Portland State University Athletics

Katie Burton completed her eighth season as the Head Women's Soccer coach in 2024. She has since transitioned into her new role as an Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations.

Since taking over the women's soccer program in June 2017, Burton guided the Vikings to a 39-78-16 (.353) overall record and a 23-34-11 (.419) mark in conference play. She ranks as the second-winningest coach in program history. 

Under Burton's leadership, the Vikings have made five conference tournament appearances, including three trips to the Big Sky semifinals. She has overseen two of the program's four postseason victories, guiding the Vikings to quarterfinal wins in 2017 and 2023, as well as advancing to the semifinals in 2024 via a penalty kick shootout. In consecutive seasons (2022 and 2023), the Vikings posted a 4-2-2 record in conference play, finishing third in the final Big Sky standings each year.

Over eight seasons, Burton guided 16 Vikings to All-Big Sky honors, amassing 21 individual awards, including two first-team selections: Sienna Higinbotham (2023, midfielder) and Liv Frazier (2024, defender). Additionally, freshman forward Aliayha Saldana was named the program’s first-ever Big Sky Freshman of the Year in 2024. Led by five weekly honors in 2017, the Vikings have tallied 13 Big Sky Player of the Week honors under Burton. 

YEAR-BY-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS 

2024 - Burton and co-head coach Maureen Whitney guided the Vikings to a 4-9-5 overall record, including a 4-8-4 mark in the regular season and 2-3-3 in Big Sky play. The Vikings made their third consecutive appearance in the Big Sky Tournament, this time as the No. 6 seed, advancing to the semifinals for the second straight year. Their semifinal berth was highlighted by a historic moment: the program’s first-ever penalty kick shootout victory, beating No. 3 seed Eastern Washington 1-1 (7-6 on penalties) to move forward. Burton also coached five players to All-Conference honors, the program’s most since 2014. Leading the group was first-team All-Big Sky defender Liv Frazier, who became the first Viking defender to earn the honor since 2016. Three players earned second-team recognition, including freshman forward Aliayha Saldana, who made history as the program’s first-ever Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
2023 - Burton guided the Vikings to an 8-8-2 record (.500), their highest win percentage since 2014. For the second consecutive season, PSU finished third in the regular season Big Sky standings with a 4-2-2 conference record after a 4-0-1 start. For just the fourth time in program history, the Vikings won their opening match of the Big Sky tournament, beating Idaho State 4-1 to advance to the Big Sky semifinals. The Vikings totaled 27 goals on the year, marking their most successful season offensively since 2013. Four Vikings earned All-Big Sky honors, highlighted by first team midfielder Sienna Higinbotham. Higinbotham finished the regular season tied second in the conference with six goals scored, becoming the first Viking to earn first-team honors under Burton and the first Viking to win the award since 2016.
2022 - Burton coached the Vikings to their best conference start since 2013, opening Big Sky play 4-0-1 while notching three consecutive shutouts. The Vikings finished the regular season 5-8-5, going 4-2-2 in conference action. Burton's squad qualified for the Big Sky Tournament as the No. 3 seed, the program's highest seed in eight seasons. Viking senior defender Hailey Green was named honorable mention All-Big Sky, while junior forward Raniyah Burton was a second team all-conference selection.
2021 - Burton led the Vikings to a 4-10-2 record (2-4-2 BSC), helping the Vikings to conference wins over Sacramento State and Idaho. Sienna Higinbotham and Lucy Quinn each earned All-Big Sky Honorable Mention honors. 
2020 - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 fall season was played during the spring of 2021. The Vikings played an abbreviated eight-game schedule, finishing 0-8-0. Burton coached sophomore midfielder Sienna Higinbotham to a second team all-conference honor that season.
2019 -  The Vikings returned to the Big Sky tournament for the second time in three seasons, finishing 4-15 on the year while going 3-6 in conference play. The Vikings tallied two players on the All-Big Sky list in Sofi Papastamos and Tea Poore.
2018 - Burton led the Vikings to a 5-10-1 overall record. Portland State missed the Big Sky tournament by just one position following a 3-5-1 conference season. Burton helped lead Krystal de Ramos to a single-season record for shots on goal percentage and a spot on the All-Big Sky honorable mention.
2017 - Burton led the Vikings back to the Big Sky tournament after a two-year absence in her first season at the helm. Burton and the Vikings finished fourth in the Big Sky at 5-4-1 in conference play, and 9-10-1 overall. Additionally, Burton led the Vikings to their first win at the Big Sky tournament since 2013, with a 1-0 win over Northern Arizona - a team they had never beaten in the Big Sky tournament previously - in the Big Sky quarterfinals. That season, Burton led four individuals to All-Big Sky honors as Katie Forsee and Kristin Moyer made the All-Big Sky second team, while Liz Hansen and Morgan Matthews received All-Big Sky honorable mention. The Vikings totaled five Big Sky Players of the Week during the 2017 season. 

BEFORE PORTLAND STATE

Burton came to the Vikings after spending the last two seasons as the associate head coach at Sacramento State, where she helped lead a program turnaround. The Hornets hadn’t made the Big Sky tournament in four seasons before Burton’s arrival, but broke that streak with a Big Sky tournament appearance in Burton’s first year in 2015.
 
Burton then helped lead the Hornets to a second-place finish within the Big Sky in 2016, when they clinched the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Big Sky tournament with a 2-1 win over the Vikings in both teams’ regular-season finale.
 
Burton cut her teeth as an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco from 2011-14, where she again helped lead a program turnaround. The Dons hadn’t finished better than seventh in the nationally respected West Coast Conference in the previous five seasons to Burton’s arrival. However, Burton helped lead USF to two top six finishes in the WCC in her four years at the school, and laid the groundwork for the Dons’ record-breaking season in 2015, when the team set program records for best WCC finish (T-2nd), most WCC wins (7) and best WCC record (7-2-0).
 
Burton’s first coaching stop came at UNLV, where she spent a year-and-a-half as an assistant coach/camp director/director of operations for both the men’s and women’s soccer programs from 2010-11.
 
As a player at Sacramento State, Burton helped lead the Hornets to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2007. Burton and the Hornets swept the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles that season, and finished with an unbeaten conference record at 4-0-3.
 
Burton was a three-time All-Big Sky selection as a player (2003, 2006, 2007), including an All-Big Sky first-team selection as a senior in 2007.
 
Burton is married to her wife, Christine Conklin, and is the daughter of Susie and Brian Cram.

EDUCATION:
University of San Francisco, M.A., Sports Management, 2013
Sacramento State University, B.S., Business Administration, 2008
 
COACHING EXPERIENCE:
• 2015-17, Sacramento State, Associate Head Coach
• 2011-14, San Francisco, Assistant Coach
• 2010-11, UNLV, Assistant Coach/Camp Director/Director of Operations Men’s and Women’s Soccer
 
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
• Sacramento State, 2003-07
• Helped Sacramento State to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2007
• Led Sacramento State to Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles in 2007
• Three-time All-Big Sky selection, including first-team selection in 2007
• All-Big Sky tournament selection in 2007