Kit Vela Position: Head Coach Experience: 8th Year Alma Mater: Brown, 1990

Kit Vela returns for her eighth season as the head coach of the University of New Mexico women's soccer team. Vela has posted three straight winning seasons with at least eight wins and the Lobos will once again be a force to be reckoned with in the Mountain West Conference. The 2008 team returns five seniors with a wealth of experience plus the addition of 16 eager and talented newcomers. Vela and her staff of seasoned coaches have established the tradition of winning, and this season should be no exception.

Over the previous seven seasons, Vela and her staff have put in tireless hours and effort into making UNM women's soccer one of the best programs in the Mountain West Conference. Vela, who is the third head coach in school history, has made remarkable strides in such a short period.

Last season, the Lobos reached the eight win mark for the third straight year. Defending their home turf was essential to last season's success as the Lobos went 5-2-0 in the friendly confines of the UNM Soccer Complex. The level of competition was on par as well. UNM played four nationally ranked teams and faced three eventual NCAA tournament teams. Defensively, the Lobos set a school record for fewest goals allowed in a season at 14. The season ended with an 8-5-4 overall record and a 2-3-2 mark in conference play.

In 2006, UNM had one of the most thrilling seasons in the program's history. The Lobos finished with a winning record and tied for third in the MWC standings. UNM faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, including eight games against NCAA tournament teams and four nationally-ranked opponents. The season was capped off with a semifinals appearance at the conference championship held in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In 2005, UNM finished above .500 for the first time since 2002 and advanced to the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game. The Lobos went 8-7-4 with a 3-3-1 record in conference play.

UNM has competed against some of the nation's toughest opponents during Vela's tenure. The Lobos went 2-0-1 against nationally-ranked opponents in 2005, including a 1-0 victory over No. 6 BYU in Provo. UNM also knocked off top-seed and No. 22 Utah in the MWC Tournament, 1-0.

Starting over, Vela understood the Lobos would not be an overnight success story when she started in 2001. It was going to take time, and most importantly, focus from the players and the coaching staff in order to achieve the goal of molding UNM into a strong team with a winning future.

Vela came to New Mexico after seven years of serving as the top assistant coach at the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount.

New Mexico quickly reaped the benefits of having a new head coach. In 2001, the Lobos had their best season ever in the Mountain West Conference, finishing second in the league with a 3-2-1 record after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll. Along the way, the Lobos picked up their first Mountain West Conference victories over Air Force, San Diego State and three-time defending conference champion Brigham Young. The 1-0 win over BYU in Provo was not only the first Lobo win in the series since 1995, but also marked the Cougars' first-ever loss to a conference opponent on their home field.

Vela earned her first career head coaching victory in dramatic fashion on Sept. 30, 2001, when New Mexico stunned No. 12 Kentucky 1-0 in Lexington, Ky. The win was not only Vela's first as head coach, but also marked the highest-ranked opponent ever defeated by UNM in the program's nine-year history.

Vela's success in 2001 was recognized by her peers as she was voted the MWC Coach of the Year, the first UNM head women's soccer coach to earn the prestigious honor.

Vela continued the upward climb in 2002 as she led the team to a 12-8-1 overall record, making it the most wins UNM had captured since 1997. New Mexico finished third in the MWC regular season (3-2-1) and had an amazing run at the MWC Championship in Provo, Utah. The Lobos proved they could challenge the Mountain West's top teams with an appearance in the title game against BYU.

With an extremely young team that was plagued by injuries all season, Vela still helped the Lobos have a good season in 2003. She led the team as a sixth seed to the semifinals of the conference tournament. With the win over third-seeded Wyoming, Vela became the winningest coach in postseason play for the Lobos.

The 2004 season featured a packed roster of young hopefuls eager to boost the program to new heights. Vela knew the season would pose plenty of challenges since over half of the squad was comprised of underclassmen. The Lobos began the season strong with a 3-1 record, the best start for UNM since 1997. On the road, the Lobos struggled with some close losses, but showed true potential.

New Mexico has grabbed several awards since Vela's arrival. Four UNM athletes earned all-Mountain West Conference honors in both 2001 and 2002, matching the highest total in the program's history. Since then, 10 more players have earned all-MWC honors with one in 2003, two in 2004, three in 2005, three in 2006 and one in 2007.

Under Vela's tutelage, New Mexico has maintained consistent success in the classroom. For the 2004 fall season, New Mexico recorded its highest semester GPA in the history of the program with a 3.5. In seven seasons, New Mexico has placed 92 athletes on the MWC All-Academic team and has had 39 players named MWC Scholar Athlete by maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher during the fall season. The Lobos have also had players earn academic All-American honors, including Erchen Theys, who was named to the Verizon Academic All-America Second Team in 2002. Theys and Michelle Longmire also earned Verizon Academic All-District honors for their academic and athletic achievements in 2002. Former Lobo Terryn Granados was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All District VI first team in 2006.

Prior to taking over at New Mexico, Vela was an assistant for five years at USC under head coach Jim Millinder after serving as his assistant for two years (1994-95) at Loyola Marymount. During Vela's time at USC, the Trojans compiled a 73-27-4 record, winning at least 14 games each year. USC also made its third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance in 2000, Vela's final season in Los Angeles.

Before entering the collegiate ranks at Loyola Marymount, Vela was the head girl's soccer coach for three years (1992-94) at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, Calif. She led Bishop Montgomery to three Mission League championships, the 1994 California Interscholastic Federation Division II title and was named the 1994 CIF Division II Coach of the Year. Vela also coached a variety of premier club teams in the Southern California area.

Vela was a four-year letterwinner (1986-90) at Brown University in both women's soccer and softball. The soccer team made three NCAA tournament appearances, captured four Ivy League titles and was ranked top-12 in the country all four years of her career. Since college, Vela has remained an active player, winning the Women's Open national championship in July of 1998 with Sportsklubben Fram Ajax, a club team based in Palos Verdes, Calif. Ajax is a member of the Women's Semi-Professional Soccer League (WPSL).

Vela earned her bachelor's degree in Social/Cultural Anthropology from Brown University in 1990. Formerly Kit Schwartzman, she married Jorge Vela in May of 1997. The couple welcomed their first son, Paolo Andreas, on Dec. 26, 2003.