Columbia, Mo. - (Life University Release) Associate Head Men's & Women's Soccer Coach Meg Goddard has been named the new Head Women's Soccer Coach at Life University in Marietta, Georgia. Goddard's last day with Columbia College will be Friday, December 16th, as she is set to begin her duties at Life immediately. 

Life University competes as an NAIA institution and they offer 21 varsity athletic programs. Competing in the Southern States Athletic Conference, Life's women's soccer team ended their 2022 season with an 8-6-2 overall record while going 5-2-1 in the SSAC. They advanced to the championship match of the SSAC tournament before falling to No. 5 William Carey University. 

During her time at Columbia College, Goddard served as assistant coach for both men's and women's soccer, before being promoted to Associate Head Coach this past season. 

"I am excited to take this next step in my career and join Life University Athletics. Columbia College has been a home and a family to me since 2012. I leave filled with pride on what the programs have achieved and I am forever grateful to Coach Klein for his mentorship and for giving a young coach like me an opportunity seven seasons ago." Goddard remarked about her time spent at CC. 

The Cougar women's soccer team finished the 2022 season with a 17-3-2 overall record and an 8-0 mark in conference play; accumulating a 4-2-2 record against ranked or receiving votes teams. The Cougars dominated conference play with an 8-0 record, only giving up three goals to conference opponents. This is the fourth-consecutive season Columbia has remained unbeaten in AMC play. They made their tenth-straight NAIA National Opening Round appearance, and added their ninth overall American Midwest Conference tournament title and regular season title in school history. 

The men's soccer team is coming off their eighth-straight NAIA National Opening Round appearance, while also finishing with their eleventh overall American Midwest (AMC) tournament title in school history. After falling to then (RV) Williams Baptist in the regular season, Columbia came out on top in the AMC Men's Soccer Championship against the No. 12 Williams Baptist. The Cougars went 15-4-3 on the season, producing a 7-1 conference record. Columbia also went 4-4-1 against ranked or receiving votes teams.

She has helped coach 10 women's and 17 men's NAIA All-Americans. 

Goddard completed her undergraduate degree in business administration at Columbia College in 2014. She was a member of the women's soccer team and was team captain during the 2012 and 2013 seasons playing under Head Coach John Klein.  She helped the team to their first conference championship and first appearance in the national tournament. Goddard completed her graduate degree in business administration in May of 2017 from Ottawa University.  

She returned to Columbia College after spending the 2015 season as the graduate assistant for the women's soccer program at Ottawa University.