Rich Posipanko enters his 27th year at Winthrop and 37th season as a head coach for his career in 2015
For the past twenty-six seasons, the Eagles have averaged over 10 wins per season in the toughest region in the Nation. The Eagles were 15-7-1 in 2002 that led to a regular season and tournament Big South championship and NCAA College Cup South Region appearance. In 2005, the Eagles finished 12-8-1 and finished as the Big South Runner-Up for the third time under Posipanko and fifth time overall. In 2006 the Eagles once again claimed the Big South regular season and tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA College Cup South Atlantic Regional with a 15-3-4 record. In 2008 the Eagles were again Big South Regular Season and Tournament Champions with a record of 15-6-1.
Posipanko was also selected Big South Coach of the Year for the third time and led his team back to the NCAA College Cup in 2008. In 2009 the Eagles again were Big South Champions and made it back to the NCAA College Cup with an 11-6-4 record. In 2012, the Eagles once again won the Big South Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA College Cup with a record of 12-8-2. They also finished the 2012 season ranked in all three polls. The Eagles have also been successful in the classroom as well, receiving the NSCAA Academic Award seven out of the past eight years for receiving a 3.0 Team GPA or better.
The Levittown, Pennsylvania, native will look to mold a group of veterans and talented newcomers into a solid team this year which hopefully will make a run at the conference championship and a trip back to the NCAA College Cup. The 1991, 2006 & 2008 Big South Conference Coach of the Year has compiled a career record of 381-263-57 and has a Winthrop mark of 264-214-35. Posipanko is currently ranked 7th among NCAA Division I active coaches in total victories. He is also ranked 21st on the All-Time list for victories. In 2002 he became the winningest coach in Winthrop history with his 134th win. Posipanko is also the winningest coach in Longwood University history with 117 wins and is the All-Time winningest coach in Big South Conference history with 263 total victories. During the 2007 season Posipanko reached the 300 career win mark and joined an elite group of only 52 coaches in NCAA history (all divisions) and 25 coaches at the Div. I level to reach this plateau.
Before coming to Winthrop, Posipanko spent 10 successful years as head coach of Longwood University in Virginia where he compiled a record of 117-49-21. During his last seven years at “The Wood”, Posipanko guided his squads to the NCAA Division II top 20 ranking and also developed seven All-Americans.
Posipanko better known as “Gaffer” by his players and peers has had a long list of successes through his years of coaching. Prior to his position at Longwood, Posipanko served as the assistant coach at College of New Jersey (formally known as Trenton State College) for three years. He also coached the Virginia State Team in the Olympic Development Program from 1986-1989. While at Longwood, Posipanko was honored three times — 1982, 1984, and 1986 — as the Virginia Coach of the Year and in 1982 and 1984 he was tabbed Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year.
In addition to his college coaching experience, Posipanko coached professionally serving as assistant coach of the Houston Dynamos in the United States Soccer League in 1985.
Posipanko is dedicated to soccer and spends much of his free time trying to improve the college game and give back to the local community with many summer soccer camps and clinics. He has served on numerous committees including the NCAA Academic All-American Selection Committee; chair of the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America South Rating Board; chair of the NCAA Soccer Selection Committee for the south region; President of the Virginia Intercollegiate Soccer Association; and President of the Big South Conference Soccer Coaches.
Posipanko has helped raise over $205,000 for Cancer Research over the past six years through his annual Kicks Against Cancer Game, Champions Night and now a new group he is associated with called The Carolinas Kickin It Challenge.
http://www.birdnest.org/posipankor/Cancer%20Game%20Info%20Sponsor.htmHe is also very active on the fundraising front. He has raised over $250,000 over the years for the soccer program including many of the upgrades to Eagle Field, enhanced scholarship funding and helped increase the operational budget. He also started the Manchester Cup each spring which has become one of the top college showcases in the nation drawing huge crowds.
http://www.birdnest.org/posipankor/MANCHESTER%20CUP%20WEB%20PAGE.htmDuring his 36 years as a collegiate head coach he’s had 156 All-Conference players, 64 All-Region selections, 14 All-Americans, four Olympic team players, four Freshmen of the Year, three Player of the Year, 34 Academic All-Americans, six national team members and a Lowes Senior Award Top 10 finalist and Walter Byers Scholarship Finalist. Also one Walter Byers Scholarship Winner. Over the years 16 of his players have also gone on to play in the professional ranks.
A 1974 graduate of Slippery Rock University with a degree in health and physical education, Posipanko earned his master’s degree in the same field with a concentration in administration and athletic management in 1979 from the College of New Jersey (Trenton State College). He is married to the former Gayle Keener of Amelia, VA.
