Player Bio: Tara Bilanski - University of Washington Official Athletic Site
April 18, 2013 | Women's Soccer
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Entering her fourth season on the Husky staff is assistant coach Tara Bilanski. She completed a brilliant playing career at Washington in 1995, finishing as the school's all-time leader in every offensive category.
She works with all areas of the program, including on-field coaching, recruiting and administrative duties. Bilanski helped the Huskies reach the NCAA Tournament four times, twice while she was a player (1994, 1995) and twice (1996, 1998) with her support as a coach.
Bilanski amassed 27 career goals, 20 assists and 74 points, by far the most in Husky history. She also boasts school single-season standards for goals (12), assists (6) and total points (30). Her two hat tricks are a UW record along with her pair of games with three assists.
The skillful midfielder helped the UW to its first NCAA Tournament bid her junior year and again led the squad to postseason play in 1995.
A starter in 72 of 74 career games, Bilanski was voted the team's Player of the Year three times and was twice voted the squad's offensive Most Valuable Player. She garnered first-team All-Pacific-10 Conference honors in 1995. She capped an outstanding playing career by representing the West in the inaugural Umbro Select college all-star classic, March 1, 1996 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Also a standout in the classroom, Bilanski was twice selected to the first-team addidas Scholar Athlete All-America squad and was a three-time Pac-10 all-academic honoree. She graduated in 1996 with a communications degree with an emphasis in public relations.
The former Puyallup (Wash.) High School standout was a three-time All-South Puget Sound League selection. She helped the team to league titles in each of her final two seasons.
Bilanski earned her USSF B license in 1997. She has put that coaching certificate to immediate use, having served as the amateur women's Washington State Select coach for three years.
In 1999, Bilanski served as head coach of 1983, the U-16 Olympic Development team from the state of Washington. She was added to the Region IV ODP regional staff in 1999.
Bilanski continues to compete actively. She played with the West Regional team at the Soccer Festival in Concord, N.H. during 1998. She also participated in the adidas league in Portland the summer of 1997.
During May of 1999, Bilanski ran her first marathon. She finished 98th among women's entries at the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon, completing the 26-mile course in 3-hours, 27-minutes. That time qualified her for the Boston Marathon, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that she had recently suffered a knee surgery playing soccer.
