Willem Kelson joined the Southeastern soccer program as an assistant coach in March 2026.
Kelson continues his coaching experience after three seasons at Western Illinois as a graduate assistant (2023-25) before serving as the men’s and women’s soccer assistant and goalkeeper coach this past season. During his time with the Leathernecks, men’s soccer goalkeeper Micah Ramirez finished second in Division 1 for total saves in 2025. Under his guidance, women’s soccer goalkeeper Ariel Bernard was selected to the 2025 USYNT Women’s College Talent ID Camp alongside Mahe-Lee Caron being called up to Senior Haiti Women’s National Team.
Before gaining his first collegiate coaching experience, Kelson worked as the goalkeeper coach for the North Carolina Football Club in 2023 before a season at Charles E. Jordan High School as a volunteer goalkeeper coach. Kelson also earned experience aiding as the team coach for the Carolina Girls’ Soccer Camp over the summers of 2022-25 while previously spending two seasons as the goalkeeper coach for the Santa Clara Sporting Soccer Club (2020-21).
“Willem will have an immediate impact on our goalkeepers through detailed position-specific training and film review,” said Gillespie. “His expertise will help us become more solid in goal, which will ultimately strengthen our defensive play and reduce the number of goals we concede.”
The Los Altos, California native served as a practice player for the North Carolina Tarheels’ women’s soccer team and goalkeeper for UNC men’s club team (2021-23) after starting his collegiate athletic career at the University of San Diego (2019-2020) in the West Coast Conference and West Valley College (2021). For eight years, Kelson competed as a goalkeeper and captain for the Santa Clara Sporting 00B Green (2014-19).
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kelson earned his bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience along with a minor in Chemistry in 2023 before attaining his master’s degree in Business Administration at Western Illinois in 2025.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Nathan for giving me the opportunity to join SLU and the community here in Hammond, America,” commented Kelson. “Everyone has been so welcoming from the start and I feel so fortunate to call this place home.”
