University of Washington women’s soccer head coach Nicole Van Dyke announced on Apr. 9 the hiring of Paige Brandt and Whitney Pitalo as assistant coaches for the Huskies ahead of the spring season.
The addition brings new experience to the coaching staff, with Brandt set to serve as goalkeeper coach after a year in the same role at Oregon State, and Pitalo joining following her tenure as head coach at Cal State Bakersfield in 2025.
Van Dyke said, “After a long and thoughtful search, we found two outstanding coaches who truly embody the values of our program. Whitney and Paige are great people, great coaches, and strong relationship builders who care deeply about the development of our student-athletes. They bring years of experience at the highest levels of college soccer and are fully committed to helping us develop the best and brightest at Washington.”
Brandt’s previous coaching experience includes three seasons at Westcliff University where she led goalkeeper training sessions that helped guide Westcliff to its first two NAIA National Tournament appearances. During her time there, she coached players such as Kayli Cokley—who led all NAIA goalkeepers in goals against average—and worked with both men’s and women’s teams at Long Beach City College. As an athlete, Brandt played four seasons for Colorado State.
Brandt said, “I am so excited to join the University of Washington soccer program and work alongside an incredible staff. I am grateful to Nicole for her trust and the opportunity to coach this group of exceptional women. To work with the goalkeepers is incredibly special with Washington’s long tradition of developing fearless, resilient and elite goalkeepers. I look forward to continuing that standard as we compete for championships. Go Dawgs!”
Pitalo comes off a successful campaign leading CSU Bakersfield’s women’s team through one its best Division I seasons on record before joining UW. Her prior roles include positions on Chris Watkins’ staffs at Boston College—helping them achieve their strongest finish since 2018—and Gonzaga during their first WCC Championship win.
Van Dyke said about Pitalo: “Whitney is a wonderful addition to our program… She comes highly experienced as both a head and assistant coach… Her experience and background will pay immediate dividends for our program.” Pitalo also previously launched Umpqua Community College’s women’s soccer program from scratch.
Pitalo said: “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the University of Washington… I’m excited to get to work, build relationships, and pursue championships with this amazing group… UW is truly a special place to be. Go Dawgs!”
The new appointments reflect continued investment in building competitive success within Husky athletics.
