When Rachel Brannen Cahill received the email informing her she was part of this year’s Centre College Athletics Hall of Fame class she was shocked.
“I am very proud to say I will be part of the Hall of Fame now. I am very honored to have been selected. It’s a big deal and I was very surprised because I have never been one to look at my accolades as a big deal,” Cahill said.
Her accolades certainly were Hall of Fame worthy. She was a D3Soccer.com All-American and a NSCA Scholar All-American. She was the Centre College Student-Athlete of the Year in 2013 her señor year. Brannen played a key role on a defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in goals against average and shutouts her señor season when Centre went 20-2, won the conference and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
“We had a couple of very good years and it was just an incredible experience. We had a nice winning streak and a bunch of shutouts my senior year,” Cahill, 34, said. “I loved my time at Centre and definitely would do it again. I was able to balance everything out academically and athletically. Everything balanced out and made me into a hard worker. There was nothing graduate school could throw at me that I was not ready for.
“Not only did Centre shape me athletically, but also as a person. It was a lot of hard work but when you get out things do not seem as hard. When I left Centre, I felt I was ready for anything.”
Cahill lives in northern Kentucky — she was a Villa Madonna High School graduate — and has been an elementary school speech therapist for the Boone County school district the last eight years. However, she still has numerous fond memories of her collegiate soccer career.
“You have fond memories of the postgames, the patio at the old field and the giant cookouts we had. I think of the sweet memories of all the families and friends there for celebrations after games,” she said. “We had that trip to Ireland (for exhibition matches) going into our senior year, something only one other team had done at Centre.”
One of her teammates, Amy Hebbeler, is also in the 2025 Hall of Fame class. She was also a D3Soccer.com All-American and anchored the defense with Cahill. They were both from northern Kentucky — Hebbeler attended Notre Dame Academy — but did not meet until Centre College coach Jay Hoffman put them together as roommates their first year at Centre.
“We are still great friends but our high schools never played each other and we played for separate club teams. I kind of knew who she was from my circle of friends. It’s kind of ironic that we not only roomed together all through college but I am married to her cousin. It’s extra special to experience this with her. It couldn’t be better. It’s really the best case scenario,” Cahill said.
Cahill has been back to Centre College to see the new soccer and athletic facilities but still cherishes the memories from her four years at Centre. She’s also not surprised that Hoffman is still coaching.
“I think Jay (who has been head coach since 2004) will be coaching until he can’t walk. It’s just in his blood. That’s what makes him such a great coach,” she said.
Cahill hopes her parents, husband and two daughters will be at the induction ceremony along with her sister, who is her best friend.
“We are expecting our third daughter in December but my sister is expecting a baby the first week in October,” Cahill said. “She is saying she will be there for me because she knows what it means to me but we will see what happens.”
