Naomi Kolarova was named the second head women's soccer coach in Austin Peay program history, Dec. 21, 2017. This fall season is her fourth with the Governors, as she leads the program into its 20th season of competition in the Ohio Valley Conference.
With the start of her third season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kolarova guided the Governors through all the challenges associated with the pandemic and led the team to a pair of victories in an OVC-only schedule that was played in the spring of 2021. At the end of the abnormal season, Tori Case became the second Governor to receive OVC All-Newcomer honors during Kolarova’s tenure.
The Govs also continued their success in the classroom during the 2020-21 academic year, as the soccer program has now recorded a 3.0 grade-point average as a team in all seven semesters that Kolarova has led the program.
In Kolarova’s second season at Austin Peay, she led the Governors back to the OVC tournament for the first time since 2017. At the end of a challenging non-conference slate, Kolarova’s squad played Cincinnati to a 0-0 road draw to gain momentum for the OVC season.
In conference play, Kolarova led the Govs to wins in three of their first four matches in the month of October and used a 1-1 draw against Eastern Illinois in the final home match of the season to secure a spot in the OVC Soccer Championship. In the OVC Tournament, the seventh-seeded Governors took eventual-champion Belmont to overtime, but fell just short in Kolarova’s first postseason match at Austin Peay.
Following the 2019 season, Claire Larose became Kolarova’s first First Team All-OVC selection. Renee Semaan also picked up her second-straight Second Team All-OVC selection and freshman Anna McPhie was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team.
On August 17, 2018, Kolarova picked up a win in her first match at Austin Peay, leading the Govs to a 1-0 victory against Middle Tennessee at Morgan Bros. Soccer Field. The Kolarova era of Austin Peay soccer got off to a scorching start, as the Governors won each of her first three matches in shutout fashion.
In her first two Ohio Valley Conference matches, Kolarova’s Governors picked up a 1-1 double-overtime draw against Belmont (11/14/18) and a 1-0 win over Tennessee Tech (11/16/18). Kolarova would go on to lead the Govs to an 8-8-1 mark in her first season at the helm, narrowly missing the OVC Soccer Championship.
Playing under Kolarova, three Governors picked up their first ever all-conference honors, with Claire Larose, Renee Semaan, and Jennifer Smith all being named to the 2018 All-OVC second team.
Kolarova, previously the head women’s soccer coach at Tennessee Wesleyan University for 12 seasons, led the 2017 TWU team all the way to the NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals, the best post-season finish in history for a TWU women’s athletics program. Last season's Lady Bulldogs squad also received the program's highest ever national ranking, reaching No. 11 in the NAIA national poll at season's end.
In her 12 seasons at Tennessee Wesleyan, Kolarova has led the program to three Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament championships, an AAC Regular Season title, as well as three NAIA National Tournament appearances. Kolarova has coached 66 all-conference athletes and seven athletes who received the Appalachian Athletic Conference's top soccer awards. The latter total includes two AAC Players of the Year, two Offensive Players of the Year, a Defensive Player of the Year and two AAC Freshmen of the Year. In addition, three players were named to NAIA All-American teams during her time at Tennessee Wesleyan.
Kolarova's teams also excelled in the classroom with her program receiving the NAIA's Scholar Team Award four times since 2012. In addition, 10 soccer athletes were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes 24 times, and 59 student-athletes received academic all-conference honors.
A Cambridge, New Zealand native, Kolarova (nee Clarke) is a four-time National Soccer Coaches Association Division II All-American as a player. She played three seasons at Lock Haven (Pa.) where she was conference rookie of the year and ultimately scored 34 goals – still third most in that program's history. Kolarova then transferred to Metropolitan State-Denver for her final season and was the conference player of the year after a 29-point (13 goals, 16 assists) campaign.
Following her collegiate career, Kolarova was a member of the New Zealand National Senior Women's Team in 2004 and earned three caps with the Football Ferns. She also played for the United States W-League's Mile High Mustangs in 2004.
Kolarova began her coaching career at the University of North Alabama, where she was a graduate assistant for the 2005 season while earning her master's degree in health promotion and human performance. She also holds a bachelor's degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver in human performance and sport, with an emphasis in K-12 teaching. Kolarova holds the USSF National “B” Coaching License.
She and her husband Hristo Kolarov live in Cunningham, Tennessee, and have three children, a daughter, Kiriana, and two sons, Colsen and Fletcher.
Kolarova Snapshot
- Becomes second coach in Austin Peay women's soccer history
- Her 2017 Tennessee Wesleyan team became the first women's team in school history to reach the NAIA national tournament quarterfinals
- Led TWU to its only three NAIA National Tournament appearances
- The Lady Bulldogs No. 11 ranking at end of 2017 season was the program's first national ranking
- Coached Tennessee Wesleyan's first NAIA All-American
- Her teams received NAIA academic recognition four times since 2012-13 and 10 women's soccer student-athletes received NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors
- Was a four-time NSCAA Division II All-American as a player at Lock Haven and Metropolitan State-Denver
The Kolarova File
Hometown: Cambridge, New Zealand
High School: St. Peter's School
Education:
- University of North Alabama (M.A., Health Promotion and Human Performance, 2006)
- Metropolitan State University-Denver (B.A., Human Performance & Sport, 2004)
Collegiate Coaching Experience:
- Austin Peay, head coach, 2018-present
- Tennessee Wesleyan, head coach, 2006-17
- North Alabama, graduate assistant, 2005-06
Playing Career:
- Mile High Mustangs (US W-League), 2004
- New Zealand Senior Women's National Team, 2004
- Metropolitan State-Denver, 2003-04
- Lock Haven (Pa.), 2000-03
- New Zealand U17 & U19 National Teams, 1997-1999
