Photo credit: Grace College Sports Information
Bob Jones University Bruins Director of Athletics Dr. Neal Ring announced today that Matt Hotchkin will be the new head coach of the men’s soccer program. Hotchkin is the second coach since the program’s inaugural 2012 season.
“We’re excited to welcome coach Hotchkin and his family to Bruin nation,” Ring said. “Since the beginning, our soccer program has been built with the mission to use sports as a platform for ministry. Coach Hotchkin has a long track record of being able to blend this mission with the pursuit of competitive excellence. He is an incredible coach and discipler, and I am confident that he will be able to build on the solid foundation of our program to lead us into the future.”
Hotchkin is a 1999 graduate of BJU, where he earned a degree in Bible with a minor in history. He holds two Professional Development Certificates along with a National Diploma from United Soccer Coaches. Throughout his coaching career, Hotchkin has used his platform to impact and disciple student-athletes. He has also led several sport missions trips within the United States and to South Africa, where team members shared their faith while training and competing.
He spent the past 11 seasons at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, where he built the program into a consistent contender in NAIA and NCCAA Division I. In 2012, Hotchkin led the Lancers to the Crossroads League Tournament championship and the NAIA National Championships for the first time in 35 years of the program. During his tenure, the Lancers advanced to the NCCAA DI National Tournament five of seven seasons, including the past three.
Under Hotchkin, the Lancers posted a winning season in six of the past seven years while owning a 43-12-8 record (.746 winning percentage) at home. The Lancers also went undefeated at home in 2014 with a 7-0-2 record.
This past season, Hotchkin led the Lancers to a 15-4-4 record and the semifinals of the NCCAA DI National Tournament, where they fell in overtime to eventual runner-up Bethel College.
Hotchkin has also served as men’s coach at Northland International University in Dunbar, Wisconsin, where he led the program to five consecutive regional championships, two NCCAA National championships, and was named Midwest Region Coach of the Year in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Hotchkin has recruited several players who have gone on to win regional and national awards. His teams have also performed well in the classroom as the Lancers consistently earned NAIA Scholar Team recognition, averaging a 3.0 GPA as a team. During the 2012-13 season, Hotchkin’s team finished 10th in the country in NAIA men’s soccer with a combined 3.23 team GPA.
“I’d like to thank President Steve Pettit and Dr. Neal Ring for the opportunity they have given me to the lead the Bruins men’s soccer program,” Hotchkin said. “I’m excited to return to BJU—to a place that God used in a special way to shape me. It’s also where I met my wife. It is a great privilege to coach these men through these monumental college years, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The Bruins feature 15 varsity programs and are seeking membership in NCAA Division III. The program is currently affiliated with the NCCAA as a Division II institution.
Originally published on bjubruins.com
