Texas State soccer Head Coach Steve Holeman capped off his third season with the Bobcats after competing in their first Sun Belt (SBC) Championship. Under his leadership, the program progressed to new heights that reflect a growing culture.
Holeman arrived in San Marcos with 27 years of coaching experience, most recently spending six seasons with Lamar University, where he earned four conference titles and appeared in two NCAA Tournaments.
Since bringing his knowledge to Texas State as the second-ever head coach in history, the Bobcats have achieved accomplishments that prove a positive trajectory.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years, so that’s a long time. I mean, the game has completely changed. The landscape of everything we do is completely changed,” Holeman said. “What has stayed the same the philosophy of working hard, the idea of developing relationships with players, motivating them to be their best and doing everything we can to be successful.”
In 2022, the Bobcats led a competitive season with a record that landed them the No.5 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, where they fell short in round one against James Madison University 0-1.
After the 2022 season, four seniors graduated from Bobcat soccer, and six new players signed for the 2023 season.
The 2023 season was Holeman’s first year forming a team he knew more personally, including players recruited under his leadership. The season exposed flaws that needed to be ironed out before fans saw a more unified squad. Despite a worsened conference record of 3-3-4, which placed the Bobcats as the lowest seed in the SBC Tournament, Texas State went to the semi-finals for the first time since 2018, though they fell in round two to South Alabama 1-2.
Holeman continued to build the Bobcat roster for the 2024 recruitment year and successfully brought in multiple players who proved impactful for Texas State.
Freshman forward Helen Alormenu, freshman forward Sydney Bassa and transfer sophomore Kaylie Smith all left a clear mark on Texas State soccer during the 2024 season, their first year with the team.
Alormenu totaled three goals and 618 minutes, Bassa totaled four goals and 574 minutes and Smith accumulated four goals, five assists, and 1,515 minutes and was named the 2024 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
Although the Bobcats fell short 2-3 in the SBC Championship match, they were seeded the highest in Holeman’s history at No. 3, forging their way to the final match for the first time ever.
“The seniors [felt] that was their chance, and the returning players feel like, oh, we came that close, so next year, we’re going to do it,” Holeman said. “For the seniors I think they look and think back to the last five years, four or five years… and know that they had a really successful season, this is the best year ever.”
Looking forward to the 2025 season, Texas State will say goodbye to graduating playmakers midfielder Mya Ulloa, goalkeeper Katelyn Chrisman, defender Kennley Bradley, defender Lucy Hart, midfielder Madi Goss, defender Anna Dunch and forward Zoe Junior.
In fall 2025, Texas State will start a new journey to a championship game in search of redemption for an SBC ring.
