Michele Dalton, Steve Golas Named Kentucky Women’s Soccer Assistant Coaches
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Michele Dalton and Steve Golas have been named assistant coaches of the University of Kentucky women’s soccer program, as announced by head coach Troy Fabiano on Tuesday.
“I am excited to welcome Michele and Steve to Lexington and can’t wait to begin working with them, and we are all eager to get to work with the team during the spring season as we build a competitive culture together here at Kentucky,” said Fabiano. “Michele brings a combination of professional playing experience and college coaching experience, which makes her an excellent addition to our program. Steve has been a successful head coach and assistant coach at many different levels, and his work rate and ability to recruit will have an impact on our program both on and off the field.”
Dalton will arrive in Lexington after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky where her primary roles included training, mentoring, and developing the team’s goalkeepers. Her inaugural year on staff saw the Lady Toppers clinch the C-USA East Division title for the first time since joining the league.
Under Dalton’s guidance, the WKU goalkeepers and backline held opponents to just 13 goals during both the 2020 and 2021 seasons to be tied for the second fewest in program history. Prior to her stint in Bowling Green, Dalton spent the 2019 season as a volunteer assistant and goalkeeper coach at DePaul.
The Mt. Prospect, Illinois native played at Wisconsin and currently ranks second in saves per game (4.707) and fifth in career shutouts (24) in the Badgers’ record book. Dalton was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year in 2011 and earned All-Conference First Team and NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team honors.
Following her collegiate career, Dalton began playing professionally for UMF Selfoss in Iceland’s top division where she was voted the team’s MVP after shutting out five opponents during the 2013 season. She then went on to play with Kvarnsvedens IK in Sweden’s second division in 2014 before signing with the Chicago Red Stars in 2015.
During her debut season with the Red Stars, she led the league in goals-against average (0.917) and was second with five shutouts en route to being named a finalist for the CONCACAF Female Goalkeeper of the Year award. She signed with the North Carolina Courage in 2018 and played with Apollon LFC in Cyprus during the 2018-19 season, leading the team to a league championship and a UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification.
Golas will join the Wildcats after serving as an assistant coach on Fabiano’s staff at Milwaukee for the past two years, also holding the same role from 2015-18. The 2021 season was one for the record books for the Panthers, who punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year and advanced to the second round for the second year in a row.
With Golas on staff, Milwaukee concluded the 2021 campaign ranked first in the NCAA for goals-against average (0.374), assists per game (3.81), points per game (9.81), save percentage (.893), and shutout percentage (.762). That season also set new program standards in points (206) and assists (80), and the Panthers capped off their record-setting year ranked second in the nation with a .905 win percentage.
Before returning to the Panthers, Golas was the head coach at Dixie State for the 2019 season where he led the team to its second NCAA DII Tournament appearance in school history, advancing all the way to the Elite Eight. The Trailblazers recorded a school-record 56 goals, finishing the year ranked No. 8 in the final United Soccer Coaches Top-25 national poll.
Having over 15 years of collegiate coaching experience, Golas first arrived at Milwaukee after being named the first-ever head women’s soccer coach at Texas A&M-Texarkana. He also spent four years as the head men’s coach and women’s assistant coach at Illinois College. Other stops on Golas’ resume include Bemidji State, William Penn, Angelo State, Lewis and Clark, and Millikin.
A native of Sandwich, Massachusetts, Golas played collegiately at Coe College where he was a four-year letter winner for the Kohawks and was twice recognized as the team’s most improved player. He was also a member of the track and field team at Coe and earned his master’s degree from Bemidji State in 2002.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer program, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
