Rebecca Hornbacher - Head Coach - Staff Directory - Iowa State University Athletics

Staff Directory

Rebecca Hornbacher

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
Phone:
(515) 294-5328

Rebecca Hornbacher completed her fifth season at Iowa State in 2006 and has a 37-54-8 overall record. She led the 2005 squad to unprecedented success. She was named 2005 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year for the first time in her career and the first time for an ISU coach. Hornbacher guided the 2005 squad to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid and tie for second in the regular season Big 12 Conference standings, the highest in school history.

The Cyclones also achieved a program-best No. 3 seed in the conference tournament in 2005. Her win over No. 22 Nebraska on Oct. 28 was the first over her alma-mater. That win, coupled with a Oct. 7 victory over No. 18 Texas A&M marked the first time in school history that an ISU squad had beat the Huskers and Aggies. With a win against Missouri on Oct. 10, 2004, she moved into second on the ISU coaches all-time win list behind former head coach Cathy Klein who had 41 wins as the Cyclone mentor from 1996-99.

Hornbacher is the second ISU coach to lead her squad to the Big 12 Tournament in two of her first three seasons. In 2003, Hornbacher led the Cyclones to a 5-10-4 overall record, including a 2-1 start to the season. Under Hornbacher, Iowa State is 12-11-2 at home in Big 12 play. In 2003, she led the Cyclones to a school-best 3-0 start.

The 2005 campaign was her ninth season competing as a player, assistant coach or head coach in one of the nation's premiere soccer leagues. Hornbacher brings a tradition of excellence to the Iowa State soccer program. She has been a part of two Big 12 Conference regular-season championship squads, as a player for the 1996 Nebraska team and as a graduate assistant coach for Baylor in 1998.

In 2004, Hornbacher became the second-winningest coach in the history of the Iowa State soccer program, leading the squad to its second Big 12 Tournament appearance in three seasons and its best win total in five years. In her first two seasons at the helm, Hornbacher led the Cyclone soccer program to new heights both on the field and in the classroom.

In 2003, Iowa State hosted two night games, the first contests under the lights in program history. Crowds for both night contests were among the top 10 highest attended games in ISU soccer history. The 2003 squad upset No. 21 and undefeated Oklahoma State, just the second time a Cyclone soccer team has defeated a ranked opponent.

The 2005 and 2004 seasons boasted a program-best nine academic all-Big 12 honorees. Hornbacher's Cyclones have earned academic all-conference honors 31 times in her four seasons, 29 of them first-team accolades. The program has produced three District VII Academic All-Americans as well as a Big 12 postgraduate scholar under Hornbacher's watch.

Hornbacher was named Iowa State University's head soccer coach in January of 2003 after leading the Cyclones through a successful 2002 season as interim head coach. Hornbacher joined the Iowa State soccer staff as an assistant coach in June of 2002. Just weeks later, she took over interim head coaching duties for the 2002 season.

She made great strides in her first season at Iowa State, leading the team to a best-ever 3-0 start. Hornbacher's 4-6 mark in the Big 12 was the best by a first-year soccer coach at Iowa State, and she is the only first-year Cyclone head coach to lead the team to a Big 12 Tournament appearance. Also in 2002, a then-school record six ISU soccer student-athletes were named to the academic all-Big 12 first team.

Hornbacher brings extensive coaching and playing experience to Iowa State. From 1998-2001, she worked as an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks. Hornbacher began her coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Baylor University in 1998. She assumed interim head coaching duties during the spring of 1999 and was hired as an assistant coach the following season. She continued with the Bears as an assistant coach during the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Hornbacher spent the 2001 season as an assistant coach for the University of Hartford.

While at Baylor, Hornbacher played a significant role in recruiting and working with student-athletes both on and off the field. She organized the Baylor Kick-Off program, which provided opportunities for student-athletes to interact with children in the community. Hornbacher also served on the Women's Athletic Cabinet at Baylor and was the co-director of summer soccer programs and camps.

Hornbacher has extended her coaching talents beyond the college soccer scene. She serves on the Region II ODP staff as well the Iowa ODP staff. She has been involved with clinics for many club organizations in conjunction with the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) and was an assistant head coach for the U-14 regional team.

Hornbacher had tremendous success as a player as well. She began her college career at the University of Virginia. In two seasons as a goalkeeper at Virginia, Hornbacher registered a goals-against average of 0.78 and recorded a school-record 11 shutouts during the 1994 season.

After two seasons at Virginia, Hornbacher transferred to the University of Nebraska, where she became one of the top goalkeepers in the Big 12. In 1996, she was named Soccer Buzz Central Region Defensive Player of the Year in addition to receiving NSCAA/Umbro third team All-America and first-team all-central honors. Hornbacher was a two-time second-team all-conference selection for the Huskers and set the school record for wins (23) and shutouts in a season in 1996.

The WUSA's New York Power selected Hornbacher in the professional league's inaugural draft in December of 2000. Hornbacher was later traded to the Boston Breakers, where she played the 2001 season in goal.

Hornbacher is accredited with a Premier Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and owns a B license from the United States Soccer Federation. Hornbacher graduated from Nebraska with a bachelor's degree in psychology with a sociology minor in 1997. She earned a master's degree in sport management from Baylor in 2000. In her fifth season at Iowa State, Rebecca Hornbacher enjoys a unique diversity of experience in Big 12 Conference soccer.

In December, Hornbacher announced her engagement to John Sanow. The couple plan to be married in March of 2008 in Omaha, Neb.