On Monday, Texas soccer made a big change to the program, deciding to part ways with longtime head coach Ange Kelly, who has spent the past 14 seasons leading the Longhorns’ soccer program.

Just one day later, the Longhorns have already filled her role. As released in a statement by Texas Athletics on Tuesday morning, athletic director Chris Del Conte announced the hiring of former UCLA Bruins head coach Margueritte Bates as Texas soccer’s newest head coach.

“What an incredible day for Texas Soccer and our entire athletics program,” Del Conte said in the statement. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Margueritte Bates to our Longhorn family. When we began our search for the next leader of our program, Coach Bates’ name immediately rose to the top. Her résumé of success is incredible and her reputation in the soccer community is truly exceptional. Margueritte is a proven championship coach, an elite developer of student-athletes and a dynamic leader, with a clear vision for building a program that competes at the highest level year after year.”

Bates comes to the Forty Acres after a fruitful four-year tenure with the Bruins. She led UCLA to a pair of conference titles and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, winning Pac-12 Coach of the Year twice. In those four seasons with the Bruins, Bates compiled a 67–13–9 record, the fourth-best mark of any program during that stretch.

In her first season in charge, Bates won a national championship, becoming the first rookie head coach to win the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship in 2022. Although she started out on a high note, her final season at UCLA was also fairly successful, with the Bruins finishing with a 12–5–4 record and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Bates was able to share her excitement about the opportunity to lead the Longhorns soccer program, understanding the standards set on the Forty Acres.

“I am truly humbled and incredibly energized to lead this tradition-rich program at The University of Texas,” Bates said. “This is a place synonymous with excellence, built on decades of pride, passion and championship standards. There is no question that Texas has everything required to not only compete among the nation’s best, but to define what excellence looks like. I’m grateful ​to Chris Del Conte, Sarah Baumgartner and our University leadership for entrusting me with this opportunity. Hook ‘Em, Horns!”