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HEAD COACH

Photo of Head Coach Keeley HagenKEELEY HAGEN

A three-time All-American and former professional soccer player Keeley Hagen was named the second-ever head soccer coach at Colorado State University on June 1, 2021.

In her first three seasons with the Rams, she has helped guide them to a pair of Mountain West Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2023. The Rams earned their first tournament win in 2023 when they defeated Fresno State in the quarterfinals. CSU then advanced to its first championship game on penalty kicks over top seed San Diego State in the semifinals.

Hagen helped Oliva Fout earn the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year honor with her program-record setting 12 goals in 2023.

She has coached seven Rams to All-Mountain West honors, two in 2021 (Gracie Armstrong and Kristen Noonan), one in 2022 (Liv Layton) and four in 2023 (Olivia Fout, Kaitlyn Abrams, Mia Casey, Avery Vander Ven). Along with six of All-Newcomer honorees.

Hagen came to Fort Collins with 14 years of assistant coach experience at the power five level, the last eight at Texas.  During her time in Austin, Hagen helped lead Texas to 92 victories, a trio of Big 12 Championship semifinal berths and four NCAA Tournament berths, including a Sweet 16 in 2017, all while helping mentor defenses that have combined for 69 total shutouts over 173 games. While part of the staff on the Forty Acres, 14 of her student-athletes have earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors while 17 players have combined for 39 All-Big 12 Conference accolades, including Cyera Hintzen’s 2018 nod as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and four Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors (Hintzen - 2016; Haley Berg - 2017; Julia Grosso - 2018; Presley Echols - 2020).

Prior to Texas, Hagen was an assist coach at her alma mater, Tennessee from 2005-11. During her time as an assistant coach in Knoxville, Hagen helped guide the Lady Vols to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and one Southeastern Conference Tournament title.

The Carmel, Ind., native played three seasons of professional soccer as she suited up for Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS). She was the eighth overall pick of the WPS Allocation Draft in October 2008, heading to Sky Blue FC and earning a starting spot on defense. She joined a roster that included U.S. Women’s National Team members Christie Rampone, Heather O’Reilly and Natasha Kai. In 2009, Hagen helped Sky Blue FC to the WPS title, scoring the eventual winning goal during a 1-0 semifinal victory. The effort earned the team an opportunity to visit the White House in the summer of 2010 to be honored by President Barack Obama.

During the 2009 campaign, Hagen played in 19 games, starting 18. A year later, she appeared in 20 games with 18 starts for Sky Blue FC. In 2011, she signed with Atlanta Beat, starting all 11 games before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. For her career, she played in 50 games, including 47 starts.

In addition to the WPS experience, Hagen played for the United Soccer League W-League’s Charlotte Lady Hawks and professionally in Sweden. While with the Hawks, Dowling was named to the 2005 W-League All-League Team as well as the All-Central Conference Team.

As a player for the Lady Vols, Hagen earned three consecutive NSCAA All-America selections (2002-04), becoming the first All-America honoree in program history. She helped Tennessee to its first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance in 2002 and to a four-year record of 63-22-6 (.725 winning percentage).

The 2003 and 2004 Soccer Buzz Central Region Player of the Year also earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors during those two campaigns. In addition to the NSCAA accolades, Hagen picked up All-America honors from four organizations during her playing career. She was a four-time All-SEC selection, a two-time Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy semifinalist (2003-04) and a two-time Soccer Buzz Player of the Year finalist (2003-04). She also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-SEC honors on three occasions.
At the end of her four years, Hagen had tallied 25 goals, 15 assists and 65 points in 89 games, all starts. She still rates in four Tennessee career top-10 lists: matches played, matches started, points and goals.

After spending the 2005 campaign as a student assistant coach, Hagen started her full-time coaching career as an interim assistant in the 2007 NCAA Tournament when Lady Vols then-assistant coach Jen Laughridge Grubb gave birth to her first child. Hagen served as interim assistant coach from the opening rounds of the tournament through the end of Grubb’s maternity leave.

Possessing a wealth of international playing experience, Hagen served as a captain on the U.S. U-19 Women’s National Team and earned a gold medal at the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in 2002. Two years later, she helped the U.S. U-21 team to a gold medal in the Nordic Cup.

Hagen was one of 35 players selected to compete for a spot on the national team roster for the Algarve Cup in Portugal in 2007 and competed for a roster spot for the 2008 Olympics.
She did not make the final roster, but signed a contract with U.S. Soccer in March, earning an automatic invitation to any national team tryouts for the next year.

Hagen received her bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in exercise science from the University of Tennessee in December 2005. She also earned her United States Soccer Federation "A" license in 2019.