Reid Ayers and his outstanding coaching staff have worked hard to develop the Baldwin-Wallace College women’s soccer program into one of the best in the prestigious Ohio Athletic Conference and his long-term goal is to lead the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA Division III National title.
To contact Reid Ayers, please call him in his office at 440-826-3839 or e-mail him at rayers@bw.edu.
All-Time B-W Soccer Coaching Records in PDF
Ayers is the College’s first full-time head coach and completed his seventh season in 2008-2009. He is the second winningest women's soccer coach in school history with 67 wins and a 67-55-15 record. Coach Ayers has led the Yellow Jacket women to 10 or more victories in four of the past five seasons. His 2005 team advanced to the OAC Championship Game.
“Our long-term goals are to win OAC regular season and OAC Tournament titles, earn the OAC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament and win a national title,” said Ayers. “Each year our women have progressively gotten better and we look forward to working toward achieving our goals.”
But that is just a part of the reason why the B-W program is on the right track toward even more success. Ayers’ team has earned recognition five consecutive years for Team Academic Achievement and was awarded the Team Ethics Award of Merit by the NSCAA in 2006 and again in 2007.
“We want each student-athlete to develop both as a student and athlete to the best of her ability,” said Ayers.
“We want strong students who seek to excell academically and yearn to compete athletically in a vey strong Division III conference and against top-flight nonleague competition. We want soccer to be goal-oriented, competitive and rewarding.”
Prior to B-W, Ayers served as an assistant coach to OAC-rival Mount Union College in 2001 and is no stranger to soccer in Ohio. He previously coached in both the men’s and women’s programs at Ashland University (2000-2001) and Hiram College (1997-2000). A part of Ohio’s college soccer scene for the past 10 years, he has been a part of five conference championship teams and two teams that have advanced to the NCAA Division II or III National Tournament.
Also a prominent figure in the club soccer scene, Ayers has led teams to championships in the Adidas Warrior Classic, Jarosi Memorial, Mid-American Soccer Classic, Crossroads Classic and Adidas Charlotte Showcase. He also had a third place finish in the USA Cup and made quarterfinal international appearances in the Gothia Cup, Dana Cup and the Manchester Soccer Festival.
In 2002, Ayers completed his Masters of Arts degree from Kent State University in Sport and Recreation Management. A 1988 graduate of Hiram College, he was team captain his junior and senior seasons and earned Most Valuable Player honors as a senior. A three-time All-Presidents Conference performer, Ayers is amongst the Hiram College all-time leaders in career and season assists. He holds the distinction of starting every game in his college career.
Ayers and his wife, Lisa, reside in Canton.
Assistant Coach, Kurt Krueger |
Kurt Krueger completed his seventh season as the Head Assistant Soccer and Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at the College in 2008-2009. Krueger has been instrumental in helping Reid Ayers build the men’s program into one of the best in the Great Lakes Region in Division III and in building the women’s program into one of the most improved in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
To contact Kurt Krueger, please call him in his office at 440-826-3824 or e-mail him at kkrueger@bw.edu.
Krueger joined the B-W staff from Green High School in Summit County where his boy’s teams were District champions three times and runners-up once during his six-year tenure. While at Green H.S., Krueger was named the 2001 Boy’s Assistant Coach of the Year by the Greater Akron Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association.
On the club front, Krueger served as an age group head coach for the Everest Soccer Club. His teams had many successes, including finishing as a semi- finalist in the U16 OYSAN Boy’s State Cup. Krueger has also worked as both an age group assistant and head coach with the Ohio North Olympic Development Program since 2000.
Krueger, who currently serves on the Regional Staff for the USYSA Region II Boy’s ODP, holds a USSF “A” license as well as an NSCAA “Premier” license.
Krueger and his wife, Julie, and their children Cameron and Kendall, reside in Stow.
Assistant Coach, Jim Wojtkun
Jim Wojtkun is an assistant coach and serves as the recruiting coordinator with the Yellow Jacket women’s program. He has worked at the collegiate, high school, club, and Olympic Development Program (ODP) levels and has a wealth of knowledge of the game of soccer. Wojtkun possesses a USSF (United States Soccer Federation) “C” Coaching License as well as an NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Assocation of America) National Diploma and Goalkeeping Diploma.
To contact Jim Wojtkun, please call him in his office at 440-826-3824 or e-mail him at jwojtkun@bw.edu.
While at Bay Village (Bay) High School, Coach Wojtkun served as an assistant coach and was the goalkeeper trainer for the 2003-2004 OHSAA State Championship team and the 2004-2005 team that reached the OHSAA regional finals. Wojtkun also works with the Cleveland Cobras premier soccer club, where he is the head coach for the U-17 girls team as well as the goalkeeper trainer for the Club. He has led his squad to tournament titles at the Virginian, Creek Classic, Cleveland Cup, Flagship Cup, and other prestigious tournaments.
Wojtkun graduated from the University of Dayton and received his Master’s Degree from Xavier University. He and his wife, Sue, reside in North Olmsted. Coach Wojtkun's daughter, current B-W senior three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference midfielder Allie Wojtkun earned 2008 ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America honors.
This page was last updated on November 27, 2008.
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