Following two seasons as a volunteer assistant for the Billikens, Saint Louis University graduate and former Billiken goalkeeper Olivia Silverman was elevated to assistant coach in June 2021.
Silverman played three seasons (2016-18) at Saint Louis. She concluded her career sixth in shutouts (11), seventh in wins (17), ninth in minutes (2,106) and 10th in saves (50) on SLU’s career lists.
“I am thrilled and so proud to promote Olivia Silverman to assistant coach,” head coach Katie Shields said. “As a student-athlete, Olivia laid the cultural foundation for our current team’s success and played a major role in leading this program to the 2018 Atlantic 10 championship and NCAA tournament as the league’s top goalkeeper. She is a true servant leader who fiercely loves our program and lives our values.
“Olivia has developed into one of the brightest and best young goalkeeper coaches in the country,” Shields said. “She is a relentless worker and relationship builder. Olivia bleeds Billiken Blue and is a tremendous asset on the recruiting trail as we continue to push our program to the top of the mountain.”
“I am extremely excited to be a part of this staff and this program,” Silverman said. “Being a SLU women’s soccer alum just makes it that much more special. It's a privilege to continue to give to the program that has given me so much over the past few years.
“Being able to continue to learn from Katie and (associate head coach) Chris (Allen) is an invaluable experience," Silverman said. “The success of this program has just begun to scratch the surface of what we are truly capable of achieving, and I cannot wait for what is to come.”
Silverman helped lead SLU to a school-record 18 victories in 2018. She earned first-team All-Conference plaudits, a spot on the A-10 Championship All-Tournament team and two A-10 Defensive Player of the Week nods.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native led the A-10 in wins (school-record 17), shutouts (11, sixth in the nation), goals against average (0.58, 19th in the nation) and minutes (2,004, 17th in the nation) in 2018. She posted league bests of nine wins, six shutouts, a 0.22 GAA and an .889 save percentage in A-10 games. Silverman shut out the Billikens’ last five regular-season opponents and extended the streak to six by blanking Dayton in the A-10 Championship first round.
Silverman was co-recipient of the Billikens’ One Award in her sophomore year, and she was named to the Maccabi USA Open Women’s Team that competed in the 2017 World Maccabiah Games in Israel.
A two-year team captain at Seven Hills School in Cincinnati, Silverman chalked up 27 shutouts and registered a 0.78 GAA during her prep career. She was a four-time All-Conference selection and a two-time All-City choice, and she garnered All-America and All-State honors as a senior. Silverman was a member of the U14, U15 and U17 U.S. National Teams, as well as a four-year ODP Regional Team member.
Silverman is a 2020 graduate of Saint Louis University, earning a bachelor’s degree in public health.
