In 2019, former Irish soccer standout Kate Markgraf became the latest Notre Dame alum to take up a leadership position in professional women’s athletics.
Markgraf graduated from Notre Dame in 1998 after helping lead the Irish to their first ever NCAA championship in 1995. During the NCAA run, Markgraf was named the tournament’s defensive MVP as a sophomore. In her junior and senior seasons, Markgraf was a national player of the year finalist.
After graduating from Notre Dame, Markgraf played for the USWNT on a number of occasions — including on the famous 1999 World Cup team which won the tournament on U.S. soil — and won two gold medals (2004 and 2008) and one silver medal with the squad. After her playing career, Markgraf went into broadcasting. Markgraf also served as the second vice president of the Monogram Club, and is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame class of 2018.
As the first-ever general manager of the USWNT, Markgraf will be responsible for choosing the team’s next head coach after Jill Ellis retired following the team’s World Cup victory this year. Markgraf will also be in charge of selecting coaches for the national youth team and acting as a liaison to stakeholders.