Ashland University’s athletic department named the new leader of the men’s soccer program.

After three months of deliberation and over 140 applications, Ashland’s athletic director, Al King, announced that Oliver Slawson would become the new head coach of the men’s soccer team.

Back in the spring of 2013, athletic director at the time, Bill Goldring, decided to cut the program.

As a result of having to revamp the program, the athletic department’s hiring committee had a number of requirements they hoped to find throughout their interview process.

“I wanted somebody with vision and I wanted someone who could build,” said King. “We need someone who could build the total program and who could become the face of the program.”

Slawson, in the mind of King, seemed to be the full package.

“We asked ourselves, what part of the puzzle doesn’t he have?” said King. “You could say that he is young, but besides that he has got everything that we would look for. We are really excited to see how fast we can move it along and see if we can be as good in men’s soccer as we are in everything else.”

Alongside King on the hiring committee, was former AU soccer player David Jameyson. Jