2012 Women’s Soccer Assistant Coaches/Support Staff Rebecca Whittle
Kate Blankenship
Assistant Coach • Fourth Season Samford, 2002
Assistant Coach • First Season UAB, 2010
Rebecca Whittle was named assistant coach for the UAB women’s soccer program in July, 2009. Whittle returned to the collegiate women’s soccer scene after teaching in the Homewood (Ala.) school system since the fall of 2006. Whittle’s most-recent coaching stint was at Georgia Southern, where she spent two years (2004-06) with head coach and former UAB women’s soccer assistant Ashley Hart. Prior to Georgia Southern, Whittle was an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech for two seasons with head coaches Greg Stone (2002) and Patrick Farmer (2003). In addition, Whittle has worked numerous collegiate camps, including UAB, Samford, Georgia Southern, Tennessee Tech, Duke, Rice and Lee University. She has also been a coach with the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club off-and-on since 2000. Whittle was a four-year letterwinner at Samford, playing for then-head coach Barry Spitzer from 1997-2000. The Dallas, Texas native played in 71 games, starting 65 contests at forward for the Bulldogs. She scored 16 goals and recorded 15 assists for a total of 47 points during her career. Whittle graduated from Samford in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in education and received her master’s degree in education psychology and counselor education from Tennessee Tech in 2004. The former Rebecca Kent is married to Luke Whittle, who is the Director of Coaching for the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club. They have a son, Noah, who was born in November 2009.
Kate Blankenship, a former UAB goalkeeper, was named assistant coach of the UAB women’s soccer team in January, 2012. Blankenship’s main responsibility will be working with the goalkeepers. Prior to joining UAB’s coaching staff, Blankenship served as a graduate assistant coach with the Indiana State University women’s soccer program for the 2011 season. Before arriving at Indiana State University, Blankenship was an assistant women’s soccer coach at Stratford Academy in Macon, Ga., where her primary responsibility was coaching the goalkeepers. In her season with the Eagles, the team went 22-0-1, including 15 shutouts. The Eagles captured the 2011 Georgia Independent Sports Association (GISA) 3A state championships. A standout net minder for UAB from 2007-10, Blankenship compiled a 34-30-9 record. She set the UAB single-season records in shutouts (9) and best goals against average (.082) in her freshman year. In her four-year tenure with the Green and Gold, Blankenship posted career records in saves (341), minutes (6,782:20), shutouts (20) and best goals against average (1.22). A native of Lizella, Ga., Blankenship graduated from UAB in December, 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a minor in athletic coaching. “I’ve always wanted to come back to this university so that I could give back to a school that did so much for me. I’m ecstatic to work with [Head] Coach [Harold] Warren and [Assistant] Coach [Rebecca] Whittle. They both have impressive backgrounds and are doing amazing things with the women’s soccer program.”
Support Staff
Kathryn Roberts Media Relations
Dani Stephenson Athletic Training
Drew Barnette Academics
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U A B
B l a z e r s
Stacey Torman Sports Enhancement
Wes Peters Marketing