Springfield College Men's Soccer

Howard Hinds '00 will enter his second season as the head coach of the men's and women's swimming programs and assistant professor of physical education at Springfield College during the 2025-26 academic year.  During his first season as the head coach, Hinds helped the men's team to a successful year, finishing third at the NEWMAC Conference Championships which was their highest finish since 2013. He also had four student-athletes named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and senior Jonathan Chan, was a finalist for the NEWMAC Student-Athlete of the Year. On the women's side, the team finished fourth at the conference championships and had four student-athletes earn CSC Academic All-District honors. Senior Nina Lamb qualified for two events at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships and earned All-American honors in the 100 Yard Breaststroke.    Hinds joins a short list of coaches who have led the swimming and diving squads in the program's storied history.  He takes over for John Taffe who retired after a 35-year tenure on Alden Street as he becomes the 10th head coach for Springfield College since the program started in 1915 and only the fourth since 1938.   Hinds had been the full-time assistant coach for the Springfield College men's and women's swimming and diving programs since September 2022 and made an immediate impact on the program. In the last two years, the Pride has established seven new program records and had 10 individual qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Championships.   Hinds was a standout student-athlete in his time at Springfield College and was a member of the 2020 Springfield College Athletics Hall of Fame Class.  During his time in the pool, he established a number of program records, including five in 1999, and still holds the program record for the 100 freestyle (45.08), which he set in 2000. A six-time All-America honoree, Hinds was twice named NEWMAC Swimmer of the Year, and at the conclusion of his career, was a co-recipient of the Robert Muir Award, given annually to the senior swimmer who has scored the most points in four years of competition at the New England Championships.   Hinds made his mark on the international swimming scene as well, as he raced in the 1999 and 2003 Pan-American Games for Netherlands Antilles, and reached the semifinals of the 50 freestyle 2003. A two-time Olympian who competed for Netherlands Antilles in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, he finished 51st in the world in the 100 free and 52nd in the 50 free in the 2000 Olympics.     After graduation, Hinds has worked as a developmental coach for the Long Island Aquatic Club and the New York City-based Impact Training, where he has worked with swimmers and athletes of all levels as a personal trainer.

Skyler Wilder began her time at Springfield College as a full-time assistant coach for the men's and women's swimming and diving programs in Septemer of 2024.   "I am thrilled to join the Springfield College swimming & diving program as the assistant swim coach. With my own history in the NEWMAC, I am excited to be back in the conference and contribute to a program that embodies a rich tradition of excellence," said Wilder. "I look forward to working alongside our dedicated student-athletes and coaching staff, fostering an environment where hard work, passion and having fun lead to both personal and team growth!"   Wilder graduated from Wheaton College (Mass.) in May of 2016 with a bachelor's degree in economics and a minor in statistics. Wilder returned to her alma mater in 2018 when she joined the Wheaton Swimming and Diving coaching staff as an assistant coach. During her time in Norton, the Lyons had much success with multiple school records falling both as an athlete and as a coach.   "Skyler's strong interest in our swimming programs was evident through the interview process," said Springfield College Director of Athletics, Craig Poisson. "Her background at the club swimming level and at the NCAA Division III level bode well for an immediate impact as part of Coach Hinds' staff." Wilder was part of the 800-free relay team (7:48.59) and the 400-medley relay team (3:55.66) that smashed school records while part of the team. Individually, she also broke the school record in the 200-back (2:09.53). Wilder also was named as a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Team Scholar All-American five times.   "I am excited to welcome Skyler to our coaching staff here at Springfield College," said head swimming and diving coach Howard Hinds. "Skyler brings a wealth of experience within our conference, along with incredible energy and passion that will be a great addition to our program.  I'm confident that Skyler's positive impact will be felt by both our athletes and the entire team, and we're excited about the great things ahead."

Stewart Frank '19 began his tenure as a full-time assistant coach for the Springfield College men's soccer program in the 2021-22 academic year.Frank is no stranger to Alden Street as the 2019 graduate was a four-year standout for the men's soccer program from 2015-2018. Frank held a career GAA average of 0.55 as a goalie for the Pride and guided Springfield to its 2018 NEWMAC title in Head Coach Tommy Crabill's first season with the Pride. The Rochester, N.Y. native was named to the NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team twice and was a United Soccer Coaches All-Region Third-Team honoree in 2018.  He totaled 27 shutouts in his career in helping Springfield make a pair of appearances in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Most recently, Frank worked as the assistant coach for the Yale University men's soccer program where he led all recruiting efforts for the Ivy League program and managed the social media accounts. Frank also made a stop at UMass-Amherst, where he served as a Gameday Operations and Facilities Intern and assisted in all gameday operations, while gaining experience with the administrative duties of running conference championships.