Waggoner to Run Men's Soccer, Nunley to Lead Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. --- The last three months have
been marked by historical events on the campus of Randolph-Macon
Woman's College. On September 9, the Board of Trustee's announced a
strategic plan that will make the college coed in the fall of 2007.
On December 9, the new name of the college-Randolph College-was
announced to the public.
In a monumental day on December 11, the athletic department
announced the hiring of Bryan Waggoner and Clay Nunley, the
program's first-ever men's soccer and men's basketball coaches,
respectively.
Waggoner's coaching experience is widespread, as he has coached at
the club, high school, and NCAA Division I and III levels. His most
recent position was at his alma mater, the University of Richmond,
where he served as an assistant coach for three seasons. During
this time Waggoner's duties included on-field training, game
analysis, and recruiting. Prior to his work with the Spiders,
Waggoner was the head coach at Douglas S. Freeman High School in
Richmond, Virginia, where he amassed a 24-11-8 record over three
seasons.
Waggoner is ready for the challenge of starting a new program. "I
am excited for the opportunity to build a new program with my
vision of what makes a great team," he says. "I believe Randolph
College's commitment to athletics and education makes it an ideal
place to structure a team with integrity and passion for soccer and
life."
As a Division I student-athlete at the University of Richmond,
Waggoner was a four-year letter winner. He served as team captain
as a senior, a year in which he earned the Coaches Award in
recognition of his leadership skills. He graduated from Richmond
with a degree in sociology.
After graduation, Waggoner was named the assistant men's and
women's coach at NCAA Division III Linfield College in Oregon. He
helped the men's team earn an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament.
Waggoner was involved in all aspects of the Linfield program,
including on-field training, scouting, and recruiting.
At the club level, Waggoner has served as the technical director of
the Virginia Capital Area Soccer League, where he analyzed,
evaluated and trained teams throughout the club system. In
addition, Waggoner was the head coach of the under 18 boy's elite
team, guiding them to five tournament championships and a final
four standing in the state cup.
Waggoner's club and high school experience, along with his
extensive college recruiting background, will pay large dividends
as he builds his new team that will begin sub-varsity competition
in 2007 before playing a full Old Dominion Athletic Conference
schedule in 2008. "My immediate goal is to put together a team that
can lay the foundation for future generations at Randolph College,"
he says. "I want to establish traditions and goals that become
ingrained with WildCat men's soccer."
WildCat Athletics Director Valerie Cushman is thrilled to add
Waggoner to the Randolph College staff. "Bryan brings tremendous
energy, along with a clear vision for what it will take to build a
successful men's soccer program," she says. "He is committed to
guiding his team to success not only on the field, but in the
classroom and in the Randolph College community."
Nunley is ready to lead the first-ever WildCat men's basketball
team. "I am most excited about representing an outstanding
institution and a first-class athletic department as we begin to
build a men's basketball program that our college can be proud of,"
he says.
Nunley has served as an assistant coach at the United States
Military Academy for the past five years where he was involved in
on-court coaching, scouting, and practice planning. He also served
as the recruiting coordinator. Prior to working at the United
States Military Academy, Nunley was the assistant coach at Wright
State University in Dayton, Ohio. In his three years, the team
compiled 35 wins over a two-year period. Nunley's duties included
individual instruction and player development, practice planning,
and recruiting coordinator.
Although his coaching experience is limited to Division I
experience, Nunley is familiar with Division III athletics. He was
a four-year member of the Goucher College men's basketball team, a
Division III institution in Baltimore, Maryland. He helped lead the
Gophers to two Capital Athletic Conference Championships and two
trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament. He was a four-year
member of both the academic all-conference team and Maryland
Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Academic Team.
Nunley graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts in
Communications.
"Clay is the perfect fit for our program and our institution," says
Athletics Director Valerie Cushman. "He not only has great coaching
experience, but he understands our department's mission and the
goals of the College."
The WildCat men's basketball team will start intercollegiate
competition in 2007-2008, competing at a sub-varsity level, before
playing a full Old Dominion Athletic Conference schedule in
2008-2009. Nunley will spend the next few months recruiting for the
new program.
"My short-term goals are to quickly begin identifying, evaluating,
and recruiting those quality student-athletes who are a fit for our
institution, meet the standards of our basketball program, and want
to be part of something special," Nunley says. "I am looking
forward to attracting quality individuals who will serve as strong
ambassadors to our college and community and will help us begin
moving towards establishing a program with a long-term focus on
championship success."
In addition to men's basketball, the WildCat Athletic Department
will sponsor men's soccer, cross country, and tennis in 2007.
Women's cross country will also be added as a varsity sport in
2007. In 2008, the WildCats will sponsor men's and women's
lacrosse. The College will begin the search for head coaches in
men's and women's cross country, softball, and men's lacrosse in
January.
This release is courtesy of the Randolph-Macon Woman's
College sports information office.