Keeley Dowling is in her first season as an assistant coach for Texas Longhorns soccer. Dowling, a three-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America honoree, joined the staff in December 2011, after serving as assistant coach for four years at the University of Tennessee. During her tenure in Knoxville, she helped guide the Lady Vols to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and one Southeastern Conference Tournament title.

The Carmel, Ind., native also brings three seasons of professional playing experience as she suited up for Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). She was the eighth overall pick of the WPS Allocation Draft in October 2008, heading to Sky Blue FC and earning a starting spot on defense. She joined an impressive roster that included U.S. Women's National Team members Christie Rampone, Heather O'Reilly and Natasha Kai. In 2009, Dowling helped Sky Blue FC to the WPS title, scoring the eventual winning goal during a 1-0 semifinal victory. The effort earned the team an opportunity to visit the White House in the summer of 2010 to be honored by President Barack Obama.

During the 2009 campaign, Dowling played in 19 games, starting 18. A year later, she appeared in 20 games with 18 starts for Sky Blue FC. In 2011, she signed with Atlanta Beat, starting all 11 games before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. For her career, she played in 50 games, including 47 starts.

In addition to the WPS experience, Dowling played for the United Soccer League W-League's Charlotte Lady Hawks and professionally in Sweden. While with the Hawks, Dowling was named to the 2005 W-League All-League Team as well as the All-Central Conference Team.

As a player for the Lady Vols, Dowling earned three consecutive NSCAA All-America selections (2002-04), becoming the first all-America honoree in program history. She helped Tennessee to its first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance in 2002 and to a four-year record of 63-22-6 (.725 winning percentage).

The 2003 and 2004 Soccer Buzz Central Region Player of the Year also earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors the same two campaigns. In addition to the NSCAA accolades, Dowling picked up all-America honors from four organizations during her playing career. She was a four-time All-SEC selection, a two-time Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy semifinalist (2003-04) and a two-time Soccer Buzz Player of the Year finalist (2003-04). She also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-SEC honors on three occasions.

At the end of her four years, Dowling had tallied 25 goals, 15 assists and 65 points in 89 games, all starts. She still stands in four Tennessee career top-10 lists: matches played, matches started, points and goals.

After spending the 2005 campaign as a student assistant coach,

Dowling started her full-time coaching career as an interim assistant in the 2007 NCAA Tournament when Lady Vols then-assistant coach Jen Laughridge Grubb gave birth to her first child. Dowling served as interim assistant coach from the opening rounds of the tournament through the end of Grubb's maternity leave.

Possessing a wealth of international playing experience, Dowling served as a captain on the U.S. U19 Women's National Team and earned a gold medal at the FIFA U19 World Championships in 2002. Two years later, she helped the U.S. U21 team to a gold medal in the Nordic Cup.

Dowling was one of 35 players selected to compete for a spot on the national team roster for the Algarve Cup in Portugal in 2007 and competed for a roster spot for the 2008 Olympics. She did not make the final roster, but signed a contract with U.S. Soccer in March, earning an automatic invitation to any national team tryouts for the next year.

Dowling earned her bachelor's degree in education with an emphasis in exercise science in December 2005.