Hobart and William Smith Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian Miller announced today that Laura Burnett-Kurie ’08 will serve as the head coach of William Smith soccer this fall. She returns to her alma mater after spending the past 13 seasons as the head coach of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.
“From our initial engagement with Laura, she quickly showed all the characteristics of what we were looking for in our next leader for William Smith Soccer,” Miller said. “I’m confident she will fit perfectly within the department and HWS community. I’m excited to see her continue the legacy of Heron soccer.”
Burnett-Kurie will be just the second head coach in the history of William Smith soccer. She takes over for Aliceann Wilber, who will retire at the end of this academic year following 45 years at the helm of the program.
Burnett-Kurie guided the Gusties to seven winning seasons, compiling a 100-107-21 record. She mentored 38 All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selections, nine United Soccer Coaches All-Region picks and an All-American. Burnett-Kurie was voted the 2015 MIAC Coach of the Year by her peers after engineering the biggest single season turnaround in program history. She led Gustavus to a 13-7-1 record, an 11-win improvement, finished second in the MIAC regular season standings, won the MIAC Championship Tournament and earned an NCAA tournament bid.
Burnett-Kurie’s Gusties are also among the top performers in the classroom. This past fall, the team posted a 3.81 GPA, the highest in Division III women’s soccer. In 2022 and 2023, Gustavus had the second highest team GPA in the country. Burnett-Kurie’s teams have won 13 consecutive United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards, while her players have earned 149 MIAC All-Academic honors and 13 Academic All-District Awards from College Sports Communicators.
In addition to her coaching duties, Burnett-Kurie also serves as the director of intramural sports and previously was instructor in the Health and Exercise Science Department at Gustavus.
“Laura emerged from a strong, competitive pool of applicants,” said Liz Dennison, deputy director of athletics. “Her coaching experience, energy around recruitment and player development, and values align with our department and the goals of the program. We could not be more excited for her to lead William Smith soccer into its next chapter, building on the foundation of excellence set by Aliceann. We’re confident Laura will continue this standard of excellence, on and off the field, and we’re excited for her to get started. We can’t wait to welcome Laura and her husband back to Geneva and HWS!”
Burnett-Kurie’s coaching resume also includes stops at Redlands and Gettysburg as an assistant coach.
As a student at William Smith, Burnett-Kurie earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology while starring on the pitch for the Herons. A high-scoring forward, she produced 102 career points on 42 goals and 18 assists, graduating fourth on the program’s goals and points lists. She was just the fifth Heron to reach the 100-point plateau. A two-time All-American, Burnett-Kurie led William Smith to a 56-13-8 record during her four seasons, advancing to the postseason each year. During her senior year, she had seven goals and seven assists as the Herons went 17-1-1 and won the Liberty League Championship Tournament for the first time.
Following graduation, Burnett-Kurie played one season for the Adirondack Lynx of the Women’s Premier Soccer League. She received All-Eastern Conference honors after guiding the Lynx to the playoffs.
“I am excited and honored to rejoin the Hobart and William Smith community, and to lead the William Smith Soccer program into its new chapter. I want to thank Brian Miller, Liz Dennison and the rest of the committee for believing in my vision and allowing me to return to a program that has given me so much since I first stepped on campus back in 2004. I also want to thank Gustavus Athletic Director Tom Brown for believing in me 13 years ago — Taking this next step in my coaching career would not be possible without all the support and mentorship from the Gustavus Community.
“Thank you to the legendary Aliceann Wilber for her 45 years of brilliance. She has paved the way for female coaches, created ‘the most loyal, spirited and unique female sport alum groups in the country’, and mentored generations of young women. For 45 years, she has made every one of her players feel significant and has made us feel worthy of believing in ourselves.
“As we know, the William Smith Soccer program is something truly special. I am excited to be a part of such a monumental program and to continue to strive for greatness on and off the field. As we embark on the next chapter, we will uphold the important traditions, while putting our own stamp on the program. Go Herons!”
Burnett-Kurie inherits a team coming off a 17-4-4 season that saw the Herons advance to the national championship game. While the 2024 Herons featured a roster with eight seniors and four graduate students, the top two point producers return along with a wealth of talent.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
Suzette Soboti, women’s soccer head coach, University of Redlands:
“Laura Burnett-Kurie is a perfect fit for the future of William Smith Soccer. The amount of passion, energy and pure love mixed with her ability to teach the technique and tactics will continue to elevate William Smith Soccer to the level of excellence!”
Seraphine Hamilton ’06, teammate of Burnett-Kurie in 2004 & 2005 and current head coach of William Smith basketball and golf:
“The best part of the William Smith soccer program is the way it empowers student-athletes to be confident in their own sense of self. Like all William Smith soccer players, Laura is poised, passionate, and dynamic — she embodies all that the program stands for — and, more importantly, she does it in her own, authentic way. I’m excited for our current and future Herons and selfishly excited for myself to have an opportunity to work with her in the William Smith Athletic Department.”
