Butler names Tari St. John as new women's soccer head coach

April 7, 2006

Indianapolis, Ind. - Tari St. John, who spent two seasons on the Butler sidelines as an assistant coach, is returning to Butler as the fourth head coach in the history of the women's soccer program, associate athletic director Jon Hind announced Friday (April 7). St. John most recently served as an assistant coach at Purdue after spending the 2004 and 2005 seasons on the Butler staff. She replaces Woody Sherwood, who resigned last month.

"We are thrilled to welcome Tari back to Butler," said Hind, Butler's administrator in charge of women's soccer. "Her experience at Butler coupled with her success as a college player factored into our decision. Tari recruited many of our current players and has a working relationship with all of them. She has also put together an experienced staff, one of the most highly-decorated we've ever had at Butler."

Brett McIntosh, most recently the women's soccer assistant at IUPUI, will join St. John as a full-time assistant coach. Elise Edwards, who logged more minutes in goal than any other Stanford player in women's soccer history, will return for her third season as the team's goalkeeping coach.

Under St. John's tutelage, five Bulldogs earned postseason Horizon League accolades following the 2005 campaign. Meredith Buemi and Ashley Twehues were named to the league's first team, while Kate Lord and Angie Muir were tabbed to its second team. Muir and Jenny Southard were selected to the all-newcomer team. During the 2004 season, Julie Backscheider, Buemi and Lord earned All-Horizon League first-team honors, while Molly Callon posted All-Newcomer team accolades.

"I am so proud to return to Butler University, especially in this capacity," said St. John. "The administration has shown a great deal of support and faith in me, and I look forward to taking over where coach Sherwood left off. This is a great group of young ladies and the incoming recruiting class will only make us stronger. This is an exciting time for Butler soccer."

St. John brings NCAA Tournament experience and a resume as a four-year starter at Purdue. She was honored as an adidas Scholar All-American following the 2002 season, helping the Boilermakers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance. In addition to being a two-year captain, St. John also earned Academic All-Big Ten and Academic All-Region honors.

In her first two seasons at Purdue, St. John started all 37 of the team's matches and earned Offensive MVP honors at the inaugural Boilermaker Challenge Cup. A torn ACL cut short her 2000 season and she took a medical redshirt during the 2001 campaign. Helping to control the midfield for the Boilermakers, St. John finished her Purdue career with nine goals and nine assists. She appeared in 73 matches during her career, getting the starting nod on 71 occasions.

Originally from Brookfield, Wis., St. John was a member of eight Wisconsin club and two high school championship teams, earning first-team All-State honors three consecutive seasons. She has also played internationally with the Varsity Club in Christchurch, New Zealand. St. John currently holds a "C" license from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and received her National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) during the summer of 2005.

St. John graduated from Purdue in 2003 with a degree in management.

"As a staff, our strengths complement each other extremely well," said St. John. "Besides the wealth of coaching and playing experience both of my assistants bring, they are highly motivated, charismatic individuals who have proven leadership ability. It is a privilege to have both of them on board as we continue to build this program."

Assistant Coach Brett McIntosh

McIntosh makes the short commute from IUPUI to fill the vacant assistant coach position. He brings 12 years of coaching experience to Butler, including serving as the top aide at IUPUI during the 2005 season. He will be involved in all aspects of the Butler program, including on-field instruction, recruiting and team travel.

McIntosh has been active in the Indianapolis club soccer scene since 2000, most recently serving as the Club Director for Dynamo F.C. prior to joining the IUPUI staff. He has also represented the Indiana Youth Soccer Association (IYSA) on the Olympic Development Program Regional staff the past five years and serves as an IYSA education instructor. The Long Island, N.Y., native also served as the top assistant at the University of Indianapolis from 1997-99. During that stretch, the Greyhounds amassed a 33-23-1 (.588) mark and were ranked in the NCAA Division II national polls in 1997.

On the field, McIntosh was a captain and four-year letterwinner for the Greyhounds from 1993-96, starting primarily as a midfielder. McIntosh earned his degree from the University of Indianapolis in 1997 with a double major in history and political science. McIntosh has a USSF 'A' License and an NSCAA Advanced Diploma.

Assistant Coach Elise Edwards

Edwards returns for her third season as a Butler assistant, where she serves as the program's goalkeeping coach. The former All-America candidate goalkeeper from Stanford University has a wide range of experience, both as a player and coach. Edwards served as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan for two seasons (1994-95) following her playing career.

Edwards, originally from Madison, Wis., arrived at Stanford and had an immediate impact on the women's soccer program. Alongside All-Americans Julie Foudy (who went on to compete in four World Cups and three Olympic Games) and Sarah Rafanelli, Edwards and the Cardinal posted a record of 43-22-10 in her four-year career. Edwards led Stanford to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1990.

The standout still tops the Stanford career charts in minutes played in goal (6,365 in 71 career matches) and saves (409). Her goals against average of 0.78 is the fifth-best mark in the program's history, while her 35 shutouts are third in the Stanford record book. Edwards was a two-time captain and three-time Most Valuable Player for the Cardinal, earning All-Far West honors from 1988-90.

Edwards was a member of the 1989-91 U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Pool under legendary coach Anson Dorrance. She was a two-time starting goalie for the West squad at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival (1989-90).

Following her graduation, Edwards played in the Japan Women's Professional Soccer League from 1992-94, including as the starting goalkeeper on the 1993 national champion Nikko Securities squad. She also served as an assistant coach and goalkeeper trainer in the Japan league.

Edwards graduated from Stanford in 1991 with a degree in international relations. She went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in anthropology. Currently, she is an assistant professor in Butler's department of history and anthropology.