Shannon Neely Noel was named the sixth head coach in Queens University of Charlotte women's soccer history in the spring of 2022, bringing more than a decade of collegiate and club coaching experience to the Royals.
In just her second season at the helm, Neely Noel led Queens to its first-ever appearance in the ASUN Championship Tournament, posting a 4-7-8 overall record in 2023. The Royals became the first No. 8 seed in ASUN Women’s Soccer history to reach the quarterfinals. Under her leadership, Erica Turner, Hilda Svensson, and Lucie Platt became the program’s first All-ASUN honorees at the Division I level.
Queens began its Division I transition under Neely Noel in 2022, finishing with a 3-8-5 record and earning six clean sheets on the year. Goalkeeper Erica Turner ranked third in the ASUN in total saves, while four of the Royals’ losses came by just one goal. The team showed strong growth throughout the year, going 3-3-1 over its final seven matches.
Prior to joining Queens, Neely Noel held coaching roles across all levels of the game. She began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Grand Valley State, where she helped guide the Lakers to back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in 2009 and 2010, and a national runner-up finish in 2011. In her three seasons, GVSU produced two National Players of the Year, 22 All-Americans, and six Academic All-Americans.
From there, Neely Noel joined Northwestern University as an assistant coach, specializing in defense and goalkeepers. During her five-year stint, the Wildcats won their first Big Ten title in 2016, and the coaching staff was named Regional Staff of the Year. Northwestern shattered program and national records in shutouts and goals-against average, with goalkeeper Lauren Clem becoming the program’s first All-American and Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year.
She continued her rise as associate head coach at Fordham University, where she helped the Rams earn back-to-back postseason appearances while leading the offense and serving as recruiting coordinator. Her efforts landed the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history.
Neely Noel also made a significant impact at the club level, serving as girls director and head coach at Long Island Soccer Club. She led multiple Girls Academy League teams, oversaw 18 teams and 12 coaches, and co-created the C.O.R.E. Leadership Development Program. She also held roles as sporting director for the Long Island Rough Riders (United Women’s Soccer) and as social media and promotional director for the USA Deaf Women’s National Team.
As a player, Neely Noel was a standout goalkeeper at Ohio State University, helping the Buckeyes to Big Ten Championships in 2002 and 2004 and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2004. A three-time Big Ten All-Academic selection, she earned five OSU Scholar-Athlete honors.
Neely Noel holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Ohio State, along with a master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State.
