Wesleyan's Wheeler Named NSCAA New England Men's Coach of the Year

Courtesy NSCAA/Wesleyan Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – After leading the Cardinals to a first-place finish in the NESCAC during the regular season, an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and two NCAA wins, Wesleyan men's soccer head coach Geoff Wheeler added  National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Mondo New England Coach of the Year honors to his accolades in 2009. He had been named NESCAC Coach of the Year in November.

Wheeler, who received his first NESCAC Coach of the Year honor when he led the Cardinals to the 2005 NESCAC Men's Soccer Championship and the team's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, has guided the squad to seven winning seasons out of 11 in his career, three NCAA Tournament bids and a cumulative record of 95-64-17 over his 11 campaigns.

The Cardinals shattered numerous records this past fall, beginning with the school’s best undefeated start to a season at 11-0-4 and the most shutouts in team history with 12. Wesleyan also finished atop the NESCAC standings for the first time.

The NSCAA/Mondo regional recipients are selected based on a vote of their peers. Regional Coaches of the Year are finalists for the NSCAA/Mondo National Coach of the Year award at their respective levels. In NCAA play, any coach who is not selected a Regional Coach of the Year but advances to the national tournament semifinals is added to the ballot for National Coach of the Year.

The national awards will be announced at the annual NSCAA Awards Banquet, which will be held Friday evening, January 15, in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia as part of the 2010 NSCAA Convention.