A year away from the game was all Erica Whatley needed to realize that soccer was her true passion.
A few months later, the 2000 Lake Orion High School graduate just finished her first season as an assistant women’s soccer coach at the University of Kentucky.
Whatley starred for the Dragons from 1997-2000, when she moved on to play at Michigan State.
At MSU, Whatley was a four-year letter winner, playing in 68 career games as a midfielder and defender.
After graduating from State in 2005, Whatley spent a year in the corporate sector, but she was eager to get back into soccer.
‘I knew in the back of my head it was something I wanted to do,? she said.
Enter Kentucky, which hired Whatley earlier this year, prior to the fall season.
‘It was a great experience going from being a player to a coach,? said Whatley, who noted that her recent playing days offer a unique perspective to her players.
She credited UK head coach Warren Lipka and assistant Jerrod Roh for teaching her a lot about the coaching side of the game.
With Whatley on board, Kentucky had one of its best seasons in recent memory.
‘We hadn’t made the tournament since 2002, so getting back there was a big accomplishment,? she said.
The team secured an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament.
‘The SEC is one of the best conferences in the country,? Whatley noted. ‘We had a couple of big wins against Tennessee and Florida – nationally ranked teams – so that was a big deal.?
The team beat Tennessee (for the second time this season) in the semifinals, and then ousted Florida 2-1 in the championship.
In all, Kentucky went 14-7-3 on the season, losing to Denver (2-0) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 10.
For Whatley, the end of the season means a transition from one aspect of her job to another.
‘During the season, I would deal with day-to-day operations,? she said, mentioning that making travel arrangements and running training sessions were among her many duties.
‘Now that the season is over, I’ll be all over the place recruiting,? she added.
Whatley said she likes both aspects of the job, but is looking forward to spring practices.