Dawn Greathouse Position: Assistant Coach Alma Mater: Baylor '01

Former Baylor All-American and WUSA goalkeeper Dawn Greathouse enters her seventh season on the Notre Dame women's soccer staff as an assistant coach, reuniting with her former college coach Randy Waldrum, who departed Baylor for Notre Dame after the 1998 season. Greathouse currently holds an advanced national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Greathouse has provided valuable instruction and insight for some of the greatest goalkeepers in program history in 2006 graduate Erika Bohn (who went on to be one of two goalkeepers on the U.S. U-21 National Team at the 2005 Nordic Cup) and 2008 graduate Lauren Karas. Bohn - a rare three-time Academic All-American - earned NSCAA all-region honors in 2003 and then was an all-BIG EAST Conference selection in 2005. She ranks fourth in the Notre Dame record book with a 0.69 career goals-against average (GAA) and is third in Irish women's soccer history with 6,788 career minutes played. While under the tutelage of Greathouse, Karas posted the second highest career winning-percentage among Irish goalkeepers (.902) and the third-best GAA (0.65).

Greathouse made an immediate impact in her first two seasons at Notre Dame, the second of which saw the Irish win their second national championship. In 2003, the Irish finished fifth in the nation with a 0.49 season goals-against average in 2003 and were fourth with 15 shutouts - also compiling a 956-minute shutout streak that ranks fifth in NCAA history (longest since 1999). Notre Dame faced just one deficit in the first 19 games of the 2003 season, en route to a 20-3-1 record. The 2004 national championship season then saw the Irish lead the nation with 18 shutouts while nearly reclaiming the GAA title (4th, at 0.51). The 25-1-1 season featured just 108 minutes with the Irish playing from behind, limiting 24 of the 27 opponents to one goal or fewer, while the other three foes managed to score twice (two coming in the first four games, with only 10 goals allowed over the final 25).

Following the 2004 NCAA title-game win over UCLA, Bohn quickly credited Greathouse when asked about her clutch performances in that pressure-packed game. Bohn's six saves that day included three in penalty-kick situations, one coming late in regulation to preserve the 1-1 tie while her final save (in the shootout) clinched the title.

Most recently, Greathouse tutored current senior Kelsey Lysander and junior Nikki Weiss, during the 2008 season when the Irish netminding duo combined for 18 shutouts (second-most in school history) with an 0.44 GAA (fourth-lowest in program annals). Individually, Lysander set or tied school records for wins (26), winning percentage (.963, 26-1-0) and total shutouts (18) while ranking sixth in the nation in GAA (0.44) and being named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team.

"Dawn has done a great job with our 'keepers and we expect that to continue on an even higher level this season," says Waldrum.

"Dawn is one of the best goalkeepers I've ever coached and her skills and knowledge are further legitimized by the fact that she played in the WUSA. She brings a great level of experience but also knows what the expectations are on the pro level. Dawn is able to expose our players to what the inner workings of elite-level soccer are all about and that supports what our staff as a whole is trying to teach the players."

Greathouse - who trained with the U.S. U-20 National Team in 1998 - played with the Washington Freedom in the first two seasons of the Women's United Soccer Association (2001 and 2002), also playing for the San Jose CyberRays in 2002 and '03. She made eight career starts in the WUSA while backing up U.S. National Team players Siri Mullinix (Washington) and former Notre Dame star LaKeysia Beene (San Jose).

Greathouse logged 7,121 minutes (sixth in NCAA history at the time) in her four-year Baylor career while posting a 1.20 goals-against average, an .802 save percentage and 28 shutouts. The three-time all-Big 12 Conference and three-time Big 12 all-academic team honoree posted her top season as a sophomore in 1998, earning NSCAA second team All-America honors after ranking 12th in the nation with a 0.69 GAA. She helped the 1998 team win Baylor's first Big-12 title in any sport - before an ACL knee injury sidelined her from Baylor's second straight trip to the NCAAs.

An NSCAA and Parade All-American at Allen (Texas) High School, Greathouse helped the Texas Longhorns club program place second nationally and trained with the U.S. Under-16 and U-17 national teams.

During her youth soccer days, Greathouse played goalkeeper for her club team but also was a high-scoring forward with the Allen High School squad. She set the Allen High School record for career goals and also held the single-season record that was broken by former Notre Dame All-American Kerri Hanks.

Born Feb. 10, 1979, in Rochester, N.Y., Greathouse graduated from Baylor in 2001 with a degree in health fitness.