TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State women's soccer head coach Erika True announced the addition of Pete Kowall to the soccer coaching staff today (Feb. 27). Kowall comes to Indiana State from Illinois Springfield, where he served as the women's soccer head coach since the program's first season in 2008.

"I am ecstatic to have Pete join the Indiana State soccer program," said head coach Erika True. "Pete will bring valuable knowledge of the game, great coaching experience and passion for recruiting top-level players. He has brought success to every program that he has coached with and we hope that it will continue here at Indiana State."

Not a stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference, Kowall was the head coach at Illinois State from 1997-2006 and led the Redbirds to a 104-63-20 record over 10 seasons in Normal. Kowall's teams won the MVC Regular Season championship following four seasons (1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003) and the tournament title in 2003. A two-time MVC Coach of the Year, Kowall earned the award following Illinois State's championship seasons in 1998 and 2001.

Kowall posted a 16-56-4 record in five seasons with the Prairie Stars, leading the team to school records with six results (four wins, two draws) and five results (three wins, two draws) over his final two seasons in charge.

He has worked over the past 13 years with the Illinois Olympic Development Program (ODP), winning the National Championship in 2003 with his 1985 girls' team and then took the 1988 girls' team to a third place finish in 2005. As the head coach of the Illinois Fusion Soccer Club team he led his squad to the semifinals at the National Soccer Ranking Cup along with being an Orange Bowl finalist and winning the Metro Tournament.

Kowall spent three seasons as the assistant coach at the University of Michigan where he helped the Wolverines go from eighth to third place in the Big Ten during his time in Ann Arbor. Soccer America rated one of their recruiting classes as second best in the Great Lakes Region. He served as the head coach at Drew University in Madison, N. J. for two years (1992-94) where he put together a 21-15-1 record for the NCAA Division III institution. Kowall got his start in women's soccer at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Mich. in 1989 where he took his team to the 1990 Division III Women's Championship Quarterfinals. He was named the 1990 National Division III Coach of the Year and the 1990 Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year for his efforts.