BOSTON – Suffolk women's soccer head coach Ashley Van Vechten has turned in her whistle after four seasons guiding the Rams to pursue a new coaching opportunity at the University of Rochester, the Suffolk Athletics Department announced Thursday afternoon. Van Vechten is set to return to her alma mater as the newest head coach of the Yellow Jackets.   

"It is with a heavy heart that I step away from the helm of our Suffolk women's program and begin a new chapter in life," Van Vechten said. "This has been an extremely difficult decision to make in light of the exceptional support shown to me by our Athletic Department, the outstanding colleagues I've learned from along the way, and the relationships I have built with members of the Suffolk community and our women's soccer student-athletes. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity given to me by Athletic Director Cary McConnell, and I want to thank him and the rest of our athletics department staff for their tremendous support over the years." 

Van Vechten continued, "It has truly been an incredible journey overseeing the development of our women's soccer program into conference competitors with ever greater ambitions. Leading this program and our remarkable student-athletes has challenged me to grow beyond measure, and I count myself very fortunate to have been able to guide as well as learn from such a diverse group of extraordinary student-athletes on Suffolk's campus. Thank you to all of our women's soccer student-athletes and alumni. Their unwavering belief in our team and tireless effort in working towards our goals has helped build a foundation from which this program can continue to grow, and I wish them and all of our Suffolk University community continued success in the future." 

"We want to thank Coach Van Vechten for her commitment to Suffolk University and our women's soccer program," McConell said. "As the first ever full-time coach her strong leadership has moved the program forward and laid the foundation for future success.  We wish her the best as she takes over the helm of her alma mater. Ashley will always be part of the Suffolk family."  

After serving four years as an assistant at Rochester, following her standout playing career with the Yellow Jackets, Van Vechten brought a culture and winning mentality that was quickly felt in Boston. She leaves Suffolk's sidelines after some of the most successful seasons in the program's 15-year history.  

The first-ever full-time head coach and female to lead Suffolk's squad, Van Vechten assembled a 25-22-1 record over three full seasons with 20 victories coming in shutout fashion. She guided the blue-and-gold to back-to-back double-digit win campaigns, in 2019 and 2021, respectively, a first-time feat for the program.  

Under Van Vechten's direction, the Rams qualified for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament her second season in 2019 and garnered hosting rights for just the second time in program history. That year she was voted GNAC Coach of the Year by her peers after exceeding expectations: as the team was predicted to finish 10th among conference counterparts and went on to take the fourth-seed in the league post-season.   

Two years later, after a COVID cancelled campaign, she led Suffolk into a new era, competing in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) for the first time. The 2021 team not only made the CCC tournament, but put out the second-most victories in the Rams' record books with an 11-6-0 overall ledger. That mark shares second all-time with the 2016 team (11-10-0), two triumphs shy of the record held by the 2010 unit (13-4-1).  

Van Vechten developed over 50 student-athletes while in Beantown, many of who excelled both athletically and academically. In the last four years, the Rams have garnered four all-region nods and six all-conference accolades and never missed the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award, which shows the dedication Van Vechten and Suffolk takes to the true meaning of a student-athlete.  

The Suffolk Athletics Department will begin an immediate national search to identify the fourth head coach of Suffolk women's soccer.