I am not sure how I can even say goodbye to this place. I moved to Billings from North Carolina at the age of 25. The past nine years have given me so much. I met my fiancée Megan here and the friendships and memories I have made will last a lifetime. MSUB and the Billings community will always be dear to my heart.
My life truly changed with one phone call. I remember the initial call with Coach Wojtek Krakowiak like it was yesterday. I was flown out to Billings to interview in January 2014 and shortly after accepted the job to be the new women’s soccer assistant coach. I was moving from Charlotte, NC to Billings, MT – a place I did not even know existed before the year 2014! After three days of driving across the country with my father, we finally arrived in Billings, in the midst of a crazy snow storm the first weekend of March. I had no idea how impactful this place would turn out to be.
I immediately felt valued and loved by the Billings soccer community. I was nearly 2,000 miles from my family but so many families in Billings made me feel a part of theirs. There are too many families to name but the Billings soccer community has changed my life for the better. There are so many people who made my nine years in Billings fly by. Thank you to my Magic City/Billings United families. I love you all very much and will be forever grateful for our time together.
To Wojtek, thank you for believing in me and asking me to coach with you at MSUB. Without you, these last 9 years wouldn’t have happened.
To Krista, you gave me my first college head coaching job and I will be forever indebted to you for taking a chance on me as a young head coach. You always believed in me and had my back. It is inspiring to know how much of your time you have dedicated and continue to dedicate to MSUB. #Jackets4Jackets
To the MSUB Staff (past & present), thank you for making MSUB feel like such a supportive community. I have loved getting to represent MSUB alongside you all and have learned a lot from you. I am a Yellowjacket for life and I will continue to support and follow your teams and your careers.
To Alex, I do not know where I would be without you. Thank you for always taking the time to teach me. The team environment and culture you cultivate is something I have always tried to recreate with my teams. More importantly than coaching, you are truly a great friend. I am grateful for our friendship and so happy for you and Eva for the family you have started together.
To Tori, you are an excellent athletic trainer and even better friend. It is hard to believe it was six years ago that you first joined MSUB and we began working together. I have always been inspired by your work ethic and I am so proud of your growth. P.S. Thank you for bringing Megan to Montana.
To Abiye, I am so grateful for the past two seasons that I got to coach with you in Montana. I love that our lives have continued to align since we first met back at Frostburg in 2009. You are making an impact here in Billings and you are a fantastic coach. Getting to coach alongside you these last two seasons has made me a better coach and leader. I cherish our friendship and I will always be here for you.
To Kaylee, I would describe you as the perfect MSUB alum. From player to coach, you are a Yellowjacket through and through. You have put countless hours into this program. You have a great heart and you are a great role model for our players. This program is lucky to have you.
To all my previous assistants (Abiye, Kaylee, Kendyl, Izzi, Scott, Sarah), thank you for helping build the culture and environment that exists in the MSUB women’s soccer program today. The program has gotten better with each passing year and that is the result of your contributions. Thank you for your patience and trust with me. I could not have done any of this without you all.
To the players (past & present), you make coaching the most rewarding profession. I can genuinely say that I have learned so much from each player that I have worked with. Thank you for helping me grow as a coach and as a leader. Thank you for believing in TCC and getting the program to where it is today. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be your coach and I will always celebrate your success on or off the field.
I take great pride in the the culture and environment we have established in our program. We have players from all over the US and the World (mostly Sweden) coming to Billings, MT to be a part of this family. Always see the good in your teammates. Vocalize your admiration for each other. Cherish your time as a collegiate student athlete and always remember that representing MSUB women’s soccer is an absolute privilege.
Thank you to my parents, Guy and Stephany, and my younger brothers, Matthew and Quinn. Thank you for always being there for me. Your guidance, love and support mean more than you know.
I met Megan in November 2017 at Yellowjacket Field. A snow storm hit the night before the MSUB men’s soccer senior day game and we met each other helping to shovel snow off of the field so the team could play.
To Megan, thank you for your love and support and for always pushing me to be the best version of myself.
We will both terribly miss Montana, the people we have met here and the MSUB women’s soccer team. We are so thankful for all the support we have received while living here.
#Jackets4Life
Stephen Cavallo
Former Head Women’s Soccer Coach
Montana State University Billings
March 2014 - February 2023
