UNIVERSITY CENTER - Saginaw Valley State University Director of Athletics Mike Watson announced Friday (Apr. 10) that Andy Wagstaff has been hired as the seventh head coach in the history of the SVSU Men's Soccer program.
"I would like to thank Mike Watson, Associate A.D. Angela Pohl and the Search Committee for their support throughout this process, as I am extremely honored to be named the Head Coach of the Saginaw Valley State University Men's Soccer team," said Wagstaff. "The program is an NCAA Division II powerhouse with a rich tradition of success. I intend to build upon that success and continue its tradition of winning championships."
"It is with great pleasure that I announce Andy Wagstaff as our new Men's Soccer Head Coach," stated Watson. "We are confident that Andy will continue leading this program to new heights on the field of play while maintaining the strong academic performance of our student-athletes in the classroom."
The performance of his new team academically did not pass Wagstaff by, either, as he takes over the program that had the highest GPA (3.093) for male teams in a department that has posted over a 3.0 GPA as a whole for the past seven semesters.
"I am excited to work for a highly-respected Athletic Department that prides itself on winning in competition as well as in the classroom," stated Wagstaff. "SVSU has a fantastic reputation and arguably some of the finest facilities in the country. I strongly believe in the 'holistic' development of student-athletes and I have no doubt that this University provides the perfect environment to do so."
The Cardinals had another banner year in 2014, advancing to the program's second NCAA Round of 16 match for the second time in three years. SVSU advanced in the national tournament after posting a 5-2 victory over Northwood University in the Second Round. Saginaw Valley started the season with a record 12-game unbeaten streak, going 10-0-2 to open the campaign.
Wagstaff joins Saginaw Valley State after spending three seasons (2012-14) as an assistant coach at Division I Oakland University. Over that span, he helped the Golden Grizzlies to a pair of regular season championships. In 2014, Oakland won both the Horizon League regular season and tournament championships, going on to defeat Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA Championships. It was just the second time the Golden Grizzlies advanced to the second round of the College Cup, as Oakland finished the season receiving votes in the final NSCAA/Continental Tire Division I Postseason Rankings.
While at Oakland, Wagstaff led all daily team training sessions and was responsible for scouting all opponents. He was also tasked with spearheading the program's international recruiting efforts and alumni relations with former men's soccer student-athletes.
Prior to his time at Oakland, Andy spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan.
Wagstaff has been an assistant for the Michigan Bucks of the Professional Development League and the Oakland University women's soccer team as well. Prior to coaching in the United States, he served as an Academy Coach for Bolton Wanderers FC from 1998-99 and Liverpool FC Academy between 1999-2002.
Andy has the USSF A coaching license, the UEFA B license and is currently pending for the UEFA A license. He also currently works as a scout for U.S. Soccer.
Click here for complete Andy Wagstaff bio
@SVSUsoccer #svsumsoc