Linda Ann Hamilton (born June 4, 1969) is an American retired soccer defender and former member of the

United States women's national soccer team The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four Women's World Cup titles ( 1991, 1999, 2015, an ...

. She is currently head coach of the women's soccer team at the

Southwestern University Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...

. Hamilton was inducted into the Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.

Early life

Hamilton grew up in the

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

area and attended Wheeler High School where she lettered in soccer, basketball, tennis and track. She played club soccer with both the Buckhead YMCA and the DeKalb Soccer Association at Blackburn Park.

Playing career

University

Hamilton spent the first three years of her college career at North Carolina State University before transferring to the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

to play for the

Tar Heels Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is also the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans. The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace back to North Carolina's promi ...

led by national team coach,

Anson Dorrance Albert Anson Dorrance IV (born April 9, 1951) is an American soccer coach. He is currently the head coach of the women's soccer program at the University of North Carolina. He has one of the most successful coaching records in the history of ath ...

. In 1990 while concurrently playing for the

, Hamilton ended her collegiate career as a member of the Tar Heels squad that won the fifth of nine consecutive NCAA titles. While playing for UNC, Linda Hamilton worked in the call center of soccer retaile
Eurosport/SOCCER.COM
with teammate Mia Hamm. A highly decorated player, Hamilton was a four-time All-American, four-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and was the runner-up for the national player of the year in each of her final three collegiate seasons.

International

Hamilton played for the

from 1987 to 1995. In 1991, she was part of the team that won the first Women's World Cup in China.

Coaching career

Hamilton began her coaching career by getting her "A" license while still at North Carolina and starting the Old Dominion's women's program in 1994. She served as director of player development for the Richmond Strikers Soccer Club while working in full-time at another job. She became assistant coach at Hofstra University in 2006 and later head coach at the

University of North Florida The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Sc ...

in 2008. Hamilton was the head coach for the women's soccer team at

Illinois College Illinois College is a private liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was the second college founded in Illinois, but the first to grant a degree ( ...

in Jacksonville, Illinois. In February 2015, she became the head coach for women's soccer team at

Georgetown, Texas Georgetown is a city in Texas and the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 67,176 at the 2020 census. It is 30 miles (48 km) north of Austin. Founded in 1875 from four existing colleges, the oldest of ...

Sports administration career

Hamilton has remained involved with U.S. Soccer as a member of the board of directors with the United States Soccer Federation, U.S. Soccer Foundation and U.S. Athletes Council. In 2011, she traveled to Brazil on behalf of the United States Department of State to conduct soccer clinics with former national team member and teammate, Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.

References

External links

*
US Soccer profile

North Florida coach profile

Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Linda 1969 births Living people Soccer players from Atlanta United States women's international soccer players Women's association football defenders North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer players 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup players 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup players FIFA Women's World Cup-winning players American women's soccer players NC State Wolfpack women's soccer players National Soccer Hall of Fame members