Katie Lakin Sydney Magliocca interview on Ole Miss transfer

In my Katie Lakin Sydney Magliocca interview, the Coastal Carolina University center back explained why she left the University of Mississippi after a coaching change, how an initially unanswered email led her to Coastal Carolina, and why she hopes to attend law school. Lakin also described a team with only seven returning players that, in her view, has built strong connections off the field.

What did Katie Lakin say about her soccer journey from California?

Katie Lakin began playing soccer at about four years old on her father’s Pink Ponies team in California. What started as something fun became a serious pursuit through club soccer, and a move from forward to center back gave her the position she came to love and still plays at Coastal Carolina University.

Starting with the Pink Ponies

Her first team was coached by her father, who had played baseball at Saint Mary’s College of California. As Lakin became more invested in soccer, he also helped her send recruiting emails. She first played at a lower level with Walnut Creek Soccer Club before seeking a more demanding club environment.

Lakin described playing in the Development Academy and later spending about seven years at La Mirinda. During her sophomore year of high school, she said, many players began leaving La Mirinda. She moved to FC Berry’s Surf as recruiting became more important and accepted that pursuing a top school would require a longer trip to play.

Moving from forward to center back

The position change initially felt like a rejection. Lakin had been a forward and thought being sent into defense meant her coach did not rate her. Her view reversed once she played there: she fell in love with center back and came to see it as the position that could take her furthest. She has remained a defender through her move to Coastal Carolina.

Why did Katie Lakin transfer from Ole Miss?

Katie Lakin entered the transfer portal after a coaching change at Ole Miss because she no longer liked the team’s style of play and wanted a clearer opportunity to play. She enjoyed her first year and the people she met there, but did not want to spend another year uncertain about her place under a new coach.

Lakin said the previous coach was fired and a new coach arrived. The change did not erase the good parts of her first year, but it altered what she expected from the soccer program. She decided that the size or reputation of a school could not be her only consideration when she was choosing where to continue playing.

Lakin put her priority this way:

at the end of the day, like you want to be at a good school and a big school, but like you also need to get your opportunity to play.

She estimated that roughly 10 or 11 players from Ole Miss entered the portal after the coaching change. Lakin also said frequent turnover made it hard to build a program, describing a pattern of players moving in and out that did not suit her. For her, the transfer was both a response to the new style and a decision not to wait through another season to find out whether she would play.

Why did Katie Lakin choose Coastal Carolina University?

Katie Lakin chose Coastal Carolina University after weighing other schools and eventually replying to an early email from its staff. She visited the University of California, Santa Barbara, considered a trip to Montana but did not go, and connected with Coastal assistant coach Olivia, who quickly arranged a call and made an offer.

An early email she did not answer

Coastal was among the first schools to contact Lakin after she entered the portal. She did not respond at first because she was looking into other options. Her teammate Landry had also received an email from Coastal; Lakin said they had entered the portal at roughly the same time.

Being from California, Lakin wanted to give the University of California, Santa Barbara a look and visited the school. She also had a visit to Montana in mind but did not make that trip. When comparing the possibilities, she described herself as more drawn to the beach than the mountains.

Olivia’s call and Coastal’s offer

Lakin eventually emailed Olivia to reconnect. She said the assistant coach texted back within about five minutes and proposed a phone call for the next day. Olivia made an offer on that call, and Lakin asked to speak with the head coach before deciding. After a few days, she concluded that Santa Barbara was not for her and accepted Coastal Carolina’s offer.

What did Katie Lakin say about Coastal Carolina soccer chemistry?

Katie Lakin said Coastal Carolina’s players have connected well despite substantial roster turnover. The team had only seven returning players, according to Sydney Magliocca, and had also experienced a coaching change. Lakin sees their ability to talk and spend time together without divisions as a reason their on-field chemistry has developed.

Lakin contrasted the current group with teams she had been on where cliques were noticeable. At Coastal, she said, she feels able to approach anyone for a genuine conversation and does not sense bad blood between teammates. That matters to her because relationships away from games and training carry onto the field.

She described the season as going pretty well while acknowledging how much a group must build when so many people are new. Rather than treating the number of returning players as a barrier, Lakin focused on how quickly teammates had become comfortable with one another. Magliocca also pointed to that connection when discussing how the team had played.

Why does Katie Lakin want to go to law school?

Katie Lakin wants to attend law school and become a lawyer after college. She is studying history and communications, but said the demands of playing soccer have limited the internships, extracurricular activities and mock trial experience she would like to pursue as preparation for a law school application.

Lakin was candid about the trade-off. She wants to do the extra work that can help an aspiring lawyer, yet her schedule as a college player has not left room for all of it. She did not name a law school or give a date for applying.

She also believes employers and professional schools can recognize what student-athletes manage while competing and studying. In discussing the future with Magliocca, she treated her soccer experience as useful preparation, even as it constrains the time she can spend on other activities now.

How have Nike and NIL opportunities helped Katie Lakin?

Katie Lakin named Nike when asked which brands had helped her during college. She also said an app had provided many NIL opportunities that helped her and other teammates. She did not name the app or describe a specific deal, but made clear that both the game-day gear and those opportunities mattered to her.

Her answer about Nike was immediate, and she said she relies on what she wears from the brand when she plays. On NIL, Lakin emphasized that the opportunities were not limited to her: she had seen teammates benefit from the app as well.