Madeline Buckley came to Macalester as the head women's soccer coach in 2022. In her first two years at Macalester, she led the Scots to their first consecutive MIAC playoff appearances since the 2008-2009 seasons.
In the 2022 season, the Scots went 8-6-5 (4-4-3 MIAC), finishing sixth in the 12-team conference and qualifying for their first MIAC Playoff appearance since 2015. In Buckley’s second season in 2023, the Scots compiled a record of 9-7-2 (6-3-2 MIAC) finishing tied for third in the regular season and once again advancing to the quarterfinals of the MIAC Playoffs. Her record at Macalester is 23-21-10 through three seasons.
Under Coach Buckley, the Scots have had one student-athlete named All-Region, three named All-MIAC, three named All-MIAC honorable mention and one earn the MIAC Elite 22 award. Fifty-three Scots have been named to the MIAC All-Academic team in the past three seasons.
Buckley came to Macalester in January 2022 after serving as the top assistant at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine for three seasons. At Bowdoin, Buckley was the Polar Bears’ lead recruiter, successfully bringing in student-athletes from several states across the country, several of whom went on to earn All-NESCAC, All-New England Region, All-American and Scholar All-American honors. The three recruiting classes she helped bring to Bowdoin helped the Polar Bears get to the first round of NCAA Tournament in 2022 and the Sweet 16 in 2023.
Prior to Bowdoin, Buckley spent two seasons at another NESCAC school, Tufts University, in Medford, Mass., helping to lead the Jumbos to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018. At Tufts, she mentored two forwards who went on to earn All NESCAC, All Region and All American honors. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach Wheelock College in Boston for two seasons.
As a player, Buckley had a decorated career at William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y., earning All-American honors as a senior after being named Liberty League Player of the Year. As a junior in 2013, she helped the Herons win the NCAA Division III national championship, leading the team in scoring and tallying the game-winning goal in the championship game. Buckley finished her career with 33 goals and 17 assists for 83 points, which ranked 10th at William Smith at the conclusion of her career.
A Scholar All-American, in 2015 Buckley was awarded the prestigious Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, which recognizes one college and one professional athlete nationally who best display character, teamwork and citizenship.
A native of Wilmington, Del., Buckley graduated from William Smith in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Critical Social Studies and Education. She also earned a Master of Science degree from Wheelock College in Child Life and Family Studies in 2016.
