Natalie Dreyer
Natalie Dreyer is an accomplished collegiate women’s soccer coach and athletics administrator with 16 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics. She currently serves at the University of the Ozarks, where she is entering her 12th season as Head Women’s Soccer Coach, along with dual leadership roles as Senior Woman Administrator and Compliance Officer, positions she has held since 2016. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she oversees NCAA compliance, ensuring student-athletes meet eligibility standards while also supporting departmental adherence to NCAA regulations. She plays an active role in daily athletics operations and frequently serves on search committees for coaching hires, contributing to the overall direction and integrity of the athletics department. Since arriving at the University of the Ozarks, Dreyer has played a pivotal role in building the women’s soccer program. With limited program tradition prior to her tenure, she focused on establishing a strong competitive culture rooted in accountability, development, and academic success. Under her leadership, the program has reached the conference tournament twice in its history, marking key milestones in its competitive growth. She is especially proud of the program’s continued upward trajectory, including strong recruiting classes that position the team for sustained future success. Dreyer’s career reflects a long-standing commitment to collegiate coaching and athletic leadership. From the outset of her professional journey, her goal was to become a head coach at the collegiate level, a milestone she successfully achieved at the University of the Ozarks. Her transition into administrative leadership was an unexpected but meaningful extension of her career, allowing her to expand her impact beyond the field. Alongside her coaching and compliance responsibilities, she has embraced all three of her roles as significant professional accomplishments, reflecting her dedication to student-athlete development, program building, and institutional excellence in collegiate athletics.
• K-12 Physical Health Education Teaching Certification
• Advanced National Coaching Diploma
• Central Methodist University - MEd, Education
• Central Methodist College - BS, Health and Physical Education/Fitness
• NCAA Women's Leadership Symposium Attendee
• United Soccer Coaches Association
• Women Leaders in Sports (WLIS)
• Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child
• Local Disability Center Community Service
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say it's the coaches that helped shape me and took time to mentor me, and now I have the privilege to give back what I learned from them. I am passionate about pouring into the student athletes, and I wouldn't be where I am without the coaches and mentors I had to help get me here.
Two people in particular stand out: Dan Schmidlin, who is the current head soccer coach at Central Methodist University. I had the opportunity to coach under Dan and play for him in my time at CMU. The other person is my high school coach, Janet Muehling. These are the two that I revert back to as I grow in this profession and journey.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Control the controllables. There's a lot out of my control that I want to control, but I have to remind myself to control what I can.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I'd say the biggest thing is, if they have a passion to be in this field, to keep not giving up, keep pressing towards it, because we need more women in sport, especially in leadership and coaching roles. I encourage young women not get discouraged when they've had a setback, but to keep pressing forward in this business, because we definitely need more women in leadership roles in athletics.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge for me is finding the work-life balance, especially since I have a six year old daughter. Coaching is a profession where you pour your whole life into the program and being able to be present away from the workplace is very important.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Faith, loyalty and respect are three core values in my personal life and the workplace.