Former Johnson State College Head Women’s Soccer Coach and Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development Kristin Cannon has accepted a job offer to become assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Cincinnati (UC) in Ohio.

Cannon arrived at JSC in August of 2012, initially as assistant women’s soccer coach and coordinator of student-athlete development.

Eventually, she was promoted to head coach and also assumed the role of assistant athletic director. “On the field, Kristin’s impact was immediately noticeable,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Jamey Ventura. Cannon led the Badgers to North Atlantic Conference (NAC) quarterfinals in both 2013 and 2014. In addition, she produced teams that included multiple NAC second team all-conference players and NAC all-academic award winners.

Cannon also affected JSC off the soccer pitch through her work with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She was responsible for creating JSC’s relationship with the Special Olympics of Vermont and developing the curriculum for the college’s Sport Management concentration, which debuted in the spring of 2015.

The possibility for the advancement of Cannon’s career was largely aided by her strong connection to her collegiate soccer coach at Assumption College, who is currently the head coach of women’s soccer at UC. “We stayed connected and we had some of our usual conversations over the phone. These just happened to lead to this opportunity,” said Cannon.

Cannon is eagerly anticipating the next part of her coaching career. “I crave learning and growth. I want to be the best at what I do so I can be the best leader and educator to provide student-athletes with a valuable experience,” she said. Having experience coaching at both the division two and three levels, her move to UC is the logical succeeding step for her to reach her goals, as Division I is the highest level of competition in collegiate athletics. “Accepting the position at UC offered me the opportunity to do all of this at a large institution in Division I,” Cannon said,

Making the shift from Badger to Bearcat certainly will not be without challenge. Cannon will be transitioning from a Division III school of around 1800 students in rural Vermont, to a Division I institution with an enrollment of 44,000 in the third largest city in Ohio. “Everything is different. You name it, it’s different,” she said.

Despite the drastically different institution, Cannon said the attraction for her is basically the same, enabling her to continue working in a collaborative educational environment. “One thing remains the same though,” she said, “and that’s the amazing feeling of working in higher education around students and people who value education, both formal and informal.”

Although excited, Cannon said she will pine for many aspects of JSC, starting with a community to which she has felt she belonged. “From the moment I walked on campus in 2012 I felt like a member of a close knit family,” she said. When asked what she would miss the most, Cannon said, “Lunch at Stearns with my go-to lunch date Elaine Harvey. Specifically, the Colcannon at the vegan station and my daily dose of hummus from Linda … and, of course, the student-athletes, women’s soccer team, and members of the athletic department.”

In a letter to JSC staff and faculty informing them of Cannon’s departure, Ventura wrote, “I am excited for Kristin as she embarks on this great opportunity to coach at the Division I level. Kristin will certainly be missed in our department and at the college. She has been an incredible mentor for our students, improved upon our women’s soccer program as a coach, and helped us grow our athletics department as an administrator. We wish her tremendous success at The University of Cincinnati.”