Jim Conlon has led the Bears to seven Final Fours, including three National Championships in 2016, 2024 and 2025, National Runner-Up finishes in 2009, 2015, and 2023, 12 University Athletic Association (UAA) titles and 16 trips to the NCAA Tournament in his 17 seasons on the Danforth Campus. He has 280-44-36 (.827) overall record leading the Bears.
WashU won the program's third national championship and second in a row, beating two UAA foes in the Final Four and not allowing a loss for the second-straight year. The national semifinal against the Universty of Chicago was an instant classic. After remaining tied 1-1 through overtime, the Bears and Maroons battled through 14 rounds of penalty kicks before WashU advanced 10-9.
In the national championship game against Emory, the eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first half before the Bears scored two goals in less than two minutes to go ahead. First-year Monica Morales-Martinez scored the game-tying goal 22:10 into the second half. Sophomore Cami Colpitts scored the game winner less than two minutes later in the 70th minute, ultimately leading the Bears to a 2-1 win. It was the first back-to-back national title for any WashU program since men's basketball in 2008/2009.
Sophomore Olivia Clemons was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player for the second-straight year and picked up a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team. First-year Monica Morales-Martinez, sophomore Cami Colpitts, sophomore Kassidy Lanthier and junior Sophie Viscovich were all named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
At the banquet prior to the national semifinal, junior Regan Cannon won the Elite Scholar-Athlete Award (formerly Elite 90) for the second year in a row, marking the second Elite Scholar-Athlete Award for the women's soccer program.
Sophomore Olivia Clemons became the second person in program history to earn United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Year. For the second-straight year, she led the Bears in goals (17) and points (40).
Sophomore Olivia Clemons was named United Soccer Coaches First Team All-America. Senior Grace Ehlert was named United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America and junior Sophie Viscovich was named United Soccer Coaches Fourth Team All-America. All three were also named United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region, along with Kate Martin who was also on the first team and senior Ella Koleno who was named to the third team.
Sophomore Olivia Clemons repeated as the UAA Offensive Player of the Year. She is the first Bear to earn a major award in back-to-back years since 2021 and the lone forward in program history to earn the same major award in consecutive seasons. Senior Grace Ehlert and junior Sophie Viscovich were named First Team All-UAA, senior Ella Koleno and sophomore Kate Martin were named Second Team All-UAA and junior Madi Foley and sophomore Kassidy Lanthier received an honorable mention.
Academically, sophomore Olivia Clemons and senior Grace Ehlert both received College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors. Clemons was a second team honoree and Ehlert was on the third team.
In 2024, the Bears won the program's second national championship, beating William Smith 3-0 in the title game in Las Vegas, Nev. WashU set new program records for single-season wins (23), single-season winning percentage (.960), unbeaten streak with ties (25) and shutouts (18). It is the first time in program history the Bears have finished the season without a loss. First-year Olivia Clemons was named the All-Tournament Offensive Player while graduate students Sidney Conner and Ally Hackett, as well as junior Grace Ehlert were named to the All-Tournament Team.
At the banquet leading up to the Final Four, sophomore Regan Cannon was named the winner of the Elite 90 Award, marking the first in program history. She became the 18th person in WashU history to win an Elite 90 Award.
WashU racked up a host of awards, starting with six on the All-Association team. First-year Olivia Clemons was named UAA Offensive Player of the Year and UAA Rookie of the Year, in addition to picking up a spot on the first team. She is the first person in UAA and program history to earn both honors in the same season. Graduate students Sidney Conner and Ally Hackett and junior Grace Ehlert were named to the first team while senior Emma Riley McGahan and sophomore Sophie Viscovich earned honorable mentions.
Five players went on to pick up First Team All-Region honors: Sidney Conner, Ally Hackett, Grace Ehlert, Sophie Viscovich and Olivia Clemons. Conner, Hackett and Ehlert all went on to earn United Soccer Coaches First Team All-America honors.
Academically, senior Emma Riley McGahan earned her second-straight CSC Academic All-American honor and junior Grace Ehlert was named United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year.
The Bears claimed the programs' first national championship with a 5-4 shootout victory over Messiah Dec. 3, 2016 in Salem, Va. After a 1-1 tie in regulation and overtime, the Bears hit all five of their penalty kicks from sophomore Caroline Dempsey, junior Kelly Von Zup, sophomore Jessica Kovach, junior Gillian Myers and junior Megan Wolf. At the time, the 19 wins were tied for the third most in WashU history.
In 2023, WashU reached the national final for the fourth time in program history, finishing as the national runner-up for the third time in progrma history. Senior Sidney Conner, graduate student Ally Hackett and junior Grace Ehlert earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
Six players earned All-UAA honors. Juniors Gaelen Clayton and Emma Riley McGahan and senior Sidney Conner were named to the first team, sophomores Grace Ehlert and Ella Koleno picked up second team honors and first-year Sophie Viscovich earned an honorable mention.
