Westminster College (PA)

Westminster College Department of Athletics
319 S. Market St. New Wilmington, PA 16172

Division 3 Pennsylvania Northeast

Private Small National competitor

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Coaches

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Girish Thakar

Having coached the Westminster College men’s and women’s soccer teams concurrently since 2002 and the men’s team since 1998, Girish Thakar has won a combined 532 games and 11 conference championships, while making 25 postseason appearances. Thakar enters his 26th season with the men and 22nd with the women in 2024 for an impressive, combined record of 531-334-87 (.603).

Coach Thakar’s Profile:

PAC Champions: 11

M: 2002, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2018

W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2022

NCAA Tournament: 11

M: 2002, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2018

W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2022

ECAC Championship: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017

National All-Americans: 5

Regional All-Americans: 46

All-Conference Selections: 215

Academic All-American Selections: 7

Academic All-District Selections: 47

Thakar took the reins of the Westminster women’s program on an interim basis in 2002, then was named permanent head coach prior to the 2003 season. During the past 21 seasons, the Titan women are a combined 278-128-42 (.667) with six PAC championships and four-straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2002-05.

Thakar’s 25-year record as Westminster’s men’s coach is 253-206-45 (.547), including a team-record 17-6 mark in 2008 after the Titans won the PAC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In 2015, the Titans won their fourth PAC title; Westminster advanced to the finals after upsetting the No. 2 nationally ranked Thomas More College in the Semifinals. Westminster qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time, however, lost to No. 1/5 Kenyon College in the first round. In 2018, the Titans won their fifth PAC Championship with a 1-0 victory over Grove City College, advancing to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time.

Since Thakar took over both teams, Westminster has qualified for the NCAA Championships 11 times, including five for the men (2002, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2018) and six for the women (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2022). In addition, the 11 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) titles the Titans have collected includes five for the men (2002, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2018) and five for the women (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2022). Thakar was named PAC Coach of the Year six times, three for women’s soccer (2002, 2005, 2006) and three for men’s (2008, 2015, 2018).

Both teams won the PAC title in the same year in 2002 and 2006, with the latter considered Thakar’s finest year of coaching as both teams won the league crowns as underdogs and qualified for the postseason in the ECAC Division III South Championships.

Prior to coaching at Westminster, Thakar was the head men’s coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, from 1993-96, after graduating from SRU in 1991 and later earning a master’s degree from the school. As a player at Slippery Rock, Thakar was a four-year starter who earned All-PSAC honors.

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Regis Kimwanga

Regis Kimwanga enters his fourth season as an assistant coach for the women's soccer team in 2021.

Kimwanga played four years at Pontifical University of Urbaniana in Rome, Italy from 2002-2006. From there, he was a coach and player for after school at risk groups at the Diocese of Brescia, Italy from 2006-2011.

Kimwanga has taught French, catechism and social studies for 24 years in multiple countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Italy and Pennsylvania. Kimwanga is currently a teacher for the Lawrence County Schools. Kimwanga graduated with a bachelor of science degree in philosophy from Saint Augustine University in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a bachelor of science degree in theology from Episcopal Diocesan Seminary in Brescia, Italy. Kimwanga also obtained a masters of science degree in philosophy at Urbaniana Pontifical University in Rome, Italy.

Kimwanga currently resides in New Castle, Pa.

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Jerry Hare

Jerry Hare enters his eighth year as an assistant coach for the Titans in 2024. Hare brings more than 33 years of coaching experience with specialty in goalkeeping to the men’s and women’s soccer programs.

In 2018, he was part of the Westminster coaching staff that helped guide the men’s soccer team to a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Hare was also a part the women’s soccer coaching staff that helped direct the team to a PAC Championship runner-up finish and an appearance to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament and again in 2021, in which he helped Camille Holzschuh rank first in the PAC in goals-against average (0.55) and broke the program record for career shutouts with 25. The Titans only conceded one goal against conference foes in the regular season. In 2022, Hare helped Morgan Murphy to a successful season, which she started all 20 matches for Westminster, going 14-4-2 while posting a league-low .697 goals-against average. Murphy totaled 90 saves and owned a .874 save percentage, which ranked 24th in Division III. In 10 regular season conference starts she went 9-1 with a 0.44 goals-against average. She led the conference with seven shutouts last fall, including four in league play. She was named as the PAC Newcomer of the Year award and the championship tournament's Most Outstanding Player following Westminster's 2-0 shutout of Franciscan in the title match, in which she made 12 saves against Franciscan after recording seven saves and stopping three shootout attempts during the 1-1 semifinal draw with Chatham. Since 2017 at Westminster, his men’s goalkeepers have a combined goals-against average of 1.12 and a combined GAA of 0.86 for the women’s goalkeepers.

