On Friday, January 16, Texas State announced that they extended soccer head coach Steve Holeman’s contract through the 2030 season. In 2025, Holeman led his team to a Sun Belt Conference championship and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011.
“Texas State and the San Marcos community have been amazing to us, and my family is excited to continue calling this place home,” Holeman said in the press release. “We’re thrilled about the direction of our program and are motivated to keep building as we enter a new era in the Pac-12.”
Holeman led the Bobcats to two positive results against Texas A&M and Oklahoma in non-conference play. Against Sun Belt opponents, they lost only once and went undefeated in the Sun Belt playoffs to secure a championship. Texas State was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Baylor.
Holeman developed the Bobcats into a fierce counterattacking side able to create chances even without maintaining control of the ball, thanks to senior Mady Soumare and sophomore Helen Alormenu in attack.
In the midfield, freshman Matsuri Tsutsui had one of the best seasons from a freshman in Bobcat history, leading the team with eight assists and ranking 67th in TopDrawerSoccer’s freshman rankings. Her calmness in possession, press-resistant capabilities, and flair on the ball helped Texas State control games from the middle of the field and create chances up the pitch. Tsutsui delivered the assist on Texas State’s game-winning goal in the Sun Belt Conference championship match against ULM.
Defensively, the Bobcats relied on junior Victoria Meza as a do-it-all player. In the playoffs, she even spent some time on offense because of Soumare’s suspension in the final regular-season game. Freshman goalkeeper Brooklyn Escobar also had a strong campaign between the sticks.
Holeman has turned Texas State soccer into a force to be reckoned with, and he’s been rewarded with not only an extension but with trust from the athletics department during a key time for Texas State sports.