---

2009 GNAC Coach of the Year
Coach of 2008 NCAA National Champions
2007 National Coach of the Year
2007 Far West Region Coach of the Year
2007 GNAC Coach of the Year
2005 Regional Coach of the Year
2005 GNAC Coach of the Year
2004 GNAC Coach of the Year
2003 GNAC Coach of the Year

Chuck Sekyra quickly propelled Seattle Pacific into one of the nation's elite women's soccer programs culminating with the Falcons 2008 national championship.

SPU completed the 2008 campaign with a 22-1-2 record, including a season-ending 17-game undefeated streak. The Falcons won the program's first NCAA Division II title, defeating previously unbeaten West Florida 1-0 in a double-overtime contest on Dec. 6 at Pepin Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Janae Godoy ended the championship game with a 108th-minute golden goal.

Senior Meredith Teague, who led the team with 14 goals and 10 assists, received the 2008 NCAA Division II National Player of the Year award.

In his eighth season as the head coach, Sekyra has already directed the Falcons to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and three final four berths. SPU finished in the final rankings every season with five top-10 finishes.

Last season, the Falcons forged a 16-3-2 overall record, earned their seventh straight postseason berth and won their sixth Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship. SPU was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA playoffs by Chico State, which won a penalty kick tiebreaker 4-3 after a scoreless tie.

Sekyra was the recipient of the 2009 GNAC Coach of the Year award.

In 2007, the Falcons won 23 consecutive games and climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings before a 2-0 setback to Franklin Pierce in the NCAA semifinals. He was honored as the conference, regional and national Coach of the Year.

Possessing a unique blend of experience in coaching women at the elite level plus ties to the proud tradition of his alma mater, Sekyra was a natural choice to guide Seattle Pacific University when he was hired prior to the 2003 season.

In Sekyra's first seven years at the helm, the Falcons won 88 percent of their games (134-14-12), participated in the NCAA Touranment every season, collected five Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship trophies and twice reached the NCAA championship game (2005, 2008).

In the 2005 title contest, the Falcons battled Nebraska Omaha into overtime before eventually falling 2-1.

Sekyra was voted GNAC Coach of the Year five times and the region's top mentor twice.

After serving three seasons as assistant coach at the University of Washington, Sekyra was named the Falcons' head coach in February of 2003 following a nationwide search. He succeeded Bobby Bruch, who resigned after two years.

Sekyra arrived with established roots at both SPU and the greater Puget Sound soccer community. He is a 1989 graduate of Seattle Pacific, played on two NCAA championship teams and was assistant men's coach from 1998-99. He is also head coach of the Washington state girls ODP (Olympic Development Program) Under-16 team and a Region IV ODP staff coach.

While a member of Lesle Gallimore's UW staff, Sekyra assisted in recruiting, scouting, training session development and fund-raising. In his first year, the Huskies had their finest season, winning the Pac-10 championship, earning a No. 2 seed, advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and going 18-3-0. The 2001 team also went to the playoffs. During his tenure Washington's record was 40-16-5.

Immediately after being hired, Sekyra quickly went into action. It began with the implementation of new tactics which contributed to the Falcons' stout defense. They have allowed only 30 goals during his tenure, finishing among the NCAA leaders each season.

“I am coming home,” said Sekyra. “To have the opportunity to come back to where I was first inspired to become a coach is very motivating. I have very high goals for this program. The potential for Seattle Pacific to be one of the top programs in college soccer is realistic and exciting, and I welcome the challenge.”

Sekyra, who has over 20 years of coaching experience, began his career in 1989 as boys varsity coach at Seattle's Lakeside High School, guiding the team into the state championship game in his first season.

He moved to Blanchet High School in 1992, coaching the girls varsity from 1991-97 and the boys from 1996-98. Blanchet placed third in the girls state tournament in 1994 and the boys were state quarterfinalists in 1998. He was chosen league coach of the year five times and had a combined record of 181-45-34 at both Blanchet and Lakeside.

He has held a U.S. Soccer Federation ‘A' coaching license, the highest coaching license available, since 2001. Since 1998, Sekyra has been a ODP regional staff coach for U-17 girls (1999), the U-17 boys (2000-01) and U-23 women (2000-02). The latter team took second place in the 2001 regional and third in 2000.

In his first season on Cliff McCrath's staff, Seattle Pacific reached the 1998 NCAA Final Four. Sekyra was a defender for some of McCrath's most storied teams from 1985-88, including a starting role on the ‘86 squad which posted 10 shutouts and became the first in Division II history to win back-to-back national championships. In all, he started 40 games and totaled eight assists. He also played for F.C. Seattle from 1986-87.

A native of Kent, Washington, Sekyra attended Kentwood High School, where he was the 1983 North Puget Sound League MVP and all-state selection. He attended Green River Community College in 1984.

Sekyra earned his bachelor's degrees in both history and political science from SPU in 1989, and he taught high school courses in both subjects while coaching at the prep level. Later, he served two years as director of operations and co-coaching director for Northwest Soccer Camp and, while on the UW staff, was soccer coordinator for Arena Sports.

Sekyra is married to Rhonda, an SPU alumnae, and the couple has a daughter. The family resides in the Eastside community of Newcastle.