Katie Benz promoted to Gonzaga head women’s soccer coach after Chris Watkins departs for Boston College

Gonzaga women’s soccer will have a new head coach for the first time since December 2016 as Chris Watkins, the program’s most successful coach, is moving to the next stop in his coaching journey.

Boston College announced Watkins’ arrival on Thursday in a news release, while the Bulldogs announced assistant coach Katie Benz will take charge of a team that made its second NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023.

“Chris is a tremendous leader who has a demonstrated track record of winning and holistically developing student-athletes throughout his coaching career,” BC Athletic Director Blake James said. “He cares deeply about the student-athlete experience and is an ideal person to be our next head women’s soccer coach. We are excited to welcome Chris to the Boston College athletics family!”

In a Gonzaga athletic department news release, athletic director Chris Standiford said, “We are very excited to name Katie as head coach of our women’s soccer program. Her energy and guidance have helped lead the program to new heights, and we’re looking forward to building on that success.”

Watkins finished with a 79-33-16 record with GU as his win total in seven seasons matched Shannon Stiles’ 79-103-11 record in 10 seasons.

“I am excited and anxious to get started and do my part to compete in the best women’s soccer conference in the country, as we bring Boston College women’s soccer back to national prominence,” Watkins said in the release. “I am grateful for the vision of the BC athletic department and the incredible investments being made to provide a top-notch experience for our student-athletes.”

Watkins reached 20 wins quicker than any other coach in program history.

In 2023, Watkins led the Zags to a 14-4-2 record, 6-1-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs won the West Coast Conference for the first time .

Benz has been Watkins’ understudy since 2021 when she came to Spokane after a stop in Missoula with the Montana Grizzlies.

“Thank you to athletic director Chris Standiford and deputy athletic director Shannon Strahl for this opportunity,” Benz said in a statement. “I am honored to be trusted to continue to grow this program in the impressive direction it is already heading. The young women who represent Gonzaga soccer inspire me to continue the strong tradition of success. Together we will strive for excellence, embrace challenges, and achieve greatness in this exciting journey ahead. The future is bright, Go Zags!”

Benz’s four years in Missoula included helping guide the Grizzlies to two Big Sky Conference titles.

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but raised in Sonoma, California, Benz played at the University of California.

She scored three goals in three seasons, operating behind U.S. Women’s National Team star Alex Morgan.

Her senior season in 2011 was cut short due to a broken leg, but not before she scored 10 goals in eight games.

The 2023 Bulldogs ranked fourth in program history in shots on goal per game (9.1) and sixth in goals per game (2.8). They finished eighth in total goals (56) and set single-season program records in goals scored (56), assists (44) and points (156).

Watkins was named the WCC Coach of the Year and his assistants were named the 2023 West Region staff of year by the United Soccer Coaches College Services.

Throughout his tenure, Watkins has wanted to build Gonzaga into a consistent winner, with a tradition akin to other Bulldogs athletic programs.

“Everybody’s got to commit to it,” Watkins said in 2021 after the Zags were ranked a program-best 16th at the time. “It is really gratifying to win games and to be recognized on a little more broad level. We’re on this path, I feel like we hit a big mile marker that we’ve been shooting for. I think we have worked hard enough to deserve to be celebrated a bit.”

With only five winning seasons in 26 years prior to Watkins taking over the reins, the Zags were in desperate need of change.

Watkins had a winning season in all seven of his seasons.

BC hasn’t had a winning season since 2018.

In 2023, Watkins took the Zags to new heights in the postseason, hosting and beating Idaho 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

They fell to UC Irvine 2-1 in the next round.

“There was a day that Gonzaga had kind of average talent,” Watkins said before the Zags beat Santa Clara this season. “There’s a reason why there’s not a winning tradition. There’s not a bunch of banners here, never has been, and we’re trying to get there. And every year, I think we can recruit just a little bit better. Gonzaga has a great name. It’s a great brand.”

Before the tournament this season, Watkins’ longest-tenured player, Maddie Kemp, said she knew she wanted to come to Gonzaga to build a winning program, and Watkins was a big part of that decision.

“He recruited me with the concept of winning,” Kemp said in October. “It’s cooler and better to be part of a program that you make a winning program than enter into a winning program. There’s something special about it. There are a lot of people that can enter into a winning program, but not everybody can build a winning program.”

After the NCAA Tournament selection show, goalkeeper Lauren Towne said the success the Zags had on the field is due to Watkins.

She spoke about what Watkins meant to the team.

“I really can’t put it into words,” she said. “Coach is great. He’s believed in every single one of us. He’s earned every bit of this.”

Sophomore Giana Riley went further after the selection show, explaining what Watkins achieved was also big for the players who came before them.

“I think it’s a very big, especially since winning the WCC for the first time and that’s a huge moment for (Watkins),” Riley said. “All the work he’s put in and all the players that were here before us, it’s like something that they’ve been working for. And it’s good that we were able to accomplish that this year.”

Now Benz will attempt to build on the foundation Watkins started .