Michael Moynihan enters his 14th season in Evanston in 2025, where he has earned five NCAA Tournament berths and coached the 2016 Big Ten Champion team. Moynihan's all-time record with the program is 126-109-39, making him the winningest coach in school history. His five NCAA Tournament Appearances account for all but two of Northwestern's appearances all-time.
During his first season with the Wildcats, Moynihan guided the program to a five-win improvement from the previous year, including a three-match Big Ten winning streak to close the season. He reached the 200-win milestone in Northwestern's 2012 finale, a 1-0 shutout of Michigan State in East Lansing.
Northwestern racked up ranked wins in 2014, taking down No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 15 Marquette, No. 19 Illinois, No. 14 Rutgers, and No. 6 Penn State. The team earned a 9-8-4 record overall, with over half of its wins coming against ranked opponents.
In 2015, Moynihan led Northwestern to its first NCAA Tournament since 1998. That squad broke a plethora of school records, including most Big Ten wins (seven) and fewest goals allowed in a season (15). Junior Addie Steiner was named to the All-Big Ten 2nd Team, and senior captain Nandi Mehta won the Sportsmanship Award.
Moynihan led NU to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year in 2016. The squad's Sweet Sixteen run marked just the second appearance for the 'Cats in program history and the first since 1998. Northwestern finished the season 16-3-4 overall to tie the renowned 1998 team for most wins in a single season. The Wildcats did not lose a single match against a team ranked outside the RPI top 22 (based on the end of season RPI data).
The Wildcats tournament bid was bolstered by the stalwart play of the NU defense. Lauren Clem, the first NSCAA All-American in program history, anchored a backline that saw a team-best and NCAA-leading 17 shutouts as well as a goals-against-average of .290 to lead the country.
In addition, Moynihan and his staff produced a program-best six All-Big Ten honorees in 2016, including the program's first-ever Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Lauren Clem. Sophomore Kayla Sharples joined Clem for her first All-Big Ten First Team honor and sophomore Marisa Viggiano was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, while fifth-year senior Nandi Mehta and junior Kassidy Gorman were recognized on the All-Big Ten Third Team. Mehta was also recognized as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. Maddy Lucas was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
In 2017, the Wildcats finished the season with a record of 12-8-3 under Moynihan. The squad made it to the championship round of the Big Ten tournament before losing to Penn State in the finals. Following the championship run, Northwestern made it to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament before falling to UCLA. Four women earned Big Ten honors, with juniors Kayla Sharples and Marisa Viggiano being named to the All-Big Ten First Team, junior Hannah Davidson making the All-Big Ten Third Team, and freshman Regan Steigleder being named to the All-Freshman team.
Moynihan led the Wildcats to a record of 10-5-4 in the 2018 campaign. They made it to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year, losing in the first round to NC State. The ‘Cats earned four All-Big Ten picks under his tutelage throughout the season. Seniors Kayla Sharples and Marisa Viggiano earned All-Big Ten First Team, senior Brenna Lovera earned All-Big Ten Second Team, and freshman Mackenzie Wood earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Senior Aspyn Repp also earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Moynihan’s teams at Northwestern have excelled academically, with 209 players earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. In 2016, Nandi Mehta was named a CoSIDA first-team Academic All American, and an NSCAA Scholar second-team All-Region, while Lauren Clem was named an NSCAA Scholar First-Team All-American.
Picked to finish 11th in the Big Ten in the 2022 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, Moynihan led the Wildcats to a dream season, tying program records with 16 wins and an NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance. After a banner regular season that saw a program-record 13-game unbeaten streak and conference-high eight All-Big Ten honorees, NU earned a No. 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament, the best seed in school history. NU dispatched SIUE 3-0 in the First Round and Vanderbilt 2-1 in the Second Round before bowing out at eventual National Champion UCLA.
In 2023, Moynihan claimed his 300th career win with a 7-0 rout of Oakland on August 24, 2023, with 107 of those wins coming at Northwestern.
Prior to his arrival at Northwestern in December of 2011, Moynihan coached 19 years with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer program, where he led the Panthers to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, 13 Horizon League Championships and eight Horizon League Tournament titles. Moynihan, an eight-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, coached the Panthers to 12-straight conference titles.
