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Spartans Alderson resigns after 17 seasons
LANGLEY, B.C. - Trinity Western University Director of Athletics
Murray Hall announced today that men's soccer head coach Al
Alderson has resigned from TWU and will not be returning to coach
the Spartans in 2009.
"Al is a legend - everyone in the soccer world knows Al Alderson.
There are soccer things that Al can do in his sleep that would take
the rest of us days to do. His contributions to the soccer program,
the Department of Athletics and the University will always be
appreciated, applauded and part of the rich heritage at our
University," commented Hall.
In his 17 seasons at TWU, Alderson amassed a career coaching record
of 167-110-55, including 110-50-29 in the CIS.
"We have had a terrific run. The past six years we have either
finished or been ranked in the top three in the country with a CIS
silver medal this last fall," said Alderson. "I have had the
opportunity to work with some terrific people on my coaching staff,
in our department and at the university. I will leave TWU with
thousands of amazing memories. It is difficult to leave my program
and my players, but for me it's time for a change and for new
opportunities."
Under Alderson, who won the Canada West Coach of the Year award in
2003, the Spartans have won three national championship medals
(silver in 2008, 2006 and bronze in 2005), and have finished as
Canada West regular season champions in 2003, 2004, and 2007. They
also won three straight Canada West Championships in 2005, 2006,
and 2007, before finishing with silver in 2008.
In addition to building a highly competitive CIS program, Alderson
was instrumental in creating strong relationships with the
Vancouver Whitecaps and English Premiership and First Division
squads, which resulted in the hosting of Cardiff City and
Sunderland for their preseason training camps, and annual matches
against the Whitecaps.
Alderson came to Trinity Western University as a student in the
fall of 1985. Upon graduating with great distinction in 1988 with a
Bachelor of Arts degree and three years of soccer under his belt,
he went after the then-vacant coaching job. In only his second
season of coaching, Alderson won BCCAA Coach of the Year for his
role in guiding the team to a best ever 11-7-4 overall record and
silver medal in the BCCAA Championships.
After coaching the Spartans for four seasons, Alderson took a break
for the 1992-93 season to finish his Master's in Education at the
University of Victoria, as well as his diploma from the National
Coaching Institute.
He returned to TWU in 1993 and coached for three more seasons
before accepting a job at Indiana Wesleyan University as head coach
of the women's soccer team and men's golf team.
While at Indiana Wesleyan, Alderson was named a NCCAA (National
Christian College Athletic Association) Coach of the Year and won
two NCCAA National Championships. On top of his coaching duties he
also was an Assistant Professor of Physical Education, Vice Chair
of NCCAA Women's Soccer and Midwest Region Chair of NCCAA Women's
Soccer.
In 1999 Alderson returned to Trinity Western to begin building a
CIS-worthy program in preparation for the men's and women's soccer
programs' entry into the league in 2001.
Trinity Western University, located in Langley, B.C., is a
not-for-profit Christian liberal arts university enrolling over
4,000 students this year. With a broad based, liberal arts and
sciences curriculum, the University offers undergraduate degrees in
41 major areas of study ranging from business, education and
computer science to biology and nursing, and 17 other graduate
degrees including counselling psychology, theology and
administrative leadership. For more information, visit TWU's
Official Athletics site at gospartans.ca.
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of
university sport in Canada. Fifty-two universities, 10,000
student-athletes and 550 coaches vie for 21 national championships
in 12 different sports. The CIS also provides high performance
international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter
and Summer Universiades, and 32 World University Championships. For
further information, visit www.universitysport.ca.
Source:
Scott Stewart MSS
Sports Information Director
Trinity Western University
