, maybe not find at most mid majors, but, um, something that, that’s really being a, a lot more advanced here at tu.
Matt: Well, speaking of support staff, uh, you know, one of the most difficult transitions for a high school kid coming in or international even, is really balancing the demands of, of being a college athlete and the school component, right? So talk to me a little bit more about what are those support systems and, and how do they help ensure a player successful on the field as well as the classroom.
Coach: Yeah, [00:08:00] so as obviously on the field, um, athletic trainer solely does de dedicated to women’s soccer. Um, having a academic support staff as well. So we have something called Oasis here. Um, our team has an academic advisor solely for our team who checks in weekly with. Uh, progress that the goals are making.
Make sure they’re hitting, uh, their study hours if they need them, if they need tutors. Um, so they, they have weekly check-ins to make sure that they’re progressing academically. Um, and then also having a nutritionist on campus, um, especially for our athletes and having priority, uh, for someone like someone, um, to help with that adjustment of going from being at home to living on campus and eating kind of, um, the, the, the dorm, the, um.
The canteen kind of food as well. Um, so we can, we set up all of that sort of a plan for them. We, the nutritionist, if they need one, also strength and conditioning, um, so solely for women’s soccer as well. Puts [00:09:00] together plans, puts together the weight program for the year. It runs, everything like that. It’s, it’s very, we’re very lucky to have such a committed, um, support staff who is excellent at their job.
Matt: Yeah, it sounds like it. Um, well. Let’s fast forward to the fall, you know, October, heart of that conference season. Walk me through what’s a typical week look like for a player in terms of when is practice, meals, classes, game cadence, all that kind of thing.
Coach: Yeah, so kind of, kind of a regular full week. Um.
Obviously mandatory day off, um, usually is on a Monday, um, playing Thursday, Sundays, um, Tuesdays. Um, Tuesdays and Fridays are going to be like our, our main practice days. And then it, um, when those will be our higher intensity days, like when we’re getting the technical, the tactical, getting the game. And then the, the Wednesday Saturdays are kind of a, a slower day for us [00:10:00] kind of.
Tweaking, doing some opposition scout going through, um, some set piece stuff as well. So those are more, um, low impact days. Um, and then practice times we, we’ll usually run, um, I think for the four we’re actually going at like 1230 this, ’cause we got super lucky with our class schedules. And then, uh, but usually probably about two to four is usually, uh, our regular practice time on those days.
And then if we’re on the road Wednesdays and, and. Saturdays, um, or, uh, are usually travel days and we’ll probably train on the road, um, when we arrive as well, just to get us used to the environment we’re about to go playing.
Matt: Cool. All right, well, let’s talk a little bit more, uh, about the team. Um, obviously the, the roster’s 28, but, uh, talk to me about the rest of the roster.
Who all is, is on staff? What role does everybody play, uh, and what’s that look like?
Coach: Yeah, so this, this spring we’ve gone through a lot of transition, um, with [00:11:00] our staff. Um, my, I myself came in in March, um, uh, the previous two assistants, um. Took other roles outside of soccer. Um, and we have just hired an associate head coach.
Her name is Joel Johnson. She’s, um, coming from Spokane. Um, she was a former TU assistant and she’s actually at the U 23 Women’s National Team Camp. Um. As an assistant coach there. So, um, as far as like roles and responsibilities, like we’re all in a little bit of everything together. Um, but once we start getting our staff to get back together after, you know, national team camp, uh, and San Diego, then we’ll be good and ready to go for the fall.
Matt: Okay. Well talk to me a little bit about the head coach. Uh, kind of what’s his coaching style? What kind of style of play are you guys looking to play there?
Coach: Yeah, so Jim’s been at, uh, Tulsa for about 18 years, um, four years as a head coach. Um. [00:12:00] So the, the style of play, we’re, we’re a very possession orientated team and it’s not possession just to keep possession.
We’re trying to possession with an intent to go vertical. So we’re trying to break lines, biggest lines that we can and then get underneath and, and, and trying to continue playing in the opposition half. Um, we we’re gonna be a little bit of a high press team, so, um, we’re gonna try and win the ball back as high as we can, create opportunities and, and try and win those transition moments as well.
Um. Yeah, so that’s kind of what we’re looking and that’s how we’ve kind of been based out of. Okay.
Matt: Well, I mean, I know you got there in March, but hopefully you were there for most of that spring, uh, off season. So talk to me about that. What does, uh, a typical spring look like for you guys in terms of what you’re doing?
Coach: Yeah, so as, as far as what we’re doing, we’re definitely, uh, more development based in the spring. A lot of IDP, uh, uh, and small group sessions as well. Um. Practices probably two, three a week. We do [00:13:00] up our, our weights a couple to a couple more times a week. Um, so definitely a lot more strength and, and di dynamicism, um, trying to grow that.
And then obviously trying to, we let our goals run their IDPs. Uh, we kind of help ’em and guide ’em a little bit, but they set their goals and we, and we just try and walk ’em through it and try and get ’em to achieve their goals. Awesome.
Matt: Well, coach, I really appreciate, uh, your time. I’m gonna leave you with one last question, and that is, if you had one piece of advice, uh, you know, for somebody like my daughter, class of 26 going through this process or a 27 in the middle of it, kinda what, what advice would you give them?
Coach: Yeah, I mean, a, as far as advice goes, um, always reach out to the whole coaching staff. Don’t just kind of put it on, um, the head coach. Also, make sure that you’re, you are attaching those assistants, uh, and, and make sure that, you know, um, you’ve got all the information that’s important on those emails. Um, just making sure that your graduate is on your name.
[00:14:00] Um, a jersey number is always super helpful, uh, and a, and a and a and a schedule to help us be able to, um, be able to get there and, and watch you play.
Matt: Absolutely. Well, coach, really appreciate it. Wish you the best of luck there, uh, in the fall and, uh, hopefully we’ll, you, you guys can be hanging that, uh, conference banner and it’s all said and done.
Coach: Appreciate it, Matt. Thank you so much.
Matt: Thank you.
