USF Athletics

Denise Schilte-Brown became the second coach in the history of the University of South Florida women’s soccer program in December of 2006, bringing with her new energy and enthusiasm for both the team and the University. 

Since becoming head coach for the 2007 season, Schilte-Brown has led the team to six American Athletic Conference championships, including five straight seasons with a championship from 2017-2021. In 2020, she led the team as it won both the regular season and tournament championships in the same season for the first time. She also led the Bulls to four BIG EAST Championship appearances, and has only missed two postseason conference tournaments in 15 seasons. 

She led USF to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010, followed by seven more in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Under her leadership, the Bulls have advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament four times, in 2010, 2017, 2018 and 2020 and advanced to the third round for the first time in program history in 2019. USF's 2018 NCAA postseason run resulted in the largest margin of victory and most goals in the NCAA Tournament for the Bulls when they beat UAlbany in the first round, 5-1, at Corbett Stadium.

The Bulls continued a string of dominance in the American Athletic Conference in 2021, winning the regular season championship for the team's sixth title in the last five years.

Schilte-Brown continued her success at the helm of the USF program in 2019 and the COVID-impacted 2020 seasons, leading the team to conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances in both seasons. USF posted a record season in 2019, advancing to the third-round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history and earning its highest final ranking at No. 12 in the TDS rankings. In 2020, the team battled a postponement of the season to capture the regular season and tournament championship in the same year for the first time.

Both 2017 and 2018 were record years for the Bulls, both with championships including a tournament championship in 2017 and a regular season title in 2018. USF posted a program-best AAC record of 7-1-1 during the regular season, and topped that with an 8-1-0 record in 2018. In 2017, Schilte-Brown reached her 200th overall win and also helped the program to its 200th overall win. 

Schilte-Brown helped mentor the program's first All-American in 2017 in Evelyne Viens who was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American Third Team, and again in 2018 when Viens received her second selection to the third team. 

Also in 2017, Schilte-Brown achieved UEFA "A" license, just one level below the UEFA Pro license. 

Under Schilte-Brown, the Bulls have improved in almost every offensive and defensive category over the years. USF bettered its numbers from the previous season in four straight seasons in wins, BIG EAST wins, goals scored, points, shots on goal, goals allowed, GAA and shutouts. USF’s 54 goals scored in 2018 were the most of the Schilte-Brown era and the most since 1998, when it scored 59 goals on the season. It is the second most all-time in USF history.

In 2016, Schilte-Brown reached her 100th win at the helm of the Bulls and led the team to the longest perfect record in the nation with eight straight wins. USF was ranked for seven consecutive weeks and reached the highest ranking in program history at No. 14. 

In 2015, Schilte-Brown’s squad tied the record for wins in a season (15) and posted one of the best marks in non-conference play in school history. The squad was ranked in polls for consecutive weeks and reached one of the highest rankings in program history at No. 18. The team advanced to the conference championship for the second straight year and the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. 

In 2014, Schilte-Brown led the team to a 13-7-2 record and a 6-3-0 mark in conference play. The Bulls advanced to the championship match of the conference tournament before falling in penalty kicks to second-seeded UConn. USF advanced to its second NCAA tournament appearance under Schilte-Brown and hosted the first round at Corbett Stadium.

The 2010 season proved to be a year of firsts for USF, not only under Schilte-Brown but the entire program. She took the Bulls the farthest they had ever been in the BIG EAST Championships. The Bulls were the No. 3 seed out of the American Division and received a first-round bye. USF traveled to the nation’s capital and knocked off Georgetown in the quarterfinals. 

Prior to 2010 the Bulls had never advanced past the second round of the championships and had never finished higher than second in a conference tournament in 16 seasons. USF was 3-3 in six BIG EAST Conference Championship matches.

More impressively the Bulls earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament in 2010 and picked up their first NCAA win, a 3-1 over Auburn in the first round in Tallahassee, Fla. The Bulls bowed out of the tournament in a 2-1 loss to No. 8 Florida State in the second round.

Additionally, women’s soccer finished ranked in a national poll for the first time in school history following the 2010 campaign.

The Bulls finished ranked No. 25 by Soccer America in the final regular season poll, No. 28 by Top Drawer Soccer and received votes in the final postseason ranking by the United Soccer Coaches (called the NCSAA at that time), all of which were program firsts. 

In 2009, USF returned to the BIG EAST Tournament and picked up its first BIG EAST postseason win, a 1-0 win over DePaul in Tampa in the first round. Following the season, the Bulls were recognized by Somis Sports as the 13th most improved women’s soccer programs in America from 2008 to 2009.

In her first season at USF, Schilte-Brown guided the Bulls to a 4-10-3 record and led the Bulls to their first Big East Championships in school history.

In 2008, Schilte-Brown welcomed 28 newcomers to her soccer program and eclipsed the win total from the previous season but missed out on post season play.

During her seven years at VCU, Schilte-Brown led the Rams to a 77-51-17 record, including Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference championships in 2004 and 2005 and a third-place finish in 2006. The Rams won the CAA Tournament as well in 2004 and under Schilte-Brown’s guidance advanced to the program’s only two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005. 

Prior to arriving at VCU in 2000, Schilte-Brown directed the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers to an 18-17-1 record over two seasons, including a second and fourth-place finish in the Northeast Conference.

After graduating from UMBC in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Schilte-Brown served as an assistant coach at both Eckerd (Fla.) College (1997) and the University of Tampa (1998) before returning to her alma mater. While in Florida, she was also the head coach of the Tampa Heather U-13 and U-19 youth soccer clubs.

Schilte-Brown served four years as a regional coach for the Olympic Development Program (ODP), and ran the national training center in Tampa. She also served as a US National Team Coach for the U-23 national team camp, and was a national staff coach for U-23 camps. She was also an assistant coach for the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) U-17 ODP. She was also a head coach at both the 2003 and 2004 InfoSport Pro Soccer Combines.

In February of 2001, Schilte-Brown became the first women’s soccer player to be inducted into UMBC’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The 1996 Big South Conference Player of the Year earned all-conference accolades four consecutive seasons while at UMBC and was the team MVP three of her four seasons with the Retrievers. Schilte-Brown still holds the UMBC record in goals (55), assists (38) and points (148).

A native of Grimsby, Ontario, and a member of the 1997 Canadian National Team, Schilte-Brown also played two seasons in the Women’s Bundesliega professional league in Germany as well as the W-League in the United States from 1998-2001.