Karley Nelson was named the fifth head coach of the Lobo soccer program on Nov. 12, 2025 after having served as assistant and associate head coach for the soccer program for the previous 11 years.
She was the assistant coach for her first four years, before being promoted to associate head coach in 2019. Through her entire tenure at UNM, she has also served as the recruiting coordinator. In June of 2020, Nelson left to pursue other endeavors before returning to her same role a year later in June of 2021.
During her tenure, Nelson helped guide New Mexico to a 94-52-28 overall record and a 59-32-19 mark in Mountain West play, highlighted by four regular-season titles and the 2021 Mountain West Tournament Championship, which was the program's first in a decade. Under her leadership in the defensive unit, the Lobos set a program record for consecutive shutout minutes (602:51) in 2022 and posted their lowest goals-against average (0.82) since 2011.
During the 2021 season, the Lobos earned their fourth regular-season-title, as well as being crowned the Mountain West Tournament Champions for the first time in 10 years (2011). In 2018, with Nelson on staff, the Lobos captured a share of the program’s third regular-season title while also making a second-straight appearance in the MW Tournament Championship Game. That same year, the program set a record for goals scored with 45 and posted second-best marks in assists (33) and points (123).
In addition to her collegiate experience, Nelson has made a significant impact on the national stage as an assistant coach for the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Women's Youth National Teams (WYNT). Nelson has worked with the U15, U17, U19, and U20 WYNT teams, and most recently served as head coach of the U20 WYNT Training Camp in Carson, California, in June 2025. In addition to her involvement with U.S. Soccer, Nelson serves as a Coaching Educator for United Soccer Coaches. Nelson also holds a USSF B License.
Before UNM, Nelson held assistant coaching roles at Utah Valley University and Iowa Western Community College, where her teams earned national rankings as high as No. 3 in the NJCAA in 2012. Nelson also served as the head coach of the San Diego Surf ENCL Soccer Club from 2020 to 2021.
Prior to coming to UNM, Nelson was an assistant at Utah Valley University in 2014, where she helped direct the team’s training sessions. Before that, the native of Orem, Utah, was an assistant coach at Iowa Western Community College from 2011-13, where she designed and implemented the team’s training regimen. Nelson also assisted with recruiting, academics, team travel, and game management for the team. Iowa Western went 33-6-1 during her two full seasons, with a No. 3 national ranking in 2012 and a No. 5 national ranking in 2011.
A native of Orem, Utah, Nelson graduated from Grand Canyon University with a degree in biology, where she was a student-athlete and captain on the women's soccer team. Nelson has an associate's degree from Iowa Western Community College, where she earned All-America honors as a student-athlete in 2007, leading a team that finished as national runner-up in 2006 and 2007.
In addition to her collegiate career, Nelson played professionally for two years in Keflavik, Iceland, for Keflavik FC.