BETHANY - Washington & Jefferson College assistant Sean Regan has been selected as the new head men's soccer coach at Bethany College, according to Tim Weaver, director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation.
Regan was selected from a field of more than 80 coaches nationwide, Weaver said.
"We're delighted to welcome Coach Regan to Bethany and have every confidence that he will return the program to conference and regional prominence," added Scott D. Miller, president of the college. "His reputation as a strong recruiter, his energy, and his can-do winning attitude will be an asset to the athletic program and college."
Weaver echoed Miller's comments. "Regan has a strong background as a player and coach at the NCAA Division II and III levels, as well as coming from a well-known soccer family in the region. He was raised in a soccer family which has tremendous knowledge and passion for the game. He has family ties to Bethany and good experience at Wheeling Jesuit and Washington & Jefferson in terms of coaching and recruiting in the area. We are excited to have Sean on board."
Regan, who owns coaching badges from the Irish Football Association and United States Soccer Association, comes to Bethany after serving as an assistant for three seasons at PAC-rival Washington & Jefferson. During that time, the Presidents compiled a 28-22-11 overall record, including an 11-2-5 mark in the PAC. In 2007, Regan's second year with the program, W&J finished 12-6-3 and won its first conference championship, which also earned the first NCAA tournament berth for the team. This past fall, the Presidents reached the PAC Tournament championship match for a second consecutive year and although they fell to Westminster, W&J still earned an invitation to the ECAC South Region Tournament.
A 2005 graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University, Regan helped the Cardinals claim two WVIAC regular season titles (2001, 2003) and one conference tournament championship (2003) as a player. He was a member of the first two Cardinal teams to be ranked in the top 25 nationally, which included a No. 15 ranking in 2003. Individually, Regan was a two-time WVIAC Player of the Week and All-Conference selection, as well as an NSCAA Division 2 Regional All-American in 2005.
The Regan name is a familiar one in Bison soccer history. His father, Jim, who coached Sean at Wheeling Jesuit, was inducted into the Bethany Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 for his achievements on the soccer field. The elder Regan was a two-time first team All-PAC selection and helped guide BC to four conference titles during his playing career. He just completed his 25th year as the head coach at Wheeling Jesuit, a career that has seen him earn more than 280 victories. The chance to take over the program where his dad played was what interested Sean in the Bethany position.
"It has always been a dream of mine to be a head coach," said Regan. "Most people dream of playing professionally, but when I was little, I never missed one of my dad's games and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Now to be the head coach at Bethany where he played and run the program that John Cunningham, who was like a second grandfather to me, started, is a dream come true."
Regan takes the reins as the third coach in the history of the Bethany men's soccer program. He follows Cunningham, who guided the Bison through the first 33 years and posted a record of 370-123-28, and Kosmas Mouratidis, who stepped down as coach in November after recording 75 victories in eight seasons as the head coach.
"Although Regan didn't play at Bethany, because of his dad and with Sean being involved with Bethany soccer camps for the past 18 years, he already feels like a part of the program that he now has a chance to lead.
"Even though I'm not an alum, a have a close connection with the college itself," said Regan.
"I've made a lot of friends through Bethany soccer and because of their reputation, as I was growing up in Wheeling, I would always check their scores when I had a chance. With a national title and so many conference championships, Bethany is a winning program and I am very thankful for this opportunity."
