Symposium Spotlight: Twila Kilgore

Note: this is the third article in a five part series highlighting the clinicians who are scheduled to present at this June’s NorCal Premier Soccer Summer Coaching Symposium. To sign up for the event, which is free to all NorCal members, click here. 

In a way, Twila Kilgore’s managerial career has mirrored that of the playing career of a top professional in the United States.

After winding down her playing career that included stops at the University of Arizona and the Arizona Heatwave of the USL W-League Kilgore began as an assistant coach at Pepperdine, before getting the head coaching job at UC Davis.

From there, she moved to the staff of the NWSL’s Houston Dash while coaching various US youth national teams, before earning a spot on the United States Women’s National Team and eventually becoming interim coach of the team.

Kilgore has constantly moved up levels in the coaching ranks, and been successful doing so, winning the CONCACAF W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup in 2024 before assisting on the staff that helped the USWNT reclaim Olympic Gold.

And this summer, she’ll return to Northern California to take the lessons that she’s learned through these experiences and share them with NorCal Premier Soccer coaches.

“This game has given me so much,” said Kilgore, who was the first American born woman to earn the USSF Pro License. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with this coaching community that’s committed to growing the game and investing in the next generation.”

At the Summer Coaching Symposium, Kilgore is scheduled to lead two separate classroom sessions: one titled “Coaching Journey from Youth Club to Olympic Gold,” and one monikered “Leadership – Shaping Culture and Setting Expectations.”

“I will share about what it is like to coach in elite football environments,” Kilgore said. “I will  offer insights from my football learnings and coaching experiences that others can adapt in their own way, in their own context.”

In doing so, Kilgore will come full circle, returning to the area that she called home for five NCAA seasons.

“Twila is someone who has been a close part of the NorCal community,” said NorCal Coaching Education Director David Robertson. “It has been exciting to watch her rise through the game to the very highest levels and win an Olympic gold. We look forward to having her back as our guest and hearing more about her incredible journey.”