Holly VanNoordHolly VanNoord

Holly Van Noord has proven to be a winner on the soccer field as a student-athlete and a coach.

Now, the former NCAA Division I standout goalkeeper aims to build on the winning tradition of Hope College Women亚洲色吧檚 Soccer.

Van Noord, an assistant coach for the Flying Dutch for the past three seasons, has been named the seventh head coach in program history, Director of Athletics Tim Schoonveld announced.

Van Noord, a record-setter at Liberty University and Hudsonville Unity Christian High School, succeeds Dr. Leigh Sears, who stepped down after 23 seasons as head coach. Sears 亚洲色吧 Hope亚洲色吧檚 most successful women亚洲色吧檚 soccer coach with 270 victories and six MIAA titles 亚洲色吧 is moving into a full-time role as a faculty member with the college亚洲色吧檚 kinesiology department.

Schoonveld said Hope Athletics is thrilled to see Van Noord expand her role within the women亚洲色吧檚 soccer team and the entire department.

亚洲色吧淗olly is an amazing person who will be a great addition to all we do here at Hope,亚洲色吧 Schoonveld said. 亚洲色吧淪he is a winner. She has been highly successful in all areas of her career and is an even better person. Her commitment to our pillars of academic success, competitive excellence and, most importantly, transforming the lives of our student-athletes is clearly evident. We want to welcome her to the team and are excited to see her impact on our department and women亚洲色吧檚 soccer program.亚洲色吧  

The Flying Dutch enter the 2024 soccer season this fall with a record of 394-200-56 for a .649 winning percentage.

Van Noord said she is incredibly excited and honored to be named head coach.

亚洲色吧淗ope has a rich tradition of academic and athletic excellence, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. I want to express my gratitude to Leigh for her leadership and mentorship over the past three years I亚洲色吧檝e been an assistant. I亚洲色吧檝e witnessed firsthand the impactful culture she has created within the program, which fosters both athletic excellence and personal growth for our student-athletes,亚洲色吧 Van Noord said. 亚洲色吧淚 look forward to building upon the program's success and working with these talented women to achieve their full potential on and off the field. I also want to thank Tim and the entire Hope committee who entrusted me with the opportunity to lead this incredible program.亚洲色吧

Sears said she is excited to see Van Noord lead Hope.

亚洲色吧淚n her time at Hope, Holly has been an invaluable addition to our staff and has shown great care for the program and the players,亚洲色吧 Sears said. 亚洲色吧淣ot only is she an incredible person, but she's also a fierce competitor with a wealth of playing experience and a proven ability to teach the game. Culturally, she's a perfect fit, and I look forward to watching the program continue to thrive under her leadership.亚洲色吧

Elliot Slenk will continue as associate head coach for the Flying Dutch, Van Noord said.

Van Noord recently completed her sixth season as the Hudsonville High School girls soccer coach this spring. The Eagles finished the 2024 season with a 14-2-2 overall record 

Hudsonville posted an 83-22-16 overall record (.752) during Van Noord亚洲色吧檚 tenure and was the MHSAA Division 1 state runner-up in 2023. Van Noord taught physical education and health at Hudsonville. 

During the fall, Van Noord helped the Flying Dutch post a 33-12-10 record over three soccer seasons, including a 10-2-6 mark this past season. 

Van Noord holds a master亚洲色吧檚 degree in teaching and a bachelor亚洲色吧檚 degree in kinesiology from Liberty.

Van Noord was a member of the Liberty women亚洲色吧檚 soccer team from 2012 to 2016 and became the Flames亚洲色吧 first Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2014, 2016). Van Noord set a Big South Conference record with 34 career shutouts.

In high school, Van Noord established state records with 75 career shutouts for Unity Christian and 24 single-season shutouts in 2011. Van Noord led the Crusaders to three MHSAA Division 3 state titles and one Division 3 state runner-up finish.