The Houston Dash have added Twila Kaufman as an assistant coach on James Clarkson’s technical staff, the club announced today.
Kaufman spent five seasons leading the UC Davis women’s soccer program after spending 10 seasons as part of the coaching staff at Pepperdine.
“We’re really excited to have her on the staff and think she brings a lot of experience and knowledge,” said Clarkson. “She’s only going to help us to continue to grow as an organization and as a club. She has great experience in the college game and with youth U.S. national teams which is also a great benefit to us.”
At UC Davis, Kaufman wrapped up one of the most successful Division I seasons in school history in 2018, advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2011 and finishing with the 14 points in the league standings, the most in the school history.
During her time at with Pepperdine, the California native helped lead the Waves to a West Coast Conference title, NCAA first-round appearance, and No. 10 national ranking in 2011, finishing the year 15-2-4 overall and 7-1 in the WCC.
In addition to her stints at UC Davis and Pepperdine, Kaufman brings extensive experience as both a player and coach. She was the head coach of the Los Angeles Legends of the USL W-League and was a team captain during her four-year career as a starter at the University of Arizona.
Kaufman replaces Monica Gonzalez, who parted ways with the club earlier this summer. She will make her first appearance on the bench alongside Head Coach James Clarkson, Eddie Robinson and Brenton Saylor on Friday, August 2 when the Dash take on Reign FC at BBVA Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPNNEWS at 6 p.m. CDT.
