The University of Missouri has turned to one of college soccer’s rising coaching voices, naming Paul Hart as the third head coach in the history of the Tiger women’s soccer program.
Hart, currently the associate head coach at Stanford, will take over in Columbia on a five-year contract, Director of Athletics Laird Veatch announced Tuesday. He will remain with the Cardinal through the conclusion of the NCAA postseason before assuming full duties with the Tigers. Stanford, ranked No. 1 for much of the 2026 season, continues its campaign in the NCAA Tournament, with the field set to be announced Nov. 16.
A London native with more than 15 years of collegiate coaching experience, Hart arrives with a proven track record of building and sustaining elite programs. During his six seasons at Stanford, he helped guide the Cardinal to three consecutive College Cup appearances and two national championship game berths. The program also captured its first ACC regular-season and tournament titles under the staff that included Hart, who was promoted to Catarina Macario Associate Head Coach following the 2025 campaign.
As Stanford’s recruiting coordinator, Hart assembled five consecutive top-five national recruiting classes. He also played a central role in player development, tactical preparation, opposition scouting, and performance management. Under his contributions, Stanford produced multiple All-Americans, MAC Hermann Trophy finalists and winners, conference award recipients, and a pipeline of players who advanced to the National Women’s Soccer League, European professional leagues, and senior national teams.
The hire comes shortly after Mizzou and previous head coach Stefanie Golan mutually parted ways following the 2026 regular season. Golan, the program’s second head coach after longtime leader Bryan Blitz, compiled a 31-56-15 record over six seasons. The Tigers have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2016 and have struggled to consistently compete in the SEC in recent years.
Veatch highlighted Hart’s championship pedigree and recruiting success as key factors in the decision, expressing confidence that the new coach possesses the vision and leadership to elevate the program. Hart, in turn, called the opportunity an honor and emphasized his eagerness to build relationships with student-athletes while establishing a program the university and community can take pride in supporting.
Prior to Stanford, Hart’s coaching path included stops at Washington (where he helped the Huskies reach the Sweet Sixteen), Oklahoma (including a brief interim head coaching stint), San Francisco, and UC Santa Barbara, where he worked with both men’s and women’s teams as a goalkeeper coach and strength and conditioning specialist. A former professional goalkeeper who played for Queens Park Rangers, he starred collegiately at West Texas A&M as a four-time Lone Star Conference Goalkeeper of the Year.
Mizzou Athletics plans to formally introduce Hart at an event in Columbia at a later date. For a program seeking renewed relevance in the SEC, the hire signals a clear intent to compete at a higher level with a coach steeped in recent national success.
