University of Chicago

Julianne Sitch was hired as UChicago's head men's soccer coach in April 2022.

In Sitch's debut campaign in 2022, the Maroons captured their first NCAA Division III championship in program history by defeating Williams College 2-0 in the national title match. UChicago posted a 22-0-1 mark to set a new school record for wins in a season and its .978 winning percentage led the nation. The Maroons also won the University Athletic Association title with a 6-0-1 record. The defense recorded 13 shutouts while only allowing 11 goals. Only one opponent all year scored more than one goal versus the Maroons. UChicago trailed for only 64 minutes all season out of 2,090 minutes played. 

The 2022 squad's accolades included one All-American (Richard Gillespie), five All-Region selections and seven All-UAA honorees. Sitch and her assistants were named the United Soccer Coaches' National Coaching Staff of the Year, USC Region VIII Coaching Staff of the Year and UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.

Sitch returned to the Hyde Park campus after two previous stints as an assistant coach for the UChicago women's soccer team. She was part of the coaching staff for three seasons from 2015-17 and subsequently rejoined for the fall 2019 campaign.

As lead assistant coach for the Maroons, Sitch was also the program's recruiting coordinator. She devised game plans and team scouts, while organizing team and individual training sessions.

With Sitch on staff, the Maroons put together one of their most successful multi-year runs in program history. Their cumulative record stood at 53-13-1 for a .798 winning percentage. UChicago qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship field all three seasons, reaching the semifinals in 2016 and the national championship game in 2017.

The 2017 national runner-up team broke a bevy of school records with a legendary fall season. The squad set new program-best marks for wins (22), winning percentage (.917), longest winning streak (17), goals (80), assists (69), total points (229), shutouts (18), fewest goals allowed (7) and goals against average (0.29).

UChicago's dominating play was recognized with numerous accolades during that time. From 2015-17, the Maroons received 11 total All-American awards while producing two D3soccer.com Midfielders of the Year, 12 All-Region honorees, two University Athletic Association (UAA) Players of the Year, two UAA Rookies of the Year and 13 All-UAA selections. The program also collected two CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades and three NSCAA Scholar All-America awards.

UChicago was voted as the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year in 2016 and 2017, while also garnering NSCAA Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2016.

Sitch became the second woman to currently serve as head coach of a men's soccer team within the UAA.

Since 2020, Sitch served as Assistant Women's Soccer Coach for the Chicago Red Stars, who compete in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was deeply involved with team and individual training sessions, facilitating individual player development plans, and organizing player profiles for the college draft. The 2021 Red Stars squad was a NWSL Finalist and the 2020 team was a NWSL Challenge Cup Finalist.

Simultaneously, Sitch was the Head Women's Soccer Coach of the Chicago Red Stars Reserves. The 2021 reserves won the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Great Lakes Conference championship.

Sitch previously coached at the NCAA Division I level as assistant women's soccer coach for University of Illinois – Chicago (2018-19).

On the international level, Sitch worked with the U.S. Soccer Youth National Team (2019-20). She was the Assistant Coach for the Under-16 Girls National Team (GNT), which took first place in the UEFA Women's International Development Tournament in Portugal.

A native of Oswego, Ill., Sitch was Illinois Gatorade Women's High School Soccer Player of the Year in 2002. She went on to compile record-setting numbers at DePaul University. Sitch broke the school's career records in points (90), goals (32) and assists (26). Her collegiate honors included Second Team NSCAA All-American (2003), Conference USA Player of the Year (2003) and First Team All-Big East (2005). She earned her bachelor's degree from DePaul in Fitness Management & Physical Education in 2007.

Sitch played for the Region II Olympic Development Program, the Under-19 U.S. National Team, and the Under-21 U.S. National Team. She was part of the U-21 national team that won the Nordic Cup in 2004.

As a professional soccer player, Sitch was drafted by Sky Blue FC of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) in 2009. The team went on to win the national championship in that inaugural season. Domestically, she played professionally for the Chicago Red Stars, Western New York Flash and Atlanta Beat. Sitch played on the international stage for Melbourne Victory in Australia, as well as Hammarby IF and Balinge IF in Sweden.