Head Coach: U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team
Hometown: Middleton, Wisconsin

Dean Duerst took over as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team in April of 2007 and this year moves with that age group of players to coach the newly formed U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team. In 2007, Duerst led the U-17s to nine wins in 10 games, including six victories in international matches. The team scored 28 goals while allowing just three.

Duerst came to U.S. Soccer from the University of Wisconsin women’s soccer program, where he was a mainstay for 20 years. Duerst completed his 13th season as the head coach of the Badgers in 2006 before stepping down. He finished his career at UW as the all-time leader in wins for women’s soccer with a record of 151-105-30, a run that included eight NCAA playoff appearances, one Big Ten regular season crown and two Big Ten tournament titles. Duerst is currently the assistant coach women’s soccer coach at the University of Michigan, being named in February of 2008.

Duerst is no stranger to the U.S. Youth Women’s National Teams, having been involved in the early 1990s as the WNT programs started to develop and grow. He was the head coach of the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team in 1993, taking the team to two tournaments, capturing first place in the Montricoux Tournament in France, and traveling to Denmark to compete for the Nordic Cup.

That same year, Duerst assisted then-U.S. head coach Anson Dorrance when the Women’s National Team visited Cyprus to compete in the Cyprus Cup. He was also named head coach of the North team for the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival held in San Antonio, Texas, and spent 10 years as the head coach of the Region II Olympic Development Program.

Duerst began working with the UW women’s soccer program in 1987 as an assistant coach under former U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Greg Ryan, who is now the head coach at Michigan. Duerst was part of the Badgers’ coaching staff for the run to the 1988 NCAA semifinals as well as on the 1991 NCAA runner-up team.

A midfielder for the Wisconsin men’s soccer team from 1981–83, Duerst captained the team his last two seasons. He was named Second Team All- Midwest in 1982 and was selected to the First Team in 1983. He also earned three Wisconsin all-state collegiate honors. He graduated from UW with a bachelor of science degree in physical education in 1985.

A transfer from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., Duerst still ranks among the best in several UW all-time lists. He is eighth in career goals with 20 and holds the record for most shots taken in a game (10) and in a season (82).

During his time as an assistant under Ryan, Duerst also played and coached the Madison 56ers men’s soccer team, a top amateur side. The 56ers won numerous state and regional championships, as well as the 1992 U.S. Amateur Soccer Federation national championship. Prior to playing for the 56ers, Duerst played professional indoor soccer for two years for the Milwaukee Wave and Fort Wayne Flames.

The Madison native Duerst resides in Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife, Nancy, and their three children, Jacob (10), Marley (9) and Reggie (5).