Coaches

Kevin Wilhelm

The 2023 season marked Kevin Wilhelm’s sixth year in charge of the Slippery Rock University men’s soccer program after being named the official head coach of the program in December 2018.


CAREER AT A GLANCE

• Enters 2024 with a 30-48-12 career record at SRU.

• Led the program to the PSAC Tournament during the 2019 season for the first time since 2015.

• Has developed 16 All-PSAC West honorees, seven CSC Academic All-District, one All-Region selection and two All-American selections in Mo Kanani (2021-22) and Kenton Keeslar (2018-19).


SEASON-BY-SEASON BREAK

2023

• Ended the season at 5-8-4 overall with a 4-6 mark in the PSAC West, falling just one position shy of the PSAC Tournament.

• Enjoyed its second three-game winning streak in as many seasons.

• Aitor Jorde was named to D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Team, marking Slippery Rock's first all-region accolades since 2016.

• Four selected to All-PSAC West Team for the first time since 2019. Jorde, Lonjard and Pla Hernandis were selected for first-team All-PSAC West honors while Van Der Veen was named to the All-PSAC West second team.

• Five honored on CSC Academic All-District Team including Garcia, Gildea, Harrigan, Jorde and Van Der Veen. The group marked the largest showing from Slippery Rock in program history.


2022

• Wrapped up the season at 5-10-2 overall, 3-6-1 in PSAC West competition.

• The Rock saw three players earn second-team All-PSAC West accolades for the first time in their careers: Hossam Aly, Ryan John, and Arturo Pla Hernandis.

• Ramses Minaya and Alex Plimmer given CSC Academic First Team All-District honors.


2021

• Finished the season with a 6-10-2 overall record and 3-7 mark in the PSAC West.

• Produced five All-PSAC West honorees including Alejandro Fernandez (first team), Anthony Gagliardi II (first team), Mo Kanani (second team), Brian McCarthy (second team) and Dan Schearer (second team).

• Mo Kanani was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.


2020

• Season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2019

• The 2019 season was a year of growth as The Rock finished the season with an 8-9-2 record.

• The eight wins were the most for SRU since the 2015 season and secured the first trip to the PSAC Tournament since 2015 as well.

• Wilhelm coached four All-PSAC West selections in Abdallah Bangura (first team), Dan Schearer (first team), Alejandro Fernandez (first team) and Mo Kanani (second team).

• Slippery Rock’s offense scored its most goals since 2015 with 28 scores.

• The Rock’s defense served as one of the top units in the PSAC, ranking second in shutouts (8), fourth in opponents scoring average (1.26 goals per game) and tied for fourth in goals allowed with 24.


2018

• Concluded the year with a 6-10-2 overall record and 4-6-1 mark in the conference, narrowly missing a PSAC Tournament berth.

• Prior to the 2018 season, SRU had combined for 10 wins in two years and had registered no more than five wins in both those seasons.


THE ROCK IN THE CLASSROOM

• Academically SRU has had two student-athletes earn CoSIDA All-American recognition under coach Wilhelm in Mo Kanani (2021-22) and Kenton Keeslar (2018-19).

• Slippery Rock has also produced 68 PSAC Scholar-Athletes since Wilhelm became head coach.

• As a team, SRU compiled the top GPA in the PSAC in Wilhelm’s first year leading the program.

• Additionally, The Rock posted an 11-year best team GPA of 3.444 in 2021-22.


COACHING TIMELINE

• 2002-03: Slippery Rock (assistant coach)

• 2004-07: Thiel (head coach men’s/women’s)

• 2006-16: Northern Steel Select Soccer Club (director of coaching)

• 2007-09: Slippery Rock (assistant coach)

• 2018-Present: Slippery Rock (head coach)


CAREER PATH

• Wilhelm served as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock under Matt Thompson for a total of five seasons over two stretches from 2002-03 and 2007-09.

• During Wilhelm's last stint at The Rock, he helped guide SRU to a 41-19-4 (.672) record that was capped off with a PSAC championship in 2009.

• Between his two terms at The Rock, Wilhelm was the head men and women's soccer coach at Division III Thiel College from 2004-06.

• Wilhelm was the Director of Coaching "Boys" for the Northern Steel Select Soccer Club in Pittsburgh from 2006-2016.

• Over the years, he oversaw the expansion of the club from 17 to 32 teams. Under his guidance, the teams won state championships in US Club Soccer and United States Youth Soccer Association. His teams have also garnered US Club Soccer regional titles as well as appearances in national championship matches.


PLAYING CAREER

• Wilhelm's familiarity with Slippery Rock is not only through coaching, but also as a player in 1994-95.

• A transfer from Gannon University, he helped lead SRU to a Western Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Soccer Conference title in 1994 followed by earning All-WPISC honors in 1995 under head coach Girish Thakar.


PERSONAL

• Wilhelm resides in Slippery Rock with his wife Amanda and daughter Keira.

• Earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sport Management from Slippery Rock in 1998 and 2005 respectively.

• Holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Diploma.