5 things to know about former Shore soccer star at Paris Olympics as assistant coach

U.S. Women's National Team and Olympics soccer assistant coach Denise Reddy grew up in Hazlet and starred at Raritan High School before going on to Rutgers - where she was a varsity letterwinner in both soccer (1988-91) and basketball (1990-93), winning an Atlantic 10 hoops title under legendary coach Theresa Grentz.

But soccer was the path she stayed on.

“I’ve always loved football,’’ she told writer Paul Franklin in a story for Rutgers Athletics. “It was my passion. I was the ball girl for the (North American Soccer League) Cosmos in ’78-’79. Who knows why. No one in my family likes soccer.”

Here are five other things to know about Reddy as the USWNT Olympics team heads into its first game of group play against Zambia at the Olympics on July 25:

Denise Reddy was a lockdown defender - and goalkeeper - at Raritan High School

The 1988 Raritan grad was a defensive specialist, moving from sweeper to keeper her senior year. She went on to co-captain the Rutgers team and set up the game-winning goal in the second overtime for the Scarlet Knights in the 1990 ECAC championship game.

Reddy played professionally in Sweden.

There's another Reddy, Rutgers connection on the USWNT Oympics team

Bridgewater native Casey Murphy was one of the most dominant goaltenders in Rutgers’ program history. In her final season at Rutgers, Murphy, now 27, was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and led the conference in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts.

This will be Murphy's first Olympics.

“Casey is a huge part of Rutgers. I’ve trained with her, played against her a little bit in pickup games. And being a Jersey girl,” Reddy said. "That means a lot.”

Denise Reddy has been a longtime assistant to Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes, hired away from Chelsea FCW, brought in several former staff members at Chelsea when appointed head coach of the U.S. women’s national team, including Reddy, who was at Chelsea with Hayes for four years.

Denise Reddy coached for and was fired by Phil Murphy's soccer team

After coach Christy Holly's scandal-filled tenure was ended with dismissal from Phil and Tammy Murphy's Sky Blue soccer team, Reddy was left in charge of a team in disarray and had a bumpy 33-game ride before being exited.

Denise Reddy personal file

Denise Reddy is 53 and resides in Point Pleasant.