Kearney, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney Athletic Director Marc Bauer announced today (March 28) that Neil Piper is stepping down as the Lopers head women's soccer coach.
 
Piper was announced as the fourth head coach in program history at a press conference on February 17 and began his duties on March 1. He has held meetings and led practices with the team this month. 
 
"Due to some unforeseen family circumstances, I have stepped down as women's soccer coach at Nebraska Kearney. I really enjoyed my time here and was excited at the thought of turning this program around," said Piper. "Marc Bauer and the athletic administration has shown great support and the student-athletes are hungry to win. I have no doubt the soccer program is heading in the right direction and will be successful very soon." 
 
UNK began its spring practice window earlier this month and will continue to work out through April. With Piper at the helm, the Lopers tallied a 3-0 home win over the College of St. Mary on Sunday (March 27). The team is slated to host Concordia on April 24 (NEW DATE ... moved from April 9) and is at Iowa Western C.C. on April 30 in its other spring scrimmages. 
 
"In response to the sudden resignation of Coach Piper, we respect his wishes to turn his attention to his family's needs at this time. We all know how life can change instantly, and the urgency of these unforeseen circumstances has caught us all off guard," said Bauer. "Coach Piper addressed the team Monday afternoon, sharing a tough yet important decision to do what's in the best interest of his family. We want to thank Coach Piper for his time with our student-athletes and wish his family all the best in the coming months."
 
A new head coach has been identified and the announcement of that hiring is forthcoming.
 
"The hiring committee convened immediately after learning about Coach Piper's decision. This time, we had to turn our attention to finding a new women's soccer coach with a greater sense of urgency. Of the vast pool of candidates from the initial search, we are confident that we found a new coach. Upon completing the hiring process, we look forward to making an announcement later this week," said Bauer.
 
The Loper women's soccer program began in 2009 with the 2022 season beginning at home on Friday, August 26, vs. Winona (Minn.) State.
 
"The past four months have been a rollercoaster of emotions for everyone involved with our soccer program. However, we have and will continue to stay committed to supporting our student-athlete needs, even though we were not expecting this turn of events. Our staff and administration are proud of the team's resilience and hard work, and we plan to be along their side throughout this process," said Bauer.