With over eight years of coaching experience at various levels, Kate Pellegrino’s latest stop brings her back home to the great state of New Jersey, to become the new head coach for Division II Caldwell University’s Women’s soccer program, Mark A. Corino, the college’s Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics, recently announced.
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“I’m actually very excited,” Pellegrino, a Berkely Heights, N.J., native said. “It’s a huge opportunity for me. I’m looking forward to jumping into it. It’s a little bit of a full circle moment for me. I’ve been coaching for a long time.”
Pellegrino comes to Caldwell after most recently working as a volunteer assistant for the Division I Quinnipiac program. There, she contributed to the Bobcats’ program by being a big part of training sessions, developing individual player skills, analyzing game film, and assisting with strategic adjustments.
All the while, Pellegrino, as head coach and Zone I lead at FC Westchester, guided training and player development for the youth club.
With vast experience and a strong, determined will behind her, Pellegrino is confident that the club will be ready to keep up its success come game time, she noted.
“They (players) have expressed to me the willingness to continue the program’s winning ways,” the former Governor Livingston High School soccer player said.
After two years of high school in New Jersey, Pellegrino attended IMG Academies (Florida) and was recruited to play Division II soccer at Regis University in Denver, where she scored two goals and amassed more than 1200 minutes at forward and outside midfield for the Rangers in 2012 and 2013.
But it was an injury that changed the course of her life. Pellegrino suffered a career-ending injury when she tore her ACL, which, she said, took 14 months to recover. The unfortunate situation led her down an unexcepted path.
“I was on track to become a physical therapist,” the Hofstra University graduate, who earned an Exercise Science degree in 2016, recalled. “I wound up working for an exercise facility as an intern. I got into the performance aspect of coaching. Then, I took a part time job coaching soccer. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”
She went on to serve as head coach and assistant girl’s director at Ole FC in Connecticut from 2018 through 2024. Additionally, Pellegrino has earned a USSF B License as well as UEFA C License-Scotland, USSF Coach Educator-Grassroots License and a 2025 SHECHAMPIONS Spring Mentorship.
Meanwhile, Pellegrino looks to put her own distinct stamp on Caldwell’s Women’s soccer program.
“I look forward to implementing my vision emphasizing player well-being, continuous education, and mentorship to inspire our student-athletes to be their best and achieve personal and team success,” Pellgrino said in a press release.”
Pellegrino becomes the eighth head coach as Caldwell women’s soccer enters its 28th season, and third in the last 19 years. She replaces Sammy Adjei, who is now the head coach at nearby Saint Peter’s University. The Cougars were 13-3-4 last year, including an 8-1-2 mark in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) action and second straight CACC Tournament Finals appearance.
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Photos: Caldwell University Athletics.
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