The University of Akron Athletics
athletics emails tom 2012 13 august 29 2012
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THE FUTURE OF OUR MEN’S SOCCER PROGRAM
It is with mixed feelings that I share the official news that this will be Caleb Porter’s final season as the head coach of our Men’s Soccer program.
What Caleb has done for Akron Soccer has been nothing short of remarkable – earning our school’s first team national championship, making two College Cup appearances, guiding two Hermann Trophy winners, producing 15 players who moved on to Major League Soccer, setting an NCAA record with 48 consecutive undefeated home matches, fundraising for and attracting record-setting crowds to an unparalleled venue in FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field, and more – all while recruiting and graduating true student-athletes who consistently averaged a team GPA around 3.5. There is no question that we have a better program because of him. For seven years, Caleb has completely invested himself in our program, school and community. Please join me in extending our appreciation to him for all that he has done.
Still, Caleb has other aspirations, and coaching professionally is one of them. As you would expect, he has been highly sought-after for many years, so it was a matter of him finding the right fit. Caleb has been very candid with me throughout this process, and while as our Director of Athletics I certainly would prefer he stay in Akron, on a personal level I am happy for him because this is what he wants. He will achieve one of his personal goals when he takes over as head coach of Portland’s MLS franchise after our season concludes, and I know there will be many new Timber fans in Akron. As you would imagine, this was not an easy decision for him.
While Caleb will coach the rest of this season – which I believe to be in the best interests of our student-athletes – we will begin a national search to find the next coach of the Zips.
Out of respect for our team, Caleb said he will not be commenting publicly about his new position until after the season. I’m sure when the time is right, he will want to connect with this group in particular to thank you for helping him build our men’s soccer program into the nation’s finest. I, too, would like to offer my thanks for your unbelievable support. Akron Soccer has a bright future, and I hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am.
BOWDEN BALL KICKS OFF TOMORROW NIGHT!
The buzz has been building on campus all week and will peak at 7 p.m. tomorrow at InfoCision Stadium when Terry Bowden leads our Football team out of the North End Zone building and onto Summa Field to face the UCF Knights.
We are expecting a big crowd, especially from our students, who will get ready by enjoying some great activities tomorrow thanks to Student Life as part of UA Pride Day. We also want everyone on campus to wear blue and gold all day, and especially to the game.
If you don’t have tickets, it’s not too late … call 888-99-AKRON or visit ZipsTickets.com. For any questions about the game, visit our Football Gameday Central page.
Because it is a weeknight, please arrive early because parking may take longer than usual since there are classes in session leading up to and during the game. Parking Services has been very proactive in putting together this plan.
Also, this will be the first football game with alcohol sold in the main seating bowl, so here is our Alcohol Operations Plan.
We’ll also be busy on Twitter and Facebook because it’s Social Media Night, so tweet us with our #ZipsGameday hashtag. You can starting earning points in our ROOWards program.
And if you’re looking for a pre-game networking event for young professionals, we have you covered with Hoppy Hour.
Finally, while you likely already are pumped up for the game, here’s the video we’ll show on ZipsVision just before the team runs out of the locker room … it’s time to BELIEVE!
VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
Please cheer on our Volleyball team at Rhodes Arena this weekend for the Akron Invitational, which will start at 7 p.m. Friday vs. Quinnipiac and continue on Saturday with a 5 p.m. match against Montana State. We’ll also host the Zips Invitational next weekend, with three more home matches scheduled.
ZIPS CLIPS AND CONGRATS …
… Our Cross Country teams celebrated the completion of the Towpath Trail by working in teams to run all 41 miles …
… Welcome to the Softball staff, Jay Murphy and Scott Scalf!
… Mike Bianchi from the Orlando Sentinel chimes in on how well Terry’s Bowden-isms have been received in the Midwest …
… Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal profiles senior goalkeeper David Meves and cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley …
… Find out more about our Football depth chart with our Two-a-Days videos, broken up by position with each assistant describing their players …
ASK THE AD
As always, if you have a question or want to comment about Zips Athletics, click here now or at any time on the “Ask the AD” button on the home page of GoZips.com.
Go Zips!
Tom Wistrcill
Director of Athletics
