GRANVILLE, Ohio (April 3, 2023) – Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics
Nan Carney-DeBord has announced the hiring of
Sarah Brink as the next Head Women's Soccer Coach at Denison University. Brink replaces
Gail Murphy, who announced in January she was stepping away as head coach of the Big Red after 26 seasons.
Brink is the sixth head coach in the history of the Denison women's soccer program. She comes to Denison after spending the last four years as an assistant coach at Trinity College (Hartford, Conn.).
"We are delighted to have Coach Sarah Brink join the Denison Athletics family," said Carney-DeBord. "She clearly demonstrates the values of integrity, inclusion and innovation all the while having a firm understanding of mentorship. Sarah's leadership prowess coupled with her knowledge of skill development and strategy in soccer will allow her to continue the legacy of excellence of the soccer program at Denison. We can't wait to have her on campus leading our next generation of Denison women's soccer student-athletes."
At Trinity, Coach Brink helped take the Bantams to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semifinals as well as the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 2016. Trinity went from eighth place in the NESCAC in 2021 to finishing in third place to go along with at No. 22 national ranking in 2022. Brink also recruited and coached the 2022 NESCAC Rookie of the Year in forward Elena Lindonen.
In addition to coaching at Trinity, Brink was also the Head Coach of the Girls U16 Select Team within the Connecticut Rush Soccer Club.
Prior to Trinity, Brink was the volunteer assistant at Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.) in 2018, helping the Ephs earn first place in the NESCAC regular season standings and win the NCAA Division III National Championship. During the fall of 2017, Brink was an assistant on the Buckingham, Browne & Nichols (BB&N) School girls' soccer staff. At BB&N, Brink helped coach a team that was regular season champion of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and made it to the NEPSAC Class "A" Championship.
"I am so excited for this opportunity to become part of the Denison women's soccer family and continue to build on the tradition of the program," said Brink. "I want to thank the search committee and everyone I met on my visit to Denison. It has become very clear to me that Denison is a special place dedicated to the holistic development of student-athletes both on and off the field. I am so grateful for the incredible mentors in my life that have helped prepare me for this new chapter, and I cannot wait to get started."
Brink graduated from Williams College in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and was a four-year member of the Eph women's soccer squad. While a student-athlete at Williams, Brink played for teams that reached the NCAA Division III Elite Eight (2011), Sweet Sixteen (2013), and the NCAA Championship Finals (2014). In September of 2019, Brink was selected into the United Soccer Coaches "30 Under 30 Program", a year-long education and mentorship opportunity for a select group of coaches who have made coaching their career of choice. She also received her Advanced National Diploma from United Soccer Coaches in April 2021. Brink holds a master's degree in speech-language pathology from Boston University's College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
