Player Bio: Tami Bennett - University of Washington Official Athletic Site
April 18, 2013 | Women's Soccer
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Tami Bennett, who completed her career as the Washington soccer team's all-time scoring leader, is in her fourth year on the coaching staff. She returned to UW on April 1, 2003 after working two years at Portland State.
She helped the Huskies to NCAA Tournament berths in each of her first two seasons on the coaching staff, including a 2004 quarterfinal appearance.
Bennett served two seasons at Portland State where she helped transform the Vikings from a last-place team in 2001 into the Big Sky Conference runners up in 2002. Portland State registered a school-record 13 victories in 2002 and advanced to the championship game of the Big Sky Tournament. The Vikings, coached by another former Husky player Tara Bilanski, were the most improved Division I women's soccer program in the national from 2001 to 2002.
"Tami was a great leader when she was a player for us, and we know she will provide great coaching leadership for our current and future teams," UW Head Coach Lesle Gallimore remarked at the time of her hiring.
Bennett graduated from Washington in 2001 with a sociology degree. She concluded her collegiate career with the 2000 season, helping the Huskies capture their only Pacific-10 Conference championship. Bennett received first-team All-Pac-10 honors after helping UW advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a school-record 18 wins.
Bennett's coaching is not exclusive to the collegiate ranks. She serves as a coach for Washington's Olympic Development Program.
She served as the head coach of two Portland-based club teams and also served as the under-15 girls head coach in the Kent (Wash.) Youth Soccer Association.
Bennett ranks among the all-time leaders in numerous categories in the Washington record book. She is listed No. 2 in career goals with 34 and game-winning goals with 12. Bennett's 78 career points are the third-highest total posted by a Husky.
She established the UW single-season standard with 16 goals in 2000 and her 36 points that year rank No. 2.
A product of Seattle Christian High School, Bennett completed her prep career as the most prolific scorer in Washington state history. Her 152 career goals broke the previous record held by former U.S. National Team standout Michelle Akers.
Bennett's sister, Melissa, amassed 166 career goals at Seattle Christian to break her sister's state record. Melissa completed her UW career in 2003. The two played together one season for the Huskies, in 2000.
Melissa finished two points shy of Tami's UW single-season record, collecting 34 points during the 2002 campaign. Tami ranks No. 2 on the UW career goals list (34) and Melissa is the school's career assist leader (29).
