Women's Soccer | 11/28/2017 10:30:00 AM

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University women's soccer head coach Mark Cook announced Tuesday, Nov. 28, he will resign in January 2018 due to personal reasons.

In his six seasons as head coach of the Bison, Cook posted a 56-53-4 record and led NDSU to back-to-back Summit League regular season titles in 2015 and 2016. His 56 victories are second-most in program history.

"I would like to thank Mark for his service and dedication to the NDSU women's soccer program," NDSU director of athletics Matt Larsen said. "The program has grown significantly under his leadership and is positioned for success within The Summit League for years to come. I wish him nothing but the best moving forward."

In each of Cook's six years, North Dakota State qualified for The Summit League Women's Soccer Championship, including three championship match appearances. The Bison also hosted the league tournament twice.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to lead the NDSU soccer program for the last six years. I have been fortunate to coach the game I love for the past 22 years, but now it is time to explore new opportunities," Cook said. "I want to thank Lynn Dorn for giving me the chance to coach at NDSU. I would also like to thank President Bresciani, Matt Larsen, Troy Goergen and Colleen Heimstead for their incredible leadership of NDSU athletics."

"Additionally, I would like to thank my assistant coaches Karli Kopietz and Jim Robbins. We all know without great assistants you cannot be successful, and I am grateful for everything they have done for NDSU soccer," Cook added. "Most importantly, I want to thank the players, you are amazing young women who sacrifice so much for the success of this program. You embody what it means to be a student-athlete and you have represented NDSU at the highest level."

NDSU went 8-11-0 overall in 2017, including a 7-2-0 record at home at the newly resurfaced and renovated Dacotah Field, and finished tied for second in The Summit League at 5-2-0.

The Bison return nine starters in 2018, including three All-Summit League honorees in leading goal scorer Malley O'Brien, defender Hanna Norman and midfielder Danielle Algera.

A national search for the next NDSU women's soccer head coach will commence immediately.

North Dakota State University is a student-focused, land-grant, research university located in Fargo, N.D., with an enrollment of 14,358.  NDSU is a member of The Summit League and Missouri Valley Football Conference with an affiliate membership in the Big 12 Conference for wrestling.

NDSU has a storied history of athletic success including 25 team national championships since 1965 in football, women's basketball, wrestling, softball, men's cross country and women's indoor track and field.

In only nine years since completing a reclassification to NCAA Division I, the Bison have won five football national championships, made three NCAA men's basketball tournaments, eight softball regionals and one super regional, three NCAA women's volleyball postseason appearances, NCAA regionals in women's soccer, women's golf and baseball, and produced several All-Americans in track and field, cross country and wrestling.