In 15 years as the head coach at Milwaukee, Moynihan accumulated a 193-84-38 record, including an 86-8-5 (.894) mark in Horizon League games. In 2011, Moynihan's Panthers won a school-record 19 matches, including a perfect 8-0-0 record in conference action, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round. Led by nine all-conference honorees, including the Horizon League Player of the Year, Defensive Co-Player of the Year and an NSCAA All-American, the Panthers finished the season ranked No. 23 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) with a final RPI of No. 25.
The Milwaukee, Wis., native's coaching career began with the Panthers in 1993 when he served as an assistant coach under his sister, Susan. He helped guide the Panthers in that capacity to a 40-33-4 mark in four seasons, laying the groundwork for when he would take over the program in 1997. Michael also played an instrumental role in fundraising efforts to have the Panthers' home field, the Laura Moynihan Field, named after his mother who also coached the UWM women's soccer program.
An active member of the Milwaukee community, Moynihan served on the board of directors for the Shorewood Kickers and was the director of coaching for the Wisconsin Girls Olympic Development Program. At UWM, his teams regularly hosted soccer camps and clinics throughout the area.
Moynihan played collegiately at Wisconsin, graduating in 1990 with a degree in history. While at Wisconsin, Moynihan was a four-year letter winner, served two years as team captain and received the team's Bill Reddan Award for Sportsmanship as a senior. He also earned a teaching certificate in secondary education from UWM in 1993.
Moynihan holds a USSF`A' coaching license as well as a USSF national youth license. He has been heavily involved in the Olympic Development Program for the past 20 years, coaching at the national, regional and state levels and has served as head coach for the `93 Wisconsin state team and as an assistant with the `95 regional team.
Moynihan Year-by-Year Head Coaching History
| Season | School | Overall Record | Conference Record | Postseason |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 6-10-3 | 1-8-2 | |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 9-5-4 | 3-5-2 | |
| 2022 | Northwestern | 16-5-2 | 7-2-1 | NCAA Tournament (Third Round) |
| 2021 | Northwestern | 7-9-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 2020 | Northwestern | 6-6-1 | 5-6 | |
| 2019 | Northwestern | 5-10-3 | 3-6-2 | |
| 2018 | Northwestern | 10-5-4 | 4-4-3 | NCAA Tournament |
| 2017 | Northwestern | 12-8-3 | 7-3-1 | NCAA Tournament (Second Round) |
| 2016 | Northwestern | 16-3-4 | 7-1-3 | NCAA Tournament (Third Round) |
| 2015 | Northwestern | 14-6-2 | 7-3-1 | NCAA Tournament (Second Round) |
| 2014 | Northwestern | 9-8-4 | 4-6-3 | |
| 2013 | Northwestern | 3-14-2 | 1-10-0 | |
| 2012 | Northwestern | 7-10-2 | 3-8-0 | |
| 2011 | Milwaukee | 19-3-0 | 8-0-0 | NCAA Tournament (Second Round) |
| 2010 | Milwaukee | 12-7-2 | 6-2-0 | NCAA Tournament |
| 2009 | Milwaukee | 12-6-3 | 8-0-0 | NCAA Tournament |
| 2008 | Milwaukee | 18-3-2 | 7-1-0 | NCAA Tournament |
| 2007 | Milwaukee | 13-4-4 | 7-0-1 | |
| 2006 | Milwaukee | 16-4-2 | 7-0-0 | NCAA Tournament (Second Round) |
| 2005 | Milwaukee | 12-5-5 | 6-0-1 | NCAA Tournament (Second Round) |
| 2004 | Milwaukee | 11-8-3 | 7-0-0 | |
| 2003 | Milwaukee | 9-9-1 | 5-1-0 | |
| 2002 | Milwaukee | 11-6-5 | 5-0-1 | NCAA Tournament |
| 2001 | Milwaukee | 15-5-0 | 6-0-0 | NCAA Tournament |
| 2000 | Milwaukee | 11-8-1 | 5-0-0 | |
| 1999 | Milwaukee | 11-8-3 | 3-2-0 | |
| 1998 | Milwaukee | 10-5-3 | 2-2-1 | |
| 1997 | Milwaukee | 13-3-4 | 4-0-1 | NCAA Tournament |
| CAREER | 28 Seasons | 313-183-73 | 140-77-24 | 14 NCAA Tournament Appearances |
| NU TOTALS | 11 Seasons | 120-99-35 | 54-69-19 | 5 NCAA Tournament Appearances |
13 Horizon League Regular Season Championships
1997 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004
2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011
8 Horizon League Tournament Championships
1997 • 2001 • 2002 • 2005 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011
Big Ten Regular-Season Championships
2016