Wisconsin Soccer Central

After starting the Edgewood College men's soccer program in 1990 and guiding the Eagles for a quarter century, Tim Alexander (UW-Green Bay) stepped down as coach last week.

Derek Helmer (Oostburg/Edgewood College) was named Alexander's successor, moving into the role after spending the past four seasons as an assistant with the school's women's program.

Alexander will continue as the Edgewood women's coach – he also started that program in 1993 – and has added the title of Director of Soccer Operations, which will see him continue to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the men's program.

The St. Louis native compiled a 243-204-37 record in 25 seasons as men's coach, leading the Eagles to Lake Michigan Conference titles in 1996 and 2000 and NCAA Division III tournament berths in 1999, 2004 and '05. Edgewood finished 9-9-1 overall and 5-5-0 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference last season, falling to Benedictine (Ill.) 4-0 in the first round of the NACC tournament.

Alexander – a member of the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association and the Madison Area Soccer halls of fame – has a 300-122-25 record as women's coach, and is one of only 18 coaches in NCAA soccer history with 500 or more combined coaching victories.

"We cannot say thank you enough to Tim and Terri Alexander for the amazing commitment to our men's soccer program," Edgewood athletic director Al Brisack said in a news release. "Over the years, they have been instrumental in the growth of so many young men."

One of those men was Helmer, who was a standout midfielder for Alexander and the Eagles from 1995 to '98.

He was a first-team, All-LMC selection as a junior and senior and is tied for 12th in program history with 16 career assists. Helmer made 86 appearances, the second-highest total of any Edgewood player, and was part of conference-championship teams in 1995 and '96.

Helmer spent one season as an assistant at Lakeland College, then returned to Edgewood to assist Alexander with the Eagles men's team from 2002 to '04. He also is a coach with the Middleton-based Rush Wisconsin club.

"As an Eagle soccer alumnus, Derek's love for the institution and our soccer programs has kept bringing him back," Brisack said. "Our student-athletes have been the benefactors of this commitment. Both our women's program and men's program will notice immediate benefits from this promotion. We certainly believe this move will be a springboard for two successful programs to become even better."

• Northland College is looking for a new women's coach, as Jessica Griggs was named coach at NCAA Division III Slippery Rock (Pa.) on Monday. Griggs was the LumberJills coach for one season, leading them to an 11-9-1 overall record and a 7-7 mark in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play. Griggs has ties to Pennsylvania, as she played at Dickinson and spent four seasons as an assistant at Division II Shippensburg in the state before spending last season in Ashland.
• New UW-Green Bay men's coach Jeremy Bonomo named John O'Reilly his assistant coach. O'Reilly, a first-team All-American center back for Lehigh as a senior in 2006, was the director of operations for the Georgetown men's program the past two seasons after four years as an assistant at Division III Babson (Mass.).
• Former UW-Green Bay men's assistant Logan Hoffman was named to the same role at Oregon State. Hoffman spent 2012 and '13 with the Phoenix as an assistant under then-coach Dan Popik and returned to New Hampshire last season, when he started the year as an assistant but finished as the interim head coach.