A woman who played at the highest levels of the game, Becky Edwards was hired as an assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania women’s soccer program in February 2020.
Edwards came to Penn after spending the previous year as a graduate assistant coach under Mark Krikorian at her alma mater, Florida State University. The move represents a homecoming for Edwards, who grew up in nearby Downington (Pa.) and enjoyed a decorated youth career at Downingtown West High School as well as with the West Chester Predators club program.
Edwards was the 12th overall pick in the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Draft, by FC Gold Pride, then helped lead them to the WPS championship that season. That was the start of a lengthy pro career that included four years in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as well as two stints in Sweden. In addition to her title with FC Gold Pride, Edwards won professional titles with Western NY Flash (2011 WPS) and Portland Thorns FC (2013 NWSL).
Edwards’ pro career came on the heels of a standout college career at Florida State, where she was a two-time first-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America as well as a two-time NSCAA Scholar All-America. As a senior, Edwards was a semifinalist for the prestigious MAC Hermann Award, given annually to nation’s top collegiate player. FSU went 72-18-11 during Edwards’ career, with four NCAA Championship and two NCAA College Cup appearances. She appeared in 95 matches for the Seminoles, making 89 starts, and collected 10 goals and 20 assists for 40 career points.
Edwards graduated magna cum laude from Florida State in 2010, then returned to Tallahassee after retiring as a professional to earn a master’s degree in Sport Management in December 2020.
At the international level, Edwards captained the United States to the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup title, and three years later she helped the U.S. Under-23 National Team win a championship at the Four Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain.
Edwards, who holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) “C” Coaching License, also has coaching experience from working with the TTHFC-Florida Elite youth teams based in Tallahassee (Fla.) as well as the Philadelphia region’s Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) program, Penn Fusion SA.
