Willem Kelson is slated to join the Southeastern Louisiana University women's soccer coaching staff for the 2026 season, pending approval of the University of Louisiana System's Board of Supervisors.
A Strategic Addition for the Program
In that capacity he will serve as an assistant coach and head of goalkeeper development, a position designed to elevate the team's defensive organization and shot‑stopping capabilities.
Kelson's most recent stint as a graduate assistant at Western Illinois from 2023 to 2025 gave him direct oversight of the men's soccer goalkeepers, where Micah Ramirez finished second nationally in Division I with 112 saves during the 2025 campaign.
Under his guidance, women's goalkeeper Ariel Bernard earned a spot at the 2025 USYNT Women’s College Talent ID Camp, highlighting his ability to identify and nurture emerging talent.
His coaching résumé also includes a season with the North Carolina Football Club in 2023, volunteer work at Charles E. Jordan High School, and leadership of the Carolina Girls’ Soccer Camp from 2022 through 2025.
Prior to that, Kelson spent two years as goalkeeper coach for the Santa Clara Sporting Soccer Club, where he helped shape a developmental pipeline that produced several collegiate prospects.
His playing background includes stints as a practice player for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team and as a club goalkeeper for the UNC men's side, as well as collegiate experience at the University of San Diego and West Valley College.
He holds a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience with a chemistry minor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's in Business Administration from Western Illinois, earned in 2025.
Expressing appreciation for the opportunity, Kelson said he looks forward to contributing to the Hammond community and to building on the program's recent momentum.