ILLINOIS COLLEGE WOMEN'S SOCCER CAMPS

COACHING STAFF

Hunter Gray
Head Women's Soccer Coach

Hunter Gray enters his third year as head coach of the Illinois College Lady Blues women's soccer team in the 2022 season. Gray brings an extensive coaching background with him to the Hilltop, having coached for more than 25 years in the state of Alabama, accumulating more than 300 wins along the way. In the past three seasons, he has added responsibilities at two NCAA schools, working this past season at Lees-McRae College as a men's assistant and men's and women's goalkeepers coach.

A Division I soccer player at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Gray began coaching at Indian Springs School in Birmingham in 1993. Since then, he has racked up 343 victories, making him the active leader in coaching wins in the state of Alabama for girls' soccer. His teams were state champions in 2003 and 2005, and runners-up in 2004 and 2008. Additionally, the program has made seven other Final Fours over that time.

Beginning in 2018, Gray began coaching at the Division III level, first with a stint as a volunteer women's soccer coach at Birmingham-Southern College. In his first season with the program, the Panthers had their most wins in program history. This past season, Gray became a men's assistant coach and a men's and women's goalkeepers coach at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C.

Gray holds a United States Soccer Federations (USSF) "B" license and a United Soccer Coaches (USC) Goalkeeping Level I certification.

Deanna Hecht
Assistant Women's Soccer Coach

Deanna Hecht begins her second season as the assistant coach of the Illinois College Lady Blues women's soccer program in the 2022-23 season.

Hecht comes to Illinois College after being the assistant women's coach at College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. There she was able to help the team win the Skyway Conference Championship, the NJCAA Region IV Championship, and make a NJCAA National appearance in 2019.

Hecht received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree with a minor in Sociology from Purdue University Fort Wayne in 2019. There she was a four-year letter winner on the women's soccer team and four-year member of the Summit League Academic Honor Roll.

Hillary Waddle
Volunteer Assistant Women's Soccer Coach

Hillary Waddle begins her fourth season as a volunteer assistant coach with the women's soccer program in 2022.

A native of Decorah, Iowa, Waddle played four seasons of varsity soccer at Loras College from 2007-10. In her senior season of 2010, the Duhawks finished with the program's best single-season record by going 22-1-1 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. She graduated from Loras in 2011 with a degree in Public Relations and Business.

Waddle resides in Jacksonville with her husband, Jacob, the head coach of IC baseball, their daughter, Annika, and their dogs, Jay and Rocky..