BEREA, Ohio– Former Baldwin Wallace University and professional soccer standout Louie Rolko '07 has accepted the position of Senior Assistant Coach of the Yellow Jacket men's and women's programs. A part time member of the BW coaching staff since graduation, he has retired from the professional ranks and will join veteran Head Coach Reid Ayers as his full time senior assistant.
Rolko, who earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference and All-Great Lakes Region honors as a player and Academic All-OAC accolades as a student-athlete, will assist Ayers in all facets on the game (practices and matches), scouting, recruiting and study table.
"We welcome Louie to the staff as a full time assistant coach and instructor," said Ayers, who has a 230-160-44 career record at BW as both men's and women's coach and 310 career victories overall. "He has a wealth of experience both as a player and coach and knows our program and student-athletes well. He also has a tremendous rapport with our coaching staff and student-athletes. Louie is an excellent teacher of the game of soccer and a great addition to the BW community."
In addition to being a standout student and athlete at BW, Rolko was an excellent professional who was known not only for his play but also for his leadership and expertise in the sport.
"I began my professional soccer career in 2007 with the Charleston (S.C.) Battery of the United Soccer League (USL) following graduation from BW," said Rolko. "I continued to play professionally and served most recently as the team captain of the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Riverhounds. But it was the experience of coaching at my alma mater that fueled a new passion in the game I love.
"Since making the transition from college student-athlete to coach on the BW campus in the fall of 2007 and in my time with the Yellow Jackets, I have taken on increased responsibility not only in working with current players but in the recruitment of future members of the team," continued Rolko.
"In the spring while I was training with my team in Pittsburgh, I improved my coaching abilities by working as a lead instructor within a professional youth academy," said Rolko. "Having cherished my time in Brown and Gold, I now can draw significantly upon my personal experiences to engage our players in upholding the academic and athletic traditions of the University, its athletic department and the soccer program. I felt I have contributed significantly to the growth of the program since I first arrived in 2003 and eagerly look forward to influencing the growth of the men's and women's programs as a full-time member of the coaching staff."
"We are pleased that Louie has accepted the position of Senior Assistant Coach," said BW Director of Athletics Kris A. Diaz. "Louie was an outstanding player, both at the collegiate and professional levels and will bring a vast background to our soccer program.
"Reid Ayers and our student-athletes are very familiar with Louie and his coaching style," continued Diaz. "He is a great asset to Reid and our soccer success."
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact SID Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu and Assistant SID Jeff Miller by telephone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
