Jeremy Iwaszkowiec joins Murray State soccer team

    Things keep getting better for Racer athletics as a new face appears in the Murray State soccer program this season.
    Head Coach Beth Acreman announced late last month that Jeremy Iwaszkowiec will become her newest assistant coach, alongside Assistant Coach Claire Ward.
    Iwaszkowiec joins a successful Racer program fresh off a 12-6-2 record and appearance in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game.
    The Racers, recently voted No. 1 in the OVC preseason, welcome Iwaszkowiec with open arms after his two-season stint as the head soccer coach at Crichton College in Memphis, Tenn., and a stellar playing career at Clemson University.
    Iwaszkowiec noted he is looking forward to the potential for this position.
    “I’m really excited for the season and thankful for the opportunity,” Iwaszkowiec said. “Everyone I’ve talked to seems really excited about Murray State Athletics, so it’s great to be a part of that. Beth (Acreman) has done a great job creating a quality program here. I have player experience and coached at a smaller school in Memphis, Tenn. It’s been a roundabout journey to get here.”
    Prior to coaching at Crichton, Iwaszkowiec grew up playing soccer for Francis Howell North High School in St. Louis, Mo., where he excelled as an athlete.
    After racking up numerous awards during his prep career, including St. Louis Metro High School Player of the Year, Missouri High School Player of the Year and All-American selection by both the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Parade, Iwaszkowiec took his game to the east coast, accepting a scholarship to play at Clemson.
    While at Clemson, he played a pivotal role on two teams that reached the NCAA Quarterfinals and was part of the nation’s No. 1 ranked Clemson team that finished the 1998 season with a record of 22-2.
    After college, Iwaszkowiec was drafted by the Minnesota Thunder of the United Soccer Leagues, but instead chose to pursue a career in coaching.
    He graduated from Clemson in 1999 with a degree in marketing and earned a master’s degree in theology from Bethel Seminary (Minn.) in 2006.
    Iwaszkowiec said he enjoyed his time in college and learned a lot that can employ as a coach, noting his desire to help his players reach their goals.
    “Clemson’s good program taught me a lot and I had great experience as a student-athlete,” Iwaszkowiec said. “I never really felt like I reached my full potential on the field, so I want to help kids reach their potential and I think college is a great place for that.”
    Greg Waddell can be reached at gregory.waddell@murraystate.edu.
 

Comments

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above: