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Warner Pacific University Athletics

Home of The Warner Pacific University Knights
Holly Popenuk

Holly Baird


Coach Baird begins her sixth season as head coach of the Knight women's soccer program in 2018.

Baird has turned the Knights into a competitive program, leading the team to their first playoff berth since 2007. The 2014 season was in many respects the best in WP history, tying a record for wins (8), and making the CCC Tournament semifinal game for the first time.
 
Baird is very familiar with Knight soccer and the Cascade Conference, as she was a player and coach at fellow CCC member Corban University from 2004-08. After two standout seasons as a player at Corban (2004-05), she suffered a career ending injury which forced her to the sidelines. Baird joined the coaching ranks, helping head coach Marty Ziesemer as an assistant until 2008.

Holly previously coached at West Linn High School. She guided the team to the OSAA 6A playoffs in both seasons as the head coach including a second round appearance in 2012.  The Lions finished with an overall mark of 9-5-1, improving from 5-7-3 in her first season at the helm.

Perhaps the most impressive statistic at West Linn and one that Baird is extremely proud of is the team's cumulative grade point average of 3.73 which earned Dairy Farmers of Oregon Academic All-State selection.

In addition to her high school coaching, Baird has been actively involved in local club youth soccer. Since 2008, she has coached boys and girls from ages U10 to U14 at Keizer SC, Lake Oswego SC, North East United, and Willamette United.

Baird, who holds a USSF National "C" License, and plans to pursue further coaching certification while leading the Knights. In addition, she was recently named as an assistant coach for the Portland Timbers ODP 2001 girls team.