LEXINGTON, KY ? Kentucky women?s soccer head coach Warren Lipka completed his staff by announcing the hiring of Tiffany Groene as a second assistant.
Groene (pronounced GROW-knee) is making her first venture into the world of Southeastern Conference soccer as she joined the Wildcat coaching staff in June.
?I’m very excited to be joining such a well established program and having the opportunity to work under Warren Lipka,?said Groene. ?The University of Kentucky has a history of success and is a part of a great conference. I’m very honored and happy to be a part of it.?
Groene comes to Lexington after working two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Columbus State in Columbus, Ga., where she helped lead the Cougars to back-to-back Peach Belt Conference championships, conference tournament championships and NCAATournament appearances. In 2007, CSU posted a 20-3-2 record and was a lost shootout away from a spot in the NCAADivision IIFinal Four.
While at Columbus State, Groene worked with the goalkeepers as well as serving as the strength and conditioning coach, focusing on speed and agility.
?We were able to attract another highly talented coach to take care of our goalkeeping crew,? said Lipka. ?Tiffany not only has coaching experience, but extensive playing experience as well. She holds all the goalkeeping records at (her alma mater) Eastern Illinois and then helped coach Columbus State deep into the NCAA Tournament. She?ll be a great role model for our players now and in the future.?
Prior to her coaching career, she was the starting goalkeeper at Eastern Illinois University for four years, in which the Panthers made four consecutive appearances in the “College Cup” Division I tournament.
Groene was selected as an OVC all-conference goalkeeper, OVC all-tournament team, and finished her career as the record holder for Eastern and OVC in shutouts. She also holds the EIU record in minutes played in the goal, and most saves in a game. Groene coached club soccer for three years in the Chicagoland area, and was the assistant coach at Rockford Guilford High School.
A four-sport athlete in high school (volleyball, basketball, synchronized swimming, and soccer), she holds the record for the most varsity letters earned by a female athlete. She was selected all-conference in volleyball, basketball, and soccer (all-sectional soccer also).
Groene received her bachelor?s degree in psychology with a minor in art from Eastern Illinois University and obtained her masters degree in public administration at Columbus State.
She has also obtained her ‘D’ coaching license, as well as state and regional goal keeping licenses.
