Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Valparaiso University director of athletics Mark LaBarbera announced today that men’s soccer head coach Mike Avery and baseball head coach Tracy Woodson have both agreed to extensions after leading their respective teams to Horizon League championships during the 2011-2012 school year.

“We are excited that we have been able to agree with both Mike and Tracy on extensions to keep them at Valparaiso for the foreseeable future,” said LaBarbera.  “Both coaches have done a tremendous job in their time at Valpo building their programs into league champions while maintaining our athletic department’s core values.  We look forward to having Mike and Tracy lead their programs to even greater heights in the future.”

Avery was named Horizon League Coach of the Year after guiding the men’s soccer program to the Horizon League regular season championship in 2011.  Entering his sixth season at the helm of the Crusaders, Avery has led Valpo to three of the four winningest seasons in program history over the last three years.  Under his watch, 21 players have earned All-League accolades, including three Goalkeeper of the Year honorees and one Defensive Player of the Year.

Woodson also earned Horizon League Coach of the Year accolades after guiding the Crusaders to the Horizon League regular season and tournament titles in 2012.  The league title was the first by a Crusader baseball team since 1977, and Valpo made an NCAA Division I Tournament appearance for the first time since 1968.  Woodson, who led Valpo to a program record-tying 35 wins, has coached 32 All-League performers in his six seasons as head coach of the Crusaders, including two Pitchers of the Year and one Newcomer of the Year.