Richard Bland College of William & Mary has named Damien Westfield as its new Head Men's Soccer Coach. He succeeds former head coach Eduardo de Souza, who left for an assistant coaching position at NCAA Division I George Mason University. Westfield has been a Volunteer Assistant Men's Soccer Coach and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Young Harris College in Georgia since 2015.
"I would like to thank President Sydow, Provost LaTessa and the search committee for providing me with this incredible opportunity to lead the young men of Richard Bland's soccer team," said Westfield. "I also would like to say thank you to YHC's Head Men's Soccer Coach Mark McKeever for giving me the opportunity to join his coaching staff and to contribute in building a successful men's soccer program both on and off the soccer field. I am excited, honoured and looking forward to building a winning culture at RBC where these young men will be winners athletically, academically and within our community."
At Young Harris, Westfield was involved in training sessions, team travel, fundraising, recruiting, academic monitoring, game management, video analysis, camps, organizing team equipment and opponent scouting. In three seasons at YHC (42-14-3), he was part of a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) regular season championship, two PBC tournament championships, an NCAA Division II Southeast Region championship, a Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight appearance.
Before joining the team at YHC, Westfield served as the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Truett McConnell University in Georgia from 2012-15. After inheriting a team that finished the 2011 season with a 1-16-1 overall record, he led his team to a 4-10-2 finish in his first year. In his second year, his team finished the season with a 9-7-2 overall record for a plus-five-win improvement. That same year, the team finished its conference season third on the table with a 5-3-1 record and a 3-1-1 home record. In his third and final year, his team concluded its season with an 8-11 record. In three seasons at Truett, he had a 21-28-4 overall record, coached five AAC-All Academic Team members, two AAC-All Conference Team players and two SSAC-All Newcomer Team selections.
Damien played NCAA Division I men's soccer at Creighton University in Nebraska from 2002-04. At Creighton, he was a two-year starter as a forward/midfielder and was selected to the 2002 Midwest Region Newcomer Team. In that year, he was instrumental in helping the team to a Missouri Valley Conference Championship, as well as scoring the winning goal to help the program to the NCAA Division I College Cup Final Four. In his second season, the team captured the Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season and made an appearance in the NCAA College Cup Quarterfinals.
Before arriving at Creighton, Westfield attended Young Harris (2000-02), where his accomplishments included: First Team All-Region, Region 17 Most Valuable Player and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) First Team All-American. He also led the nation in scoring (38 goals) during his sophomore year, and he still holds the Young Harris record of 68 career goals scored in his two years. He has been inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame (2012) and the YHC Hall of Fame (2014).
Internationally, Westfield captained the Trinidad & Tobago Youth National U-17 Team and played on the U-20 team in tournaments throughout the Caribbean & North America.
Damien is a native of Trinidad & Tobago and earned his Doctorate in Leadership Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2010), his Master's Degree in Communications Studies from Bellevue University (2007) and his Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Communication from Creighton University (2004). He holds a United Soccer Coaches – Premier Diploma, Advanced Diploma and National Diploma.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DAMIEN WESTFIELD
"I have had the pleasure of working with Damien for the last two years at Young Harris College, where we have won the conference and conference tournament and been ranked in the top 10 nationally in NCAA DII both years. During these years, Damien has added a new dimension to the program athletically and academically. Having a top professor with a PhD allowed us the opportunity to create a fantastic balance for our student athletes. Now our team has the highest GPA of all Men's Soccer programs in the Peach Belt Conference. Furthermore, we had an influx of 17 new players this season (2016-17) and Damien's expertise in Leadership allowed many of these players an accelerated understanding of expectations required to succeed at the highest level. Damien's experience in many divisions (NJCAA player, NCAA D1 player, NAIA Head Coach and NCAA DII Assistant) as a player and a coach is going to be a valuable asset to any program that acquires his professional services. I feel very fortunate to call this wonderful man, not only a work colleague, but also a true friend that I trust sincerely."
-- Mark McKeever, Head Men's Soccer Coach, Young Harris College
"Coach Westfield has built a reputation among those in our profession as someone who brings quality experience as both a stand-out player and high-level coach to any program he is associated with. His integrity, work ethic and strong character have been foundational in his approach to the advancement of programs he has been charged with developing. His commitment to excellence is clearly combined with a genuine interest in the holistic development of his student-athletes which includes their pursuit of their full potential on the field, in the classroom and in the community."
-- Joey Johnson, Head Men's Soccer Coach, Reinhardt University
"I have had the privilege of knowing Coach Westfield for many years and played against his teams during my time as a head coach at Southern Wesleyan University. His teams have always showed a great amount of character and hard work which clearly represents him as a coach. On top of that, they were always very competitive despite the limitations he had to work with. What makes Coach Westfield different than most coaches is that he always cared for his players beyond the field and that was evident in his relationship with them. No matter what the result or the situation, his character never changed and I will always respect that from him."
-- Camilo A. Rodriguez, Assistant Coach/Goalkeeper Coach, Clemson University
"Coach Damien Westfield and I have known each other for the last seven years. Coach Westfield is a man of character! A coach who holds his student-athletes accountable and responsible for their actions while representing one's university. Coach Westfield has a very good understanding of the game, both tactically and technically, with experiences as a head coach and as an assistant coach at both the NCAA and NAIA level. Over the years he has gained the experience of coaching at high levels of the NCAA, while assisting with the powerhouse team Young Harris. I truly believe in Coach Westfield and his ability as a coach. His work ethic, professionalism, and loyalty allows for him to be the man and coach he is today."
-- Patrice Parris, Head Men's Soccer Coach, University of North Georgia
SOURCE: rbcathletics.com