How Jen Klein rebuilt Michigan women’s soccer culture

Before Jen Klein took the reins as head coach of the Michigan women’s soccer team in 2018, the Wolverines had not won a Big Ten Tournament title in over 20 years. Beyond that, they hadn’t made it to the NCAA Tournament since 2016. With the introduction of Klein, however, the team hoped to reach new heights. 

And in the five years since she took the reins, they’ve done just that.

In 2021, her fourth season at Michigan, the Wolverines achieved the long sought after Big Ten Tournament title. While performance and skill were important in this achievement, a vital component went beyond the talent. Klein’s unique coaching style and desire to facilitate a positive culture for her team played a key role.

“In years past, we struggled with team culture,” junior defender Sarah Bridenstine told The Daily. “… She really stresses that in order to have a championship team you need to have a good culture first.”

For Michigan, a good culture looks like strong leadership that fosters character and player development, positive communication and trust.

And Klein’s past experiences have helped her build that culture into her coaching philosophy. As head coach at UNLV — where she was the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I women’s soccer — then as assistant coach at Washington State followed by associate head coach at University of Southern California, Klein has developed an extensive repertoire of coaching experiences to draw from. 

But her strong leadership doesn’t just stem from past coaching experiences — it also comes from playing experience. 

During her time playing soccer at Arizona, Klein was team captain for two years. This experience has not only shaped her knowledge of the game and ability to make quick in-game changes, but also the way she leads. She is able to relate to her players and understand the difficulties that come with being both athletes and students.

“(It’s about) knowing what they’re going through as a student, what they’re going through as an athlete, what it feels like to play against a rival, what it feels like to deal with a tough conversation with a teammate,” Klein told The Daily. 

Klein’s various experiences as both a player and a coach have benefited and shaped the Michigan women’s soccer program in a way it never has before, creating a culture that is founded in “character, connection and communication.” 

It’s a culture Klein has utilized at every level, not just as a head coach. 

“She does a really good job of relating with individual players,” Keidane McAlpine, Klein’s former colleague at USC, told The Daily. “… in communicating with them, learning their little stories, meeting them on a very human level and just being real, being authentic with the players and I think that too gives them a space where they feel very comfortable.”

Klein’s ability to be authentically herself has created a model for her own players to follow. She cares about her players as people, not simply athletes. This essential characteristic takes center stage in Klein’s unique coaching style. In a world where players are often seen as athletes and employees, Klein has intentionally restructured the culture to create an environment that is player-centric. This, in combination with Klein’s attention to detail, knowledge of the game and competitive spirit has created a space for the Wolverines to effectively reach their highest potential. 

And the culture has clearly paid off.

In Klein’s fourth season after taking over the program as head coach, Michigan won 18 games in the 2021 season, tying their previous record.

“I think how she motivates a group,” assistant coach Tori Christ told The Daily. “And I think how, when she says something … she empowers people to take it upon themselves and like make it their own, whether it’s their role on the field, whether it’s our roles as staff, but I think just how she motivates a group is incredibly intentional.”

Klein motivates her players through leading by example and providing them with the training and support they need to succeed. While many athlete’s view lifting and conditioning as the most challenging part of training, Klein does the arduous exercises right alongside her players — highlighting her personal coaching style and the ability to motivate her players. She is able to model her own expectations, creating a culture that is centered around leading by example.

That’s important, especially when things are difficult.

This past season, Michigan faced a string of conference losses entering its game against then – No. 14 Rutgers. Ending the half down 2-0 with a win necessary to keep tournament hopes alive, the game did not appear to be leaning in the Wolverines favor. However, they came back out, scored three unanswered goals, and ended the game with a victory against Rutgers. 

That turnaround came at the hands of Klein’s leadership.

“She came into the locker room, just like full of positivity and energy and she’s just like, do what you want with this, this time is yours,” Bridenstine said. “You have 45 minutes left to put it on the field. … I just think when she can stay positive in situations and when she’s thrown adversity, it really helps the team out.”

Klein’s ability to remain positive and composed in the midst of difficult situations, while also placing responsibility on each player clearly had an impact on the team as they were able to turn a likely loss into an electrifying victory. The culture she has built helped pull them past mediocrity and into victory. 

Another important aspect of Klein’s coaching style is her emphasis on having the right mindset. 

“You can be in a low performance mindset or a high performance mindset and we talk a lot about positive self talk and how that can affect your performance,” Bridenstine said when recounting a central aspect of Klein’s coaching philosophy. “And so even if it’s not your best day on the field, if you can maintain a positive mindset you’ll remain within your high performance.”

Having the right mindset can turn a good player into a great player, and it can make or break a game. By putting an emphasis on mindset, Klein empowers her players to make positive changes no matter the situation. 

Since arriving at Michigan, Klein had set out to rebuild culture, and she’s done just that. As with any good leader, she listens to her players and is incredibly intentional when it comes to culture and its impactful role in the team dynamic.

“First and foremost to building (culture) to where it is was listening to the current team,” Klein said. “… We really take into account the players and allowing for them to be contributing members to what the culture is going to look like.”

By fostering an environment where player’s voices are listened to, Klein has created a strong foundation built on collaborative efforts and trust. With this foundation in place, she has been able to focus on developing players both on and off the field. 

“Training is such a great time where we have an opportunity to teach players not only just skills to help them within our sport, but skills that are going to help them in their time once they’re done playing soccer,” Klein said. ” And so really developing them as people, students and athletes.”

When Klein joined Michigan, she took over a team with unfamiliar players, many of which she had not recruited. However, her ability to develop and connect with players helped her transform the team into a force to be reckoned with.

“I think my favorite moment is when a player’s light bulb comes on,” Klein said. “When all of a sudden like something that they’ve been working on, an area that they’ve been focusing on and it clicks and they get it and that to me is always such a proud moment as a coach.”

It is clear that Klein genuinely cares about her players. This, along with her passion for the game and expertise, is what ultimately shaped the unique team culture she has built for the women’s soccer team. 

With the team’s footing now set firmly on this culture-centered foundation, there is no doubt it will aid them in their upcoming season. 

And that’s possible because Klein is at the helm.