Phillips Bosshart joins staff

FAYETTEVILLE – Vanessa Phillips Bosshart, a former All-Southeastern Conference goalkeeper at Tennessee, has been named assistant soccer coach at the University of Arkansas, head coach Erin Aubry announced.

Bosshart spent the last three years as an assistant at North Florida where she worked with goalkeepers, assisted in recruiting and day-to-day activities, and coordinated travel. While working at UNF, she was also the keepers coach for the First Coast Kyx Soccer Club.

She also worked with the keepers at St. John’s Country Day School and at SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School, and as a trainer at The HIT Center.

"We are ecstatic about having Vanessa on board with the Razorback family," Aubry says. "Her experience as a high-level goalkeeper in the SEC will be invaluable to our goalkeepers. Their anticipation and excitement for her to lead them is quite visible and contagious. She is a great compliment to the rest of the staff and I have confidence in her to help us get to the next level."

As a student-athlete, she helped Tennessee win an SEC Eastern Division title in 2002, overall titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and SEC Tournament titles in 2002, 2003 and 2005. She was All-SEC in 2004 and 2005, and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Academic All-American in 2004. A three-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week selection, she was the tournament MVP of the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic in 2005. Bosshart was team captain as a senior.

In 2003, the Volunteers were 18-6-1, ranked No. 11 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, Tennessee was ranked No. 7, finished 17-5-2 and reached the third round. The 2004 team was ranked No. 10, went 17-5-2 and also advanced to the third round. In 2005, UT was No. 11, went 15-6-2 and reached the second round.

Bosshart holds school records with 12 shutouts in 2003, a 0.68 goals against average in 2004 and 2,237 minutes played in 2004. She holds career records with 6,602 minutes, 32 shutouts, 49 victories and a 0.82 goals against average, and is third with 227 saves.

Following college, she was the MVP of the Ottawa Fury in the summer of 2007.

Nominated for Tennessee’s University Athlete of the Year in 2005, she received the Chancellor’s Academic Athlete Award that year, and was named to the UT and SEC Academic Honor Roll several times.

Bosshart joins a Razorback program coming off back-to-back winning seasons. Arkansas was 11-8-0 in 2008 and 8-7-4 in 2009.

Aubry is the first first-year head coach to post a winning season. Her 2009 club set a school record with 10 shutouts and four SEC shutouts. Arkansas allowed just 16 goals in 19 games for a school-record goals against average of 0.80. The Razorbacks were third in the SEC in saves (105), tied for third in shutouts (10), fourth in goals allowed (16) and fourth in goals against average (0.80).