MEET THE DIRECTORS

CAMP DIRECTOR: Rich Posipanko

    Rich Posipanko is in his 22nd year at Winthrop and 32nd season for his career in 2010.  For the past twenty-one seasons, the Eagles have averaged over 10 wins per season in the toughest region in the Nation. The Eagles were 15-7-1 in 2002 that led to a regular season and tournament Big South championship and NCAA College Cup South Region appearance. In 2005, the Eagles finished 12-8-1 and finished as the Big South Runner-Up for the third time under Posipanko and fifth time overall.  In 2006 the Eagles once again claimed the Big South regular season and tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA College Cup South Atlantic Regional with a 15-3-4 record. In 2008 the Eagles were  again Big South Regular Season and tournament champions with a record of  15-6-1. Posipanko was also selected Big South Coach of the Year for the third time and led his team back to the NCAA College Cup in 2008.  In 2009 the Eagles once again won the Big South Championship and returned to the NCAA College Cup with a 11-6-4 record.

The Levittown, Pennsylvania, native will look to mold a group of veterans and talented newcomers into a solid team this year which hopefully will make a run at the conference championship and a trip to the NCAA regionals. The 1991, 2006 & 2008 Big South Conference Coach of the Year has compiled a career record of 322-213-46 and has a Winthrop mark of 205-164-26. Posipanko is currently ranked in the top 10 among NCAA Division I active coaches in total victories.  He is also ranked 25th on the All-Time list for victories. In 2002 he became the winningest coach in Winthrop history with 134 wins. Posipanko is also the winningest coach in history at Longwood University with 117 wins. He is also the All-Time winningest coach in Big South Conference history with both 216 total victories and 73 Conference wins.  During the 2007 season Posipanko reached the 300 career  win mark and joined an elite group of only 52 coaches in NCAA history (all divisions) and 25 coaches at the Div. I level to reach this plateau.

Before coming to Winthrop, Posipanko spent 10 successful years as head coach of Longwood University in Virginia where he compiled a record of 117-49-20. During his last seven years at "The Wood", Posipanko guided his squads to the NCAA Division II top 20 each season and also developed seven All-Americans.

Posipanko better known as "Gaffer" by his players and peers has had a long list of successes through his years of coaching. Prior to his position at Longwood, Posipanko served as the assistant coach at College of New Jersey (formally known as Trenton State College) for three years. He also coached the Virginia State Team in the Olympic Development Program from 1986-1989. While at Longwood, Posipanko was honored three times — 1982, 1984, and 1986 — as the Virginia Coach of the Year and in 1982 and 1984 he was tabbed Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year.

In addition to his college coaching experience, Posipanko coached professionally serving as assistant coach of the Houston Dynamos in the United States Soccer League in 1985.

Posipanko is dedicated to soccer and spends much of his free time trying to improve the college game and give back to the local community with many summer soccer camps. He has served on numerous committees including the NCAA Academic All-American Selection Committee; chair of the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America South Rating Board; chair of the NCAA Soccer Selection Committee for the south region; President of the Virginia Intercollegiate Soccer Association; and 1992 President of the Big South Conference Soccer Coaches.

During his 31 years of collegiate coaching he’s had 136 All-Conference players, 56 All-Region selections, 14 All-Americans, three Olympic team players, two Freshmen of the Year, three Player of the Year, and 24 Academic All-Americans, and six national team members.

A 1974 graduate of Slippery Rock University with a degree in health and physical education, Posipanko earned his master’s degree in the same field with a concentration in administration and athletic management in 1979 from the College of New Jersey (Trenton State College). He is married to the former Gayle Keener of Amelia, VA