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 national title.
Ayers is the College’s first full-time head coach and completed his sixth season in 2007-2008. Coach Ayers has led the Yellow Jacket women to four straight seasons of 10 or more victories, including an 11-6-3 record in 2007. His 2005 team also advanced to the OAC Championship Game and his 2007 squad advanced to the OAC tourney. In his six seasons, Ayers' women's teams have compiled a 60-46-12 record. Combined with his B-W men's record of 67-40-9, he has already won 127 games (21.2 per season).
But that is just a part of the story why the B-W program is on the right track toward even more success. His team has earned recognition five consecutive years for Team Academic Achievement and was award the Team Ethics Award of Merit by the NSCAA in 2006 and again in 2007.
"We have built a foundation that emphasises development not only individually, but collectively," said Ayers. "This focus creates an atmosphere that translates to success both on and off the soccer field."
Ayers holds his National “A” License from the United States Soccer Federation. He is a member of the Region II Olympic Development Staff, where he assesses and trains the elite players from 13 different states. In the summer of 2007, Ayers was named as the U17 Region II Head Coach. In addition, is a member of the Ohio Youth Soccer Association North State Coaching Staff. At OYSAN, he is an age group coach in the Olympic Development Program, a state coaching license instructor and directs a state sponsored Center of Excellence.
Prior to coming 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, Ayers was team captain his junior and senior seasons and earned Most Valuable Player honors his senior year. 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.
To contact Reoid 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
Assistant Coach, Kurt Krueger |
Kurt Krueger is in his sixth season as the Head Assistant Soccer and Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at Baldwin-Wallace College in 2007-2008. Krueger has be instrumental in helping Yellow Jacket Head Coach 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.
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.
Krueger serves as an age group head coach for the Everest Soccer Club, where he has been since 1998. His teams have had many successes, most recently finishing as a semi- finalist in the U16 Boy’s State Cup this past spring. 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 an USSF “A” license as well as an NSCAA “Advanced” license.
Krueger and his wife, Julie, and their son, Cameron, 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.
While at Bay Village (Bay) High School, he 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.
This page was last updated by the SID on December 7, 2007.
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