Five players went on to earn All-Region recognition as senior Sidney Conner, graduate student Ally Hackett, junior Gaelen Clayton and sophomore Ella Koleno were named to the first team and sophomore Grace Ehlert picked up a spot on the second team.
Conner and Hackett went on to earn United Soccer Coaches All-America honors, with Conner landing on the first team and Hackett on the second team.
Academically, juniors Emma Riley McGahan and Gaelen Clayton earned CSC Academic All-America honors with McGahan on the second team and Clayton on the third team.
In 2022, the Bears reached the Elite 8 for the 12th time in program history. Senior Maggie Brett earned a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America nod. Brett and junior Anna Viscovich were named United Soccer Coaches All-Region VIII selections.
In 2021, Conlon mentored two CoSIDA Academic All-America selections in Katy Mockett and Emma Greenfield.
In 2019, Conlon led the Bears to an 18-1-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the 11th time in school history. WashU also won its fifth-straight UAA title. He mentored two United Soccer Coaches All-America selections in Gabbie Cesarone and Taylor Cohen, in addition to a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in Katy Mockett and Kristen Reikersdorfer.
For his efforts Conlon and his assistant coaches were named the 2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Central Region Staff of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
In 2018, Conlon guided the Bears to a 21-1 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals for the third time in the last four years. The Bears also won their fourth-straight UAA title. WashU set single-season school records for fewest goals allowed (6), shutouts (16), wins (21), winning percentage (.955), and consecutive wins (21).
Conlon and his staff earned hardware along the way, earning United Soccer Coaches National Coaching Staff of the Year, United Soccer Coaches Central Region Staff of the Year and UAA Coaching Staff of the Year. The Bears had four student-athletes earn All-America honors for the first time in school history – Maggie Crist (first), Darcy Cunningham (first), Hannah Menard (first) and Taylor Cohen (second).
WashU recorded a 19-2-3 overall record in 2016, the third most wins in school history, and won the University Athletic Association (UAA) title for the fourth time in the last five years. He mentored three All-Americans in 2016 – Lizzy Crist (first), Maggie Crist (first) and Katie Chandler (third). Lizzy Crist was named the 2016 NSCAA National Player of the Year and NSCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year, in addition to being named 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Conlon and the Bears posted a 20-3-1 overall record in 2015, and finished as the NCAA Division III National Runner-Up. The Bears advanced to the Final Four for the third time in school history and claimed a share of their 10th UAA title. In addition, Conlon and his staff earned UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
In 2009, Conlon made his mark at WashU in just his second season, leading the Bears to an NCAA Runner-Up finish after falling to No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Messiah College, 1-0, in San Antonio, Texas. WashU tied a then-school record with a 17-4-3 overall mark, and won its fourth-straight UAA championship.
Conlon led WashU to an 18-5 mark and an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2011, and then posted a 19-2-1 mark in 2012 and a second-consecutive trip to the Elite 8.
The Bears posted a school-record 20-1-1 mark in 2013, advancing to their third-straight NCAA Quarterfinal and won their second-straight UAA Championship with a perfect 7-0 mark. WashU had a 14-game winning streak, second longest in school history, and outscored its opponents 78-8. Conlon and his staff was also named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year for the first time in his career, and he was also named the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year for the second-straight season.
He has mentored 13 student-athletes to 20 All-America awards, including 2014 D3soccer.com Midfielder of the Year Lillie Toaspern and 2015 and 2016 D3sooccer.com National Goalkeeper of the Year Lizzy Crist. Conlon has also had five student-athletes named Academic All-American.
Conlon arrived on the Danforth Campus on March 13, 2008, after serving for eight seasons as the head women’s and men’s soccer coach at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He is the third women’s soccer coach in WashU history and the second full-time coach.
As the first full-time soccer coach in Wartburg history, Conlon posted a 108-48-10 overall record with the men’s team and a 96-57-5 mark with the women’s team. He led the men’s squad to five NCAA appearances, advancing to the Sectional semifinals in 2005 and 2006, and to the Sectional final in 2004.
In 2007, the Wartburg women’s team won the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) title and advanced to the NCAA Sectional round, the squad’s first NCAA berth in school history.
Conlon was named the NCAA Division III West Region Coach of the Year in 2006, and garnered IIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and 2004. He had 64 student-athletes earn Academic all-IIAC honors, four ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District honorees and four NSCAA All-America selections while at Wartburg.
He has a 505-150-54 (.751) record in 26 seasons coaching collegiate soccer, which includes eight seasons as the men’s and women’s soccer coach at Wartburg College (2000-07).
A 1998 graduate of Loras College, Conlon played for four seasons on the Loras men’s soccer team and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business management and sports management.
Upon graduation, he served as the assistant women’s and men’s soccer coach at his alma mater for two years, while pursuing a Master of Arts in physical education with an emphasis in athletic administration.
Conlon and his wife Jeanne have two children: Courtney and Carson.
