Point Loma Nazarene University Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton announced the hiring of Phil Wolf as men's soccer head coach on Wednesday. Wolf had most recently been the lead assistant at Southern Methodist University and previous to that led the men's program at Azusa Pacific University, winning a national championship there.
A Wheaton College grad, Wolf becomes the eighth head coach in the 37-year history of the program.
"I am thrilled to have Phil Wolf as our new men's soccer coach," said Hamilton. "Phil is an excellent coach but more importantly he is an outstanding leader of young men. I am very happy to have him join us."
Wolf comes to PLNU after three years at NCAA Division I SMU (2009-11). The Mustangs posted a 35-17-5 overall mark with one regular season Conference USA championship and two conference tournament titles during Wolf's tenure.
In 2010, SMU had one of its most successful seasons in program history. The team posted a 16-2-2 record, won both the regular season and conference postseason crowns and made an NCAA Elite Eight appearance. The Mustangs enjoyed another terrific season in 2011, notching a 13-7-1 overall record and rolling to a 3-0 mark in the Conference USA Tournament for their second-consecutive championship. SMU qualified for the NCAA Tournament, losing a second-round match to tenth-ranked Akron, 3-2.
Prior to his stint at SMU, Wolf was the head coach for eight stellar seasons at Azusa Pacific University, where he led the Cougars to the NAIA National Championship in 2007. APU went 120-29-18 under Wolf's guidance, winning four Golden State Athletic Conference titles and appearing in three-straight NAIA national title matches (2006-08).
Wolf was named as the GSAC Coach of the Year three times (2001, 2007, 2008) and was selected as the NSCAA NAIA National Coach of the Year in both 2005 and 2007 and the Brine-NAIA Coach of the Year in 2007.
"My family and I are very excited about the opportunity to become part of the Point Loma family and look forward to the challenge of building a championship program," Wolf stated. "In addition, we are excited about contributing to the overall mission of this exceptional university."
Before his run at Azusa Pacific, Wolf was an assistant at Wheaton College (IL), where he was part of the coaching staff that won the 1997 NCAA Division III Championship and set an NCAA record for all divisions with a 66-match unbeaten streak.
"Phil will be a great fit, as he and his family will fully engage in the lives of our young people," said Caye Smith, PLNU Vice President of Student Development. "He embraces everything the department and institution are about."
As a player, Wolf was a three-time All-American at Wheaton and was a member of the team's 1990 Division III Final Four team. Wolf graduated with the third-most points in school history (135), and his teams posted a record of 77-10-6 during his time at Wheaton. He then played five years of professional soccer, splitting time between the NPSL and the USL.
Wolf graduated from Wheaton in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in communications. In 2001, he earned a Masters of Arts in Spiritual Formation. Wolf holds a USSF A coaching license.
Phil and his wife, Melanie, have four children: Barrett, Maggie, Maryn and Ivan. Phil's brother, Dave, has been the head men's soccer coach at Westmont College for 21 years.
