Russell comes to Cornell after two seasons at College of Notre Dame of Maryland

Former Luther soccer standout Kirsten Russell makes her way back to the Iowa Conference as Cornell College's new head women's soccer coach.

Russell comes to the Hilltop from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore, Md., where she was head soccer coach and athletics recruiting coordinator during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In July 2010, Russell was named assistant athletic director and also served as an academic advisor.

“I am so happy to return to the Midwest,” said Russell, a native of Stoughton, Wis. “As a player in the IIAC, I always had a lot of respect for the Cornell team. I view the One-Course-At-A-Time schedule as a perfect scenario for building a quality soccer program. Plus, I am familiar with the recruits and student-athletes who are attracted to the hard work it takes to achieve excellence in the classroom and to rebuild a successful team.”

Russell takes over the Cornell women's program from Andres Leza, who coached both men's and women's teams last fall in his first season in Mount Vernon. Leza remains the head coach for the Cornell men.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Kirsten Russell to our coaching staff,” Cornell Director of Athletics John Cochrane said. “Kirsten possesses those characteristics of leadership so necessary for the development of a winning program; a strong presence and ability to establish a rapport with young people. She has demonstrated success in recruiting and directing a college program, and her hiring is a product of Cornell's commitment to the development of successful soccer programs.

“I feel very fortunate that we now have two outstanding head coaches directing our women's and men's soccer teams. Kirsten and Andres put Cornell in position to dramatically improve our level of competitiveness in a short period of time.”

Russell guided College of Notre Dame of Maryland, a member of the NCAA Division III Colonial States Athletic Conference, to a 5-13-1 record in 2010. The Gators doubled their scoring output from Russell's initial season in 2009, when the team finished 3-15-1.

Russell now looks to rebuild a young Cornell team that finished 2-14 overall, 0-8 in the IIAC last season.

“I know this team is really optimistic about what they can accomplish,” Russell said. “It is such a gift to train a motivated and enthusiastic group of young women. I love soccer, and in my eyes improving every day and working hard to achieve common goals is exciting. I expect this group to have an unparalleled belief in their team and incredible work ethic.”

Russell was a two-time all-conference midfielder for the Luther Norse. As a captain her senior year, she was voted the team's Most Valuable Player after leading the Norse to the 2004 IIAC championship. Russell also played basketball three years at Luther.

Russell received a bachelor's degree in English and Art from Luther in 2005. She remained in Decorah as an assistant coach on Luther's women's basketball staff during the 2005-06 season.

Russell picked up her master's degree in English from Washington (Chestertown, Md.) College in 2009. While at Washington College, she was assistant women's soccer coach from 2006-08 and also assisted with the women's basketball team one season.

Russell holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) national “D” license and has been active in the Maryland Youth Soccer Association District Development Program. She held previous positions as a U-12 club coach for the Winneshiek Area Soccer Program in Decorah, and the Phoenix Soccer Club in Minneapolis, Minn.