Megan Link will be entering her fourth season (2018-19) on the sideline as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach. In her three seasons, Coach Link has coached 11 All-MIAA selections, four All-Region selections, and 48 MIAA Academic selections.
In the 2017 season, Link coached three honorable mention All-MIAA picks with AC Pettit, Tessa Wagner, and Raegan Edwards. Link helped Edwards as a freshman score five goals and 10 points and Wagner earned both the MIAA Academic Excellence Award and MIAA Scholar Athlete Award.
In 2016, Link coached Elin Hammar to a 3rd Team All-MIAA recognition. After her senior season, Hammar ranked 2nd in career assists (23) and 8th in career points (47) at SBU. Under Link, Averi Walker was also named CoSIDA Academic All-District and received the MIAA Academic Excellence Award. Link additionally had Laura Manuel earn the MIAA Academic Excellence Award and 19 players named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
In the 2015 season, Link led the Bearcats to a 9-9-1 (6-4-1 MIAA) record and a national ranking as high as #25. Karla Jamison and Kate Jamison were both named 1st Team All-MIAA, D2CCA All-Region 2nd Team and the NSCAA All-Region 3rd Team. Karla Jamison led the MIAA in goals (13), game winning goals (5), and finished 9th in the MIAA in assists (4). In the same year, Link helped Caroline Karlsson achieve 3rd Team All-MIAA honors, and AC Pettit, Whitney Snow, Elin Hammar, and Taylor Schmidt grab All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors. Link’s team also succeeded in the classroom with Karla Jamison, Kate Jamison, and Schmidt being named MIAA Scholar Athletes, Averi Walker earning the MIAA Academic Excellence Award, and 21 players landing on MIAA Academic Honor Roll list.
Coach Link came to SBU after spending the 2014-15 season as an Assistant Coach at Quincy University. She helped coach players to the NSCAA All-Region, Daktronics All-Region, and to the GLVC All-Conference first and third teams. She also helped lead a freshman goalkeeper to 10 shutouts and and 0.81 goals against average.
Prior to coaching at Quincy University, Link played professional soccer in 2013 for the Afturelding Football Club in the Premiere League in Iceland, which is part of the UEFA Champions League. Link started every game as a goalkeeper and was named to the Top IX for the month of June. This success led to a camp invite with the Houston Dash, which competes in the NWSL.
Link graduated from Southwest Baptist University in 2018 with a Masters in Education Athletic Administration and in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology-Biomedical Science. In her playing career at SBU, Link was a four-year starter at goalkeeper, earning All-MIAA honors and All-MIAA Honor Roll four times. Link is SBU’s career record holder in career shutouts played while ranking 2nd in career saves (356), 3rd in career save percentage (.791), and 3rd all time in career wins. In her 2012 season, she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.
Link, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, currently resides in Bolivar.