Hare is the Founder and Director of the Hare Goalkeeper Academy, which provides year-round education and training to young goalkeepers, ages 7-22 in western Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.

Hare is also the Head Soccer Coach for Shady Side Academy Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Coed Soccer and spent the past 25 years as varsity assistant soccer coach at Shady Side Academy (SSA), primarily working with the boys and girls goalkeepers. He helped lead the Girls Varsity team to the WPIAL Class A Championship victories in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and finished as a runner-up in the PIAA State Championship game in 2016 and 2019. His girls team won the 2017 PIAA State Class A Championship for the first time in school history. He helped lead the boys to the WPIAL Class A and AA Finals in 2002, 2006, 2008, 2016 and 2020 and won the WPIAL Championship in 2017 and 2018. His boys finished in third place in 2019 and 2023 WPIAL Class AA consolation game.

In 1990 as a volunteer goalkeeper coach, he helped lead Hampton High School Boys Soccer to the WPIAL and PIAA Class AA Championship victories. During his twenty-two years at SSA, his boys goalkeepers have a combined goals-against average of 0.79 and a combined GAA of 1.12 for the girls goalkeepers.

His personal philosophy is to build a motivating and positive environment for growth and development through dedication, hard work, and teamwork. Hare holds national and regional coaching diplomas from the National Soccer Coaches Association. He is a certified CPR Trainer and Sport Safety Trainer from American Red Cross.

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Chance Hendricks

Chance Hendricks joined 22nd-year head coach Girish Thakar’s women's soccer staff as a graduate assistant in August 2024.

Hendricks will pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) during her time at Westminster.

“We are excited to add Chance to our staff here at Westminster,” said Thakar. “Chance competed in a very good Division I conference in the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and played with a high-level club program in high school, so we're expecting her to bring a variety of diverse experiences and terrific energy to the program. She was a smart and versatile player throughout her career and we're hoping she'll help develop those things in our players during her time here."

Hendricks earned a bachelor’s degree from Marist College in May. A marketing major, she was a three-year letter winner and starter at both midfield and defender. Hendricks played in 32 career matches and made 27 career starts. As a senior she started 15 of the Red Foxes' 16 matches. She was a part of Marist's Ladies Empowering Athletics Program (LEAP), a female leadership program that exposes female student-athletes to opportunities that will enhance personal growth, professional development and empowerment.

Most recently Hendricks worked as a private soccer trainer, providing personalized, one-on-one instruction while identifying strengths, weaknesses and developmental needs while helping her players enjoy the sport more. She has focused on developing younger players who've struggled with confidence through positive reinforcement, motivation and focusing on themselves. Hendricks also has experience working as a coach and counselor with the Sea Isle (N.J.) Recreation Department.

A native of Dublin, Pa., Hendricks was a four-year varsity letter winner at Pennridge High School and helped the Rams secure four-straight Suburban One League Continental Conference titles and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) District AAAA championship in 2019. She was a First Team All-Continental Conference selection and First Team Reporter/Montgomery/Times Herald choice as a senior. Pennridge advanced to the PIAA 4A title match in 2018 and was a state semifinalist in 2019. Hendricks also played five seasons with FC Bucks in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), founded in 2009 to showcase an exclusive selection of the top 62 girls clubs from around the country.

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Ryan Francis

Ryan Francis enters his seventh year as an assistant coach for the men’s soccer team for the 2021 season.

Francis, who was a two-time All-PAC honoree for the Titans, was the anchor of the Titan defense as a player. During his senior year, the Titan defense was fourth in the PAC with a 1.38 goals against average and tied for fourth in shutouts with four.

Francis, who graduated from Westminster in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, is currently working on his master's degree at Westminster.

A native of Harwick, Pa., Francis resides in New Wilmington.