CHICAGO – UIC head women's soccer coach Brian Rigby announced on Thursday (May 24) the addition of Julianne Sitch to the Flames' staff as an assistant coach ahead of UIC's fifth competitive season in the fall.
 
"Julianne is the exact person UIC women's soccer needs now," said Rigby. "We needed a great person and a professional coach and she is just that. Whether it be her amazing professional and collegiate playing days, the championship caliber teams she coached at U of Chicago, or her involvement as a player and coach within the U.S. Youth National Team programs, she is a pro who has a clear vision, plan and form of execution that will immediately pay dividends for UIC and our women's soccer program."
 
Sitch comes to UIC after three years as an assistant coach at nearby University of Chicago. In her time on the South Side, she helped coach the Maroons to a combined 53-13-1 record, which featured a program-record 22 victories in 2017 after tying the previous mark one year prior with 18. The results helped take UChicago to the NCAA Division III Championship each season, improving its finish each year before capping a decorated 2017 as the national runner-up.
 
The Maroons' staff earned recognition as the University Athletic Association Coaching Staff of the Year in 2016 and 2017, with NSCAA Central Region honors coming two years ago. In those two campaigns combined, the program produced five All-Americans, nine NSCAA All-Region selections, two UAA MVPs, one UAA Rookie of the Year, 10 All-UAA honorees, four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and one NSCAA Scholar All-American.
 
Sitch has additionally coached outside of the collegiate level, teaming up with the Chicago City Soccer Club and the Olympic Development Program – Girls '03, and her most recent stint as an assistant with the U.S. Under-16 Girls' National Team. A former member of the U.S. U-19 and U-21 national teams herself, Sitch traveled with the team just this past month to compete in the UEFA Women's International Development Tournament, where the U.S. went a perfect 3-0 with wins over Belgium, Portugal and Switzerland.
 
A native of Oswego, Ill., Sitch earned her own All-America title during her standout career in Lincoln Park at DePaul (2002-05), as she placed on the NSCAA Second Team in 2003, in addition to picking up Conference USA Player of the Year (2003) and First Team All-Big East (2005) laurels. She broke the Blue Demons records for goals (32), assists (26) and points (90), and is still in possession of the top assists and points totals to this day.
 
Following graduation, Sitch rotated through the professional circuit, competing on home soil and overseas for Women's Professional Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, Sweden Dalmsvenska and Australia W-League up until 2015 when she officially announced her retirement. Along the way, she reached the WPS National Championship with the New Jersey Sky Blue in 2009, and even had three stints with Chicago's own Red Stars.