November 8, 2011 - The CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association) has appointed Bill Merriman the 2011 CCAA Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year.

Merriman is head coach of the Vancouver Island University Mariners men’s soccer team in Nanaimo, B.C. The Mariners won national gold at last year’s 2010 CCAA Big Kahuna Soccer National Championships.

“Bill Merriman is a rock solid candidate for this award,” says Jim Loughlin, CCAA men’s soccer convenor. “Both his team’s performance and his extracurricular participation in the soccer community are impressive.”

The VIU Mariner’s 2011 regular season record of 8-0-3 was an improvement over last year’s 8-1-2, when the team went on to earn both the provincial and national championships.

A coach for over 25 years, Merriman has developed players who have gone on to compete for the Canadian national women’s team, the Canadian national youth team and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

His goal is to develop athletes who achieve their highest potential both on and off the field, ensuring athletes take care of academic responsibilities and encouraging players to support the soccer community through local organizations. In addition to VIU, Merriman coaches for Nanaimo’s District Development Centre, U-12 and U-11 academy teams, Mariner summer camps, Merriman Soccer programs, and Nanaimo FC United. 

The other nominees for 2011 CCAA Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year were  Charles Harvey of the Collège François-Xavier-Garneau Élans, Jeff Paulus of the NAIT Ooks, Jonathan Vos of the Holland College Hurricanes, and Jimmy Zito of the Algonquin College Thunder.

Bill Merriman received the award Tuesday, November 8 at the 2011 CCAA Soccer National Championships in Quebec City, Que. Coach of the Year winners receive a customized CCAA ring provided by Jostens Canada, the Official Ring Supplier of the CCAA Championship Awards Banquet.


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