Jordan Valentine Named New DC Head Men's Soccer Coach

DEFIANCE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Jordan Valentine as the next Head Men's Soccer Coach.  Valentine becomes the seventh head coach in program history and comes to Defiance after a two-year stay at Penn State-New Kensington.

Valentine takes over for Alex Van Der Sluijs who completed his fifth season with the Yellow Jacket program in 2014.  

"Alex Van der Sluijs did a tremendous job of moving our men's soccer program forward, and we wanted to continue that momentum," stated Defiance College Director of Athletics, Rudy Yovich.  "We had a very large and outstanding group of candidates for the head men's soccer coaching position. Jordan's tactical expertise, dedication in providing a quality student-athlete experience and history of building a winning program were exactly what we were looking for.  It was evident through his interaction with our stakeholders that he would be a great fit for our athletic department."

During his tenure at PSU-New Kensington, Valentine led his team to a 15-14 overall record, including a 9-6 mark in 2014 that included a 7-3 record in the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference to earn a spot as the number three seed in the PSUAC Playoffs and advanced to the "Final Four" round.  It marked the highest finish for New Kensington in the PSUAC.  The Lions also finished the season ranked nationally in the United State Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and was as high as eighth during the year.

Valentine's players have had success both on the playing field and in the classroom.  He has coached players who went on to earn All-PSUAC accolades, including the conference "Newcomer of the Year" in 2013.  Off the field, 15 of Valentine's student-athletes were tabbed Academic All-PSUAC as well as five players garnering USCAA Academic All-Scholar honors.

In addition to his responsibilities at New Kensington, Valentine served as an assistant coach with the PA-West Olympic Development Program in Pittsburgh, Pa. that included one of his teams advancing to the regional finals.  He also served as a club coach for Century United in Pittsburgh, Pa.

A native of Preston, England, Valentine's soccer experience reaches back prior to his time at New Kensington where he served as Lead Trainer and International Trials & College Combine Manager at Midwest Soccer Academy in Fenton, Mich.  Valentine managed and coached teams of various ages overseeing the development of over 100 players.  He implemented and managed the International Trials and College Combine held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. which allowed players from around the world showcase their abilty in front of professional club scouts.  He also served as a Disney Soccer Academy Coach as well as camp director at various locations across the U.S. 

Valentine earned a bachelor's degree in 2012 in sports management from Ohio Valley University in Vienna, West Virginia.  In addition to earning a degree from OVU, he was also a four-year scholarship player for the Fighting Scots in men's soccer.  On two ocassions, Valentine earned All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors as a defender and midfielder.  Prior to coming to OVU, Valentine graduated from Preston College in his hometown of Preston, England.  In 2008, he was selected to the Great Britain National University Soccer Team.

Valentine holds English Football Association Level 1 and 2 coaching licenses along with several NSCAA coaching diplomas.  

''I'm very grateful to the Athletic Director, Rudy Yovich, and the Defiance faculty for providing me with this new and exciting opportunity," said Valentine.  "Defiance College feels like a perfect fit. There is very positive vibe in the athletic department that is generated from a strong support staff from the school itself. Everyone is pushing to move in the right direction so it's a very exciting time to be a Yellow Jacket. I'm looking forward to getting started and picking up where Alex left off to bring sustained success on and off the field here at DC Soccer."