U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Head Coach Emma Hayes to Deliver Iona University Commencement Address
81st Annual Commencement Ceremony Set for May 16, 2025
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Emma Hayes, head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team who led the USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, will deliver the keynote address at Iona University’s 81st annual Commencement ceremony on May 16, 2025. Hayes, a former head women’s soccer coach at Iona, will also receive an honorary degree.
“It is an honor to welcome Emma Hayes back to Iona as our 2025 Commencement speaker,” said Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. “Emma’s leadership both on and off the field reflects the values of perseverance, excellence and dedication that we hold dear at Iona. Her remarkable career, from her time with the Iona women’s soccer team to the Paris Olympics, will inspire our graduates as they embark on their own professional journeys.”
Emma Hayes at Iona
During her tenure as head coach of Iona’s women’s soccer team from 2003–2005, Hayes transformed the program, leading the Gaels to 22 victories over three seasons – the most in a three-year stretch in program history.
Hayes steadily improved the program, culminating in two MAAC Championship berths and a 2004 MAAC Coach of the Year award. Hayes recruited and mentored top players, and several of them even went on to pursue coaching careers of their own. Her influence during this period laid the foundation for continued success in Iona’s athletic programs.
Trailblazing Coaching Career
Hayes has gone on to earn numerous accolades in recognition of her exceptional coaching abilities. Most recently, she was honored with the 2024 FIFA The Best Women’s Coach of the Year Award for the second time, having first received the recognition in 2021. In a trailblazing achievement, she also became the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or for 2024 Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year. Additionally, Hayes made history as the first female manager to secure three Women’s FA Cup titles in 2015, 2018 and 2021 and won a record 16 trophies as head coach of Chelsea FC in London.
“I am deeply honored to return to Iona University and celebrate this special day with the graduating class,” said Hayes. “Iona holds a special place in my career, it’s an important part of my coaching journey, and I look forward to sharing my story and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.”
Iona University will host its 81st annual Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16, 2025, on Iona's New Rochelle campus. Media are invited but must RSVP to Diana Costello, senior director of communications, at dcostello@iona.edu.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.