Aulani Whisler enters her first season as an assistant coach for Illinois State soccer. 

Whisler comes to the Redbirds after a one-year stint as the head coach at Chicago State, where she guided the Cougars to the most wins in a single season in program history. She joined the Chicago State staff as an assistant coach in June of 2022 before being named interim head coach one month into her tenure in July of last year. 

She also worked previously as a volunteer coach at Valparaiso during the spring of 2022. Prior to joining the Division I ranks, Whisler spent time as an assistant coach at Stanislaus State, where she helped lead the Warriors to an 8-6-4 record and was instrumental in the assembly of a 2022 recruiting class that included a member of California Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAA) All-Tournament Team, and at her alma-mater Cal State East Bay, where she appeared in 69 matches across her four-year playing career from 2015 to 2018.

Whisler also brings experience on the club and pre-professional side. During the summer of 2023, Whisler was an assistant coach for USL W league member Bavarian Soccer Club. In the club scene, Whisler was most recently the head coach for U11 and U19 teams at Mustang Soccer Club. Prior to Mustang Soccer Club. She also spent two years at Livermore Fusion Soccer Club where she was the head coach of U8, U13, U15NPL, and U17NPL teams.

In October of 2021, Whisler was selected to the 2021-22 class of the United Soccer Coaches 30 Under Program, a year-long education and mentorship opportunity designed to support up-and-coming members of the coaching profession who are 30 years of age or younger.

Whisler graduated from Cal State East Bay in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in biology.