WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 21) – Waynesburg University is proud to announce the hiring of Carl Griffiths as its new head men's and women's soccer coach. Griffiths comes to the Yellow Jackets from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., where he spent the past two-plus seasons as the first assistant coach to the Thunder men's soccer team, which is the winningest program in NCAA Division III history.
 
“I am very excited. I had the opportunity to run a soccer club as well as assist at a great college here in the Chicago area. I was ready to move on to a head coaching job and build a strong tradition of soccer. I am excited to come to Waynesburg and succeed in that goal,” Griffiths said.
 
Griffiths helped continue a proud soccer tradition at Wheaton during his tenure with the team. Over that time, the Thunder went a combined 21-15-5 under head coach Dr. Michael Giuliano. As the first assistant under Giuliano, Griffiths was responsible for a myriad of tasks ranging from on-field training, to game planning, to scouting and recruiting and handling administrative duties.
 
With a sizable number of applicants, Waynesburg University Director of Athletics Rick Shepas saw numerous positive qualities in Griffiths that made him the perfect fit for the University and for leading these two growing programs.
 
“I was very impressed by Carl during the interview process. I was drawn to his accomplishments both as a successful captain as a player and as a determined young coach operating within a perennial powerhouse soccer program at Wheaton College,” Shepas said. “I believe that Carl will fit in well within our athletic programs in fulfillment of our Christian educational mission and goals here at Waynesburg University.  He will challenge and lead our student-athletes in both the women's and men's programs and will be a great role model for them both on the field and for life.” 
 
Prior to his work with the Thunder, Griffiths served as the director of the Kopion Soccer Club in Wheaton. He coached both boys and girls on a variety of teams up through 18 years old. He also was responsible for and supervised all coaches and staff members, worked with budgets, coordinated practices and handled a myriad of other responsibilities for the highly successful organization.
 
The newest Yellow Jacket head coach takes over a pair of teams that have taken some big steps forward in the recent past. The Waynesburg women are coming off back-to-back double-digit-win seasons (10-6-3 in 2010, 15-5-1 in 2011), the latter of which resulted in the team playing in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) tournament championship game. The Yellow Jacket men just missed out on joining their counterparts in the PAC tournament after going 8-9 overall and 3-5 in conference action with a roster that featured mostly underclassman starters.
 
“I think that Waynesburg soccer is right there on the brink of breaking through in the conference and in the NCAA Division III ranks, and the timing for me is great,” Griffiths said. “The women have done some great things over the past few seasons and the men are ready to take the leap. I'm excited to be a part of it and to build upon this success.”

According to Wheaton College head men's soccer coach Dr. Michael Giuliano, the Yellow Jackets' acquisition of Griffiths will leave a big “hole” in the Thunder's staff.
 
“Waynesburg's gain is definitely our loss,” Giuliano said. “He did a phenomenal job over his two-and-a-half years and every coach and player will miss him. In every profession, there is an 'it' factor that is not always describable. [Griffiths] definitely has 'it' and has worked hard to further develop and grow as a coach through education and training.”
 
Griffiths graduated from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Christian Formation and Ministry, Bible and Business). During his four years with the Thunder, Griffiths played in 67 games as a defender, including 24 starts as a senior co-captain. That same year, Griffiths helped lead the Thunder to the NCAA Division III National Championship , where they lost to national powerhouse,  Messiah. Following his final collegiate season, Griffiths was named first-team College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin (CCIW), and was picked for the NCAA Final Four Tournament Team. Griffiths is a native of Poquoson, Va. and is a graduate of Poquoson High School.
 
Griffiths is currently finishing a Master of Science degree in Education in Kinesiology and Physical Education at Northern Illinois University. Along with his formal education, Griffiths also boasts an impressive resume of coaching licenses and awards. He earned his National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Premier Coaching Diploma in 2011, which is awarded to just the top three percent of coaches in the NSCAA. He also earned his NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and National Diploma in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
 
Griffiths' soccer experiences have also taken him overseas. This past May, he was selected by the International Sport Connection  to travel to Kampala, Uganda, to help teach the United States Soccer Federation “E” license as well as lecture Ugandan coaches about conflict resolution and effective communication in coaching . This coaching education course was funded by the US State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Service to the community, both near Waynesburg and around the world, is one aspect that caused Griffiths to turn down other positions to lead the Yellow Jackets.
 
“I believe that the focus of Waynesburg University on integrating faith, service and athletic success is critical. When I think about building a soccer program and developing young student-athletes, I think about building on those three component areas,” Griffiths said. “Knowing that I will have the support of the University both academically and spiritually, as well as how seriously the school takes its athletics, is very important to me.”