To have that on the field and they're not apologizing for that, I think that's really special." We tried to make things competitive, and be strong women. What I learned from Anson (Dorrance) at North Carolina was that it's okay to be a competitive woman, you didn't have to hide. Our girls would get so competitive with them. Something I instituted when I came was we started playing against the boys club team. If you saw our training sessions, sometimes I'd have to stop them and tell them to settle down. They were so hard working and they had this competitive bite. I wasn't yanking or pulling them from the standards, I was bringing them back. MDW: "You know you have a great team as a coach when you have to pull them back rather than lead from behind. GS: What made the teams you coached so special? I took care of my body, I didn't get injured so that stat means the most to me." My proudest accomplishment is starting every game I played there. Minnesota was a great fit for me, because it fit my character and they valued those things. I think people I played with would say that. I was super consistent, would outwork people, and had a competitive edge and tried to bring that to practice too. I wasn't as skillful as Jennifer McElmury, I couldn't score goals like Erin Chastain so I had to fit my role and bring it everyday. My favorite part was bringing my best to the field everyday. MDW: "That stuff doesn't mean a lot to me. When you decided to attend Minnesota, did you ever think you would have such a decorated career? GS: While playing for the Gophers, you picked up All-Big Ten and All-Region honors, including being named a team captain in 1996. One of my mentors told me, 'the moment you step in the door you have to set the standards where you want them to be, because you can't raise them back up.' Setting culture and getting the right character were the two biggest things." It took a while to do that and put the right culture in. I was going to raise those standards as high as I could even if it hurt a little bit, even if there was pushback. I think I was probably naive and young enough that I didn't care what anyone else thought. We had to get the right people on the bus and raise the standards. MDW: "The pride of the best kids coming from Minnesota was huge. I think that's what is so unique, is that the people who built this program are Minnesotans." I wanted to get the top Minnesotans back in the program. The biggest thing for me was getting the right people in the program, because I knew that if I had strong women who were talented and I gave them freedom for leadership, they would take off. I had such a passion for what it could be and I felt so accountable to how we had built it before. I think I was one of the youngest Division I coaches in the country, so it was a huge task. MDW: "When I came back to the program, I was only 28. GS: As a coach, what did it take to turn around the program? As a player, Gopher soccer played a huge role in developing my leadership skills." She (Sue Montagne) let us go with it, let us feel empowered, really let us have our own voice. Minnesota gave me great freedom to lead, along with Erin and being a captain of the team with her. Sue Montagne gave us a lot of leeway for leadership, there was so much female leadership and it taught me so much. When we won the Big Ten and had success, it was because of the people. I could tell it was an underdog program that was going to rise up, just by who they were. They had this compassion and love for the program, but were so humble and hardworking. I selected Minnesota because I liked the quality of the players, they stood out. Mikki Denney Wright: "One of the reasons I selected Minnesota after transferring from North Carolina, was my recruiting host, Erin Chastain (Hussey), she took me around. The Gopher Soccer Family has had an incredible impact." - Mikki Denney Wright I feel very blessed I had the opportunity to coach and play with so many amazing Gopher soccer players over the years. It forced me to dig in and become the best version of myself. As a coach and a player, the Gopher soccer culture taught me how to lead, how to believe, how to battle and how to overcome. And not the easy life, but the good life. "I will forever be grateful to Gopher soccer because it prepared me, not just for soccer, but for life. Gopher Sports sat down with the former coach and alumni to reflect on her time. After graduating, Denney Wright returned in 2004 and led the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten Championship and two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances. Under Sue Montagne, Denney Wright was a captain, won the Big Ten and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. Mikki Denney Wright transferred to Minnesota from North Carolina in 1994.
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