Reid Ayers is the winningest men's soccer coach in the history of Baldwin-Wallace College. Coach Ayers and his outstanding coaching staff have worked hard to develop the Yellow Jacket program into one of the best in the prestigious Ohio Athletic Conference. His long-term goal is to lead the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA Division III National title.
To contact Reid Ayers, please call him at 440-826-3839 or e-mail him at rayers@bw.edu.
All-Time B-W Soccer Coaching Records in PDF
Coach Ayers is the College’s first full-time head coach and completed his seventh season in 2008-2009. He has a 79-46-10 career coaching mark. He led his team to a school-record 14 victories in both 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, 13 wins in 2006-2007 and 12 in 2008-2009. He has led his team to a spot in the OAC Tournament in three of the last five years.
This season, Ayers led his team to its highest-ever ranking by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) when it was tabbed as high as seventh nationally in Division III. His team finished with a solid, 12-6-1 overall record. In 2006-2007, Ayers' team was ranked as high as 10th by the NSCAA.
“Our long-term goals are to win OAC regular season and OAC Tournament titles, earn the OAC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament and win a national title,” said Ayers. “We look forward to working toward achieving our goals.”
But that is just a part of the reason why the B-W program is on the right track toward even more success. Ayers’ team has earned recognition four consecutive years for Team Academic Achievement and was awarded the Team Ethics Award of Merit by the NSCAA in 2006.
“We want each student-athlete to develop both as a student and athlete to the best of his ability,” said Ayers. “We want strong students who seek to excel academically and yearn to compete athletically in a very strong Division III conference and against top-flight non-league competition. We want soccer to be goal-oriented, competitive and rewarding.”
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, he was team captain his junior and senior seasons and earned Most Valuable Player honors as a senior. 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.
Ayers and his wife, Lisa, reside in Canton.
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Kurt Krueger completed his seventh season as the Head Assistant Soccer and Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at Baldwin-Wallace College in 2008-2009. Krueger has been instrumental in helping 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.
To contact Kurt Krueger, please call him at 440-826-3824 or e-mail him at kkrueger@bw.edu.
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.
On the club front, Krueger served as an age group head coach for the Everest Soccer Club for eight years. His teams had many successes, including finishing as a semi- finalist in the U16 OYSAN Boy’s State Cup. 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 a USSF “A” license as well as an NSCAA “Premier” license.
Krueger and his wife, Julie, and their children, Cameron and Kendall, 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.
To contact Jim Wojtkun, please call him at 440-826-3824 or e-mail him at jwojtkun@bw.edu.
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. He and his wife, Sue, reside in North Olmsted.
ASSISTANT COACH LOUIE ROLKO
Louie Rolko is in his second season as an assistant coach. He returns each fall after completing the season playing in the USL First Division for the Charleston (S.C.) Battery. While at B-W, Coach Rolko was a three-time first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference student-athlete and a two-time OAC Midfielder of the Year. A photograph and more information on Coach Rolko will follow at a later date.
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