Justin Elkington - Associate Head Coach - Cowgirl Soccer Coaches

Justin Elkington

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
justin.elkington@okstate.edu
Phone:
(405) 744-3343

Justin Elkington enters his 17th season on the Oklahoma State coaching staff after having been named an assistant in July 2009. He was elevated to the Cowgirls’ associate head coach in July 2012.

Since Elkington’s arrival in Stillwater, OSU has compiled a 206-94-40 record (.665) and continued to establish itself as a national power by making 10 appearances in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship. In two of those years, the Cowgirls advanced to the Elite Eight of the tourney and finished No. 5 in the final national rankings.

The Cowgirls have also captured five Big 12 Conference championships since Elkington’s arrival, claiming regular season crowns in 2011, 2017 and 2019 and tournament titles in 2009 and 2010.

Elkington was named the 2011 NSCAA Women’s College Assistant Coach of the Year for the Midwest Region after helping guide OSU to a school-record 22 wins. In 2017 and 2019, the OSU coaching staff was honored as the United Soccer Coaches South Region Staff of the Year.

A native of Lincoln, England, Elkington spent 10 years as the head coach of the Broken Arrow Soccer Club prior to joining the Cowgirls. While there, he coached and helped develop such future OSU standouts as Siera Strawser, Katie Richardson, Allyson Leggett and Sarah Brown.

“Joining the coaching staff at Oklahoma State gave me an opportunity to coach at a higher level and at a program which has established itself as one of the top collegiate soccer programs in the country,” Elkington said. “I’m very familiar with the program’s status and its history, and the long-term vision of the program is on par with my own ambition — to coach and win at the highest level.”

Elkington had an immediate impact in his first season in Stillwater, helping the Cowgirls to a 15-7-2 mark and a Big 12 Conference tournament championship. OSU also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year. In 2010, OSU enjoyed its most successful season ever with 20 wins, another Big 12 Conference championship and an NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight.

Among Elkington’s duties at OSU is goalkeeper coach, and he was instrumental in the development of record-setting goalie AD Franch, helping her develop into a three-time All-American and four-time All-Big 12 First Team selection. He also helped Cowgirl Michela Ongaro earn a spot on the 2013 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team as a freshman, and she went on to a career that saw her rank among OSU’s all-time leaders in saves, shutouts and goals against average. Another Elkington pupil, Rosa Medina, also finished her career among the Cowgirls’ all-time leaders in several statistical categories.

In 2022, under Elkington’s tutelage, freshman Jordan Nytes was OSU’s first-ever Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year and an All-Big 12 First Team honoree after recording six shutouts and a 0.67 goals against average in 17 games.

The 2024 season saw goalie Grace Gordon develop into an All-Big 12 performer as she led the Big 12 and ranked fourth nationally with 12 shutouts; she was also second in the conference with a 0.90 goals against average. Gordon’s 12 clean sheets tied OSU’s single-season record, and she also set a program mark with six consecutive shutouts.

The ’24 Cowgirls won 14 games and returned to the NCAA Tournament thanks in large part to a defense that posted 15 shutouts, a total that led the Big 12 and was fourth in the NCAA. OSU recorded shutouts in its first nine games and was not scored on for the first 8:46:10 of the season, the longest streaks by any team in the nation to start the season.

Elkington, who turned the Hurricane Futball Club into one of the premier youth soccer clubs in the region, was named the 2008 Youth Girls Soccer Coach of the Year by the Oklahoma Soccer Association. He has also spent time as a coach in the Oklahoma Olympic Development Program.

“Justin is a tremendous addition to our coaching staff,” said OSU head coach Colin Carmichael. “He is a top-class coach and has received the highest level of coaching licenses available in the United States. His dedication to continuing his coaching education has made him one of the most qualified coaches around, and we are fortunate to have him on our staff… His knowledge and ability to teach the game of soccer should help us to build upon our recent success and continue to compete on the national level.”

A 1997 graduate of Oral Roberts University, Elkington was a four-year letterman for the Golden Eagles’ soccer team. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in mass media communications, public relations and advertising.

Elkington was a captain of a national championship state soccer team in his native England and also played professional soccer for the Tulsa Roughnecks.

Elkington holds several national licenses from the United States Soccer Federation, including an “A” License, a “Director of Coaching Diploma,” a “National Youth License” and a “Goal Keeping License.” He also holds a “Premier Diploma” and a Regional “Goal Keeper Diploma” from the National Soccer Coaching Association of America.

Elkington and his wife, Deana, were married in August of 2008, and have a daughter, Jade.