Paula Wilkins

Biography

One of the most accomplished women’s college soccer head coaches in the country, Paula Wilkins, the winningest coach in UW program history, is in her 18th season as head coach of the Wisconsin women’s soccer program in 2024. With a pair of College Cup Semifinal appearances and 16 NCAA tournament berths, Wilkins has long been regarded as one of the game’s elite coaches. In 17 seasons at the helm in Madison, she has made great progress in rebuilding the culture and sustaining success with the women’s soccer program at Wisconsin. Wilkins ranks third in Big Ten history for career coaching wins (312). She also ranks second in Big Ten history with eight regular season titles, not including her three tournament titles. This past season, Wilkins claimed her 300th career win against LSU. The team advanced to the B1G Championship game and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Emma Jaskaniec claimed the program’s first Big Ten Medal of Honor since 2012. In 2022, Emma Jaskaniec was named the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, while Natalie Viggiano, also an All-Big Ten Team member, became the seventh Badger in program history to be drafted professionally. UW advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four seasons in 2021 and enjoyed an eight-game unbeaten run on its way to the program’s fifth Sweet 16 appearance under Wilkins. Wilkins became the winningest coach in program history during the 2020-21 season with a 1-0 win over Iowa while Jordyn Bloomer earned her second-straight Big T