PHILADELPHIA – Longtime La Salle women's soccer assistant coach and former star Courtney Tole (Niemiec) ' 13, who is entering her eighth season on staff with the Explorers, has been promoted to associate head coach, announced head coach Paul Royal.
 
Tole has been a coach at La Salle since 2017. In her inaugural season, she helped the team to an Atlantic 10 Championship and the fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. A defender herself, Tole has led the Explorers to several strong achievements on their own head of the field, including a program record-tying 13 shutouts in 2017, and an impressive nine clean sheets this past season.
 
Before joining the coaching staff of the Explorers, Tole became the first athlete in La Salle women's soccer history to play professionally. The Philadelphia native signed with Portland Thorns FC of the NWSL for the 2014 season. She spent two years with the club, appearing in 15 games before spending the later two years of her career with the Western New York Flash where she was a member of the 2016 NWSL Championship team. The Flash would relocate and become the North Carolina Courage in 2017. She retired following the season to join the staff at La Salle.
 
Tole played for the Explorers from 2010-13. She appeared in 87 games and started every match from her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. She was named A-10 Defender of the Year in 2012 and was a First Team All-Conference selection in both 2012 and 2013. Tole played in three NCAA tournaments (2011, 2012, and 2013) and helped the team to back-to-back A-10 Championships in her junior and senior seasons. Tole was inducted to the La Salle Hall of Athletes in 2021.