The Dakota Wesleyan University men's soccer team has a new head coach, it was announced Tuesday afternoon.
Jeremy Tosaya officially took over the program, which was without a permanent head coach the entire 2008 season after former head coach Kevin Farley resigned several weeks before the season started.
Tosaya comes to Dakota Wesleyan from Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas, where he was both the men's and women's head coach for the past three seasons. Tosaya also spent a season as the men's head coach at Briar Cliff University and was the assistant women's coach at Wayne State College -- his alma mater -- in Wayne, Neb., for three seasons.
Tosaya said Tuesday that the chance to be closer to home, as well as the potential at Dakota Wesleyan, drew him to the head coaching position.
"My wife and I are originally from the Midwest, so we were looking for something that could take us closer to family," he said. "DWU has a lot of potential to be a great program; it could be the best men's program in the state."
ADVERTISEMENT
While in Texas, Tosaya started the women's soccer program from scratch and coached the men's program to its first Red River Athletic Conference tournament appearance in five seasons. Tosaya said that building the DWU program, which enters its fifth year of existence this fall, will be a task that is familiar to him.
"That's kind of been my history in coaching has been building programs," he said. "At Briar Cliff I took over rebuilding there, and (in Texas) I not only started the women's program, but also built up the men's program, and I think that experience helps."
Tosaya coached six All-RRAC selections, 11 NCCAA All-Central Region athletes and 17 NAIA scholar-athletes while in Texas.
In his one year at Briar Cliff, Tosaya had a pair of NAIA scholar athletes and he coached three players to All-GPAC honors.
"Jeremy Tosaya will be an excellent fit at Dakota Wesleyan," said DWU Provost and Executive Vice President Amy Novak in a press release Tuesday. "His previous coaching experience in the NAIA and the GPAC as well as his excellent recruiting background and connections throughout the region will continue to strengthen the DWU soccer program."
Tosaya takes over a Tiger team that finished 5-9-1 overall and 3-8-1 in the GPAC in 2008. The Tigers tied for the final spot in the GPAC postseason tournament, but didn't hold the tiebreaker. DWU lost only two seniors to graduation. Tosaya, who takes over for Kyle Cathey -- the interim head coach for the 2008 season -- said he hopes DWU takes the next big step under his leadership.
"Offseason we're going to go at it pretty hard," Tosaya said. "I think the guys are ready to make the jump from being an OK program to actually being a program that's taken seriously. Last year they were a game away from the conference tournament, so I think definitely next year qualifying will be a big foal for us."
