Tracy Hoza enters her fourth season as an assistant coach for the Austin Peay State University women’s soccer team.
In a challenging third season that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoza helped yet another Governor earn all-conference honors when freshman Tori Case was named an OVC All-Newcomer selection.
Hoza’s second season at Austin Peay saw the Govs make their eighth trip to the OVC Soccer Championship in program history and the first during her tenure. After a formidable non-conference schedule, the Governors won three of their first four matches in October, before a 1-1 draw against Eastern Illinois at Morgan Bros. Soccer Field secured a spot in the postseason. As the No. 7 seed in the OVC Tournament, the Governors took the eventual-champion Belmont to overtime, but feel just short in the opening round contest.
During her first two seasons at Austin Peay, Hoza coached six all-conference honorees. In 2018, Claire Larose, Renee Semaan, and Jennifer Smith all earned Second Team All-OVC recognition. In her second season, Larose was a First Team All-OVC selection, Semaan picked up her second-straight Second Team selection, and freshman Anna McPhie was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team.
In Hoza’s first season in Clarksville, the Govs won five of their first seven matches, with four of those wins coming in shutout fashion. The Governors would go on to win eight matches in a season for the tenth time in program history during Hoza’s first season on the sideline, but the Govs narrowly missed a trip to the OVC Tournament,
Hoza joins the Governors' staff after an illustrious 15-year coaching stint at Northwest Missouri State, serving as the soccer program's head coach since 2003. She led the Bearcats to a program record 11-win season in 2009, en route to posting the Northwest Missouri's three best program records in just a four-year span.
Hoza's squad garnered many accolades during her tenure, with 57 athletes receiving All-MIAA honors during her time as program director. The 2012 season saw a record breaking six players earn MIAA All-Conference honors. She also led the Bearcats to their first MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year and Freshman of the Year recognitions. Hoza was the second head coach in Northwest program history, holding the record for most wins in the 19-year history of Bearcat soccer.
Hoza has previous NCAA Division I experience with Toledo University in Ohio, serving as the assistant coach for the program for two seasons prior to accepting the job at Northwest Missouri State. Hoza was also an assistant coach at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, helping to lead the Eagles to 32 wins during her two years with the program. With Hoza on staff, Lock Haven triumphed in two-straight PSAC Championships and advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 in 1999 and the Elite Eight in 2000.
A four-year letter winner at Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania, Hoza's playing career included two NSCAA All-American recognitions for the Lakers in 1994 and 1995. She is also a three-time All-Region honoree, serving as the Lakers' captain in the team's 1994 run to the NCAA Division II Final Four. For her distinguished accomplishments on and off the pitch, Hoza was inducted into Mercyhurst's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
A native of Limerick, Ireland, Hoza played for the Irish junior and senior national teams from 1987-91. She earned her bachelor's degree in sports medicine from Mercyhurst, followed by a master's degree in liberal arts from Lock Haven University. She holds a USSF National ‘B’ Coaching License. Hoza and her husband, Matt, live in Clarksville, and have one daughter, Cora.
