Westminster College Men's Soccer

Thakar has won a combined 366 wins and nine conference championships, while making 16 postseason appearances. Thakar enters his 19th season with the men and 15th with the women in 2016 for a combined record of 366-237-55 (.598). Coach Thakars Profile: PAC Champions: Nine Times M: 2002, 2006, 2008, 2015 W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 NCAA Tournament: Nine Times M: 2002, 2004, 2008, 2015 W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 ECAC Championship: 2006, 2007, 2008 National All-Americans: 3 Regional All-Americans: 39 All-Conference Selections: 140 ESPN Academic All-District Selection: 20 Thakar took the reins of the Westminster womens program on an interim basis in 2002, then was named permanent head coach prior to the 2003 season. During the past 14 seasons, the Titan women are a combined 182-89-29 (.655) with five PAC championships and four-straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2002-05. Thakars 18-year record as Westminsters mens coach is 184-148-26 (.550), including a team-record 17-6 mark in 2008 after the Titans won the PAC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In 2015, the Titans won their fourth PAC title; Westminster advanced to the finals after upsetting the No. 2 nationally ranked Thomas More College in the Semifinals. Westminster qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time, however lost to No. 1/5 Kenyon College in the first round. Since Thakar took over both teams, Westminster has qualified for the NCAA Championships nine times, including four for the men (2002, 2004, 2008, 2015) and five for the women (2002-05, 2007). In addition, the nine Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) titles the Titans have collected includes four for the men (2002, 2006, 2008, 2015) and five for the women (2002-04, 2006-07). Thakar was named PAC Coach of the Year five times, three for womens soccer (2002, 2005, 2006) and two for mens (2008, 2015). Both teams won the PAC title in the same year in 2002 and 2006, with the latter considered Thakars finest year of coaching as both teams won the league crowns as underdogs and qualified for the postseason in the ECAC Division III South Championships. Prior to coaching at Westminster, Thakar was the head mens coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, from 1993-96, after graduating from SRU in 1991 and later earning a masters degree from the school. As a player at Slippery Rock, Thakar was a four-year starter who earned All-PSAC honors. Girish Thakar Head Coach Having coached the Westminster College mens and womens soccer teams concurrently since 2002 and the mens team since 1998, Girish Thakar has won a combined 366 wins and nine conference championships, while making 16 postseason appearances. Thakar enters his 19th season with the men and 15th with the women in 2016 for a combined record of 366-237-55 (.598). Coach Thakars Profile: PAC Champions: Nine Times M: 2002, 2006, 2008, 2015 W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 NCAA Tournament: Nine Times M: 2002, 2004, 2008, 2015 W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 ECAC Championship: 2006, 2007, 2008 National All-Americans: 3 Regional All-Americans: 39 All-Conference Selections: 140 ESPN Academic All-District Selection: 20 Thakar took the reins of the Westminster womens program on an interim basis in 2002, then was named permanent head coach prior to the 2003 season. During the past 14 seasons, the Titan women are a combined 182-89-29 (.655) with five PAC championships and four-straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2002-05. Thakars 18-year record as Westminsters mens coach is 184-148-26 (.550), including a team-record 17-6 mark in 2008 after the Titans won the PAC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In 2015, the Titans won their fourth PAC title; Westminster advanced to the finals after upsetting the No. 2 nationally ranked Thomas More College in the Semifinals. Westminster qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time, however lost to No. 1/5 Kenyon College in the first round. Since Thakar took over both teams, Westminster has qualified for the NCAA Championships nine times, including four for the men (2002, 2004, 2008, 2015) and five for the women (2002-05, 2007). In addition, the nine Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) titles the Titans have collected includes four for the men (2002, 2006, 2008, 2015) and five for the women (2002-04, 2006-07). Thakar was named PAC Coach of the Year five times, three for womens soccer (2002, 2005, 2006) and two for mens (2008, 2015). Both teams won the PAC title in the same year in 2002 and 2006, with the latter considered Thakars finest year of coaching as both teams won the league crowns as underdogs and qualified for the postseason in the ECAC Division III South Championships. Prior to coaching at Westminster, Thakar was the head mens coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, from 1993-96, after graduating from SRU in 1991 and later earning a masters degree from the school. As a player at Slippery Rock, Thakar was a four-year starter who earned All-PSAC honors.

Jerry Hare enters his ninth year as an assistant coach for the Titans in 2025. Hare brings more than 34 years of coaching experience with specialty in goalkeeping to the mens and womens soccer programs.   In 2018, he was part of the Westminster coaching staff that helped guide the mens soccer team to a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Hare was also a part the womens soccer coaching staff that helped direct the team to a PAC Championship runner-up finish and an appearance to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament and again in 2021, in which he helped Camille Holzschuh rank first in the PAC in goals-against average (0.55) and broke the program record for career shutouts with 25. The Titans only conceded one goal against conference foes in the regular season. In 2022, Hare helped Morgan Murphy to a successful season, which she started all 20 matches for Westminster, going 14-4-2 while posting a league-low .697 goals-against average. Murphy totaled 90 saves and owned a .874 save percentage, which ranked 24th in Division III. In 10 regular season conference starts she went 9-1 with a 0.44 goals-against average. She led the conference with seven shutouts last fall, including four in league play. She was named as the PAC Newcomer of the Year award and the championship tournament's Most Outstanding Player following Westminster's 2-0 shutout of Franciscan in the title match, in which she made 12 saves against Franciscan after recording seven saves and stopping three shootout attempts during the 1-1 semifinal draw with Chatham. Since 2017 at Westminster, his mens goalkeepers have a combined goals-against average of 1.12 and a combined GAA of 0.86 for the womens goalkeepers.   Hare is the Founder and Director of the Hare Goalkeeper Academy, which provides year-round education and training to young goalkeepers, ages 7-22 in western Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.   Hare is also the Head Soccer Coach for Shady Side Academy Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Coed Soccer and spent the past 25 years as varsity assistant soccer coach at Shady Side Academy (SSA), primarily working with the boys and girls goalkeepers. He helped lead the Girls Varsity team to the WPIAL Class A Championship victories in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and finished as a runner-up in the PIAA State Championship game in 2016 and 2019. His girls team won the 2017 PIAA State Class A Championship for the first time in school history. He helped lead the boys to the WPIAL Class A and AA Finals in 2002, 2006, 2008, 2016 and 2020 and won the WPIAL Championship in 2017 and 2018. His boys team finished in third place in 2019 and 2023 WPIAL Class AA consolation game.   In 1990 as a volunteer goalkeeper coach, he helped lead Hampton High School Boys Soccer to the WPIAL and PIAA Class AA Championship victories. During his twenty-five years at SSA, his boys goalkeepers have a combined goals-against average of 0.79 and a combined GAA of 1.12 for the girls goalkeepers.   His personal philosophy is to build a motivating and positive environment for growth and development through dedication, hard work, and teamwork. Hare holds national and regional coaching diplomas from the National Soccer Coaches Association. He is a certified CPR Trainer and Sport Safety Trainer from American Red Cross.