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Washington State soccer hires coach Chris Citowicki out of Montana

Coach Chris Citowicki walks the sidelines during a game as Montana's head women's soccer coach. Citowicki was announced as Washington State's new coach Friday. (Courtesy UM Athletics)
From staff reports

PULLMAN – Not long after losing its most successful coach in program history, Washington State’s women’s soccer team found a qualified replacement, hiring a proven winner from within the region who has a history in the NCAA Tournament.

Chris Citowicki, who guided Montana to four national tournament appearances in eight years leading the program, was named WSU’s new head coach on Friday. The eighth coach in WSU program history, Citowicki replaces Todd Shulenberger, the Cougar program’s winningest coach (113-67-34), who was hired Dec. 1 to become Ole Miss’ head coach.

Citowicki led Montana to five Big Sky regular-season championships – topping the conference in each of the past three seasons – and four conference tournament titles. The Grizzlies claimed the regular-season and conference tourney championships this year to advance to the NCAAs, where they fell to Washington in the first round.

“He has a proven record of success and his dedication to developing student-athletes – not just as players, but as leaders, students, and members of our community – stood out immediately,” WSU interim athletic director Jon Haarlow said in a statement. “He brings an infectious passion and energy that will resonate throughout our program. I have no doubt Chris will continue to elevate Cougar Soccer for many years to come.”

Citowicki posted a 79-39-32 record during his tenure as Montana coach. He was the Big Sky’s coach of the year in 2023. Under Citowicki, the Grizzlies became the first team in Big Sky history to go unbeaten in conference play in back-to-back seasons (2023-24).

Montana also qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2020 and 2021. The Grizzlies were 0-4 in the national tourney under Citowicki. They lost to Shulenberger’s Cougars in the first round in 2018 and 2021. But Montana got its first win over WSU this year, beating the Cougs 1-0 in September.

“I have been a huge fan of the Washington State program for a long time,” Citowicki said via release. “To have the opportunity to step into that setting and represent WSU and Coug nation is a huge honor. The family and I cannot wait to move to Pullman and get started.”

WSU has a history of soccer success, with 14 NCAA Tournament appearances – five in 11 years under Shulenberger. The Cougars advanced to the College Cup national semifinals in 2019. But the team has missed the NCAA Tournament in each of the past four seasons.

WSU went 16-12-11 over the past two years as an affiliate member of the West Coast Conference, finishing seventh in the league this year. The Cougs join the revamped Pac-12 next season.

Citowicki served as associate head coach at North Dakota before being hired by Montana in 2018. He was the head coach at Division III St. Catherine (Minnesota) from 2011-16. Citowicki assisted at D-III Augsburg (Minnesota) in 2010 after a couple of years as a grad assistant at D-II Bemidji State, from where he earned a master’s degree in sports studies in 2008. He also spent eight years working with the Minnesota Olympic Development Program.

From Poland, Citowicki’s family left the country when he was young and he spent most of his upbringing in Australia before enrolling at D-II Lock Haven in Pennsylvania, where he played a year of soccer.