Katy Freels enters her second season as head coach of the women’s soccer program at Florida Tech in 2025.
During her first season at the helm of the Panthers, Freels led the team to the Sunshine State Conference Championship where they defeated Nova Southeastern in penalty kicks 5-4. The Panthers 13 wins in 2024 was the third most in program history and they hosted the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament. Freels was named the 2024 SSC Coach of the Year while the team swept the major conference awards including: Offensive Player of the Year, Marta Llopis, Defensive Player of the Year, Daniela Tobon, and Goalkeeper of the Year, Kaitlin Sinkler. Freels and the Panthers earned two ranked wins including against No. 22 North Georgia on Sept. 15 and on Sept. 28 against No. 23 Embry-Riddle. The Florida Tech women's soccer team would be ranked as high as No. 12.
This comes following a three-year stint as a volunteer assistant coach with the Panthers. During her three seasons as a volunteer assistant, the Panthers saw much success, claiming the South Region Championship twice, making a final four appearance, and reaching the Sunshine State Conference tournament championship for three consecutive seasons.
Freels was a member of the staff that earned the United Soccer Coaches Regional Staff of the Year in 2023.
Prior to Florida Tech, Freels served as a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, Auburn, from 2011-2014. During this time, the Tigers compiled a 48-34-10 overall record with an SEC Tournament Title and three NCAA appearances.
Additionally, Freels had an accomplished playing career, both in college and professionally.
Freels played for the Western New York Flash in the Women's Premier Soccer League Elite, (WPSL Elite, in 2012, the top division of women's soccer in the United States at the time and helped lead the team to the league championship title.
A year later, in 2013, Freels was selected in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft by Sky Blue FC in the National Women's Soccer League. She played three seasons with Sky Blue FC, making 65 appearances tallying 11 goals and 12 assists.
Freels also played for the United States at the U-20 and U-23 levels. She was a member of the U-23 team that won the 2008 Nordic Cup in Falun, Sweden, where she played in three of the four matches and contributed to the squad's not surrendering a goal in four matches.
A former standout Scholar-Athlete at Auburn from 2008-2011, Freels was named a member of the Southeastern Conference 2019 Class of Women's Legends.
During her collegiate career, Freels led Auburn to an SEC Tournament Championship and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Freels holds Auburn's career records in assists (42) and points (104) and ranks fifth in SEC history in assists. She also ranks tied for second in program history in game-winning goals (11) and fourth in goals (31).
Freels paced the Tigers in points in each of her four seasons on The Plains and led the team in goals and assists on three occasions.
The Homewood, Alabama, native is one of five soccer student-athletes in SEC history to be named First Team All-SEC four times, including the 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year. She was a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American (2010-11) and is the only Hermann Trophy semifinalist in program history (2010).
Freels was a two-time CoSIDA and NSCAA Academic All-American (2010-11) and was not only named the 2010 NSCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year but also the 2011 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Freels earned her bachelor’s degree in political science: International Relations from Auburn in 2011.
Freels resides in Melbourne with her husband, Kevin, and their three kids, Kinsey, Canon, and Crew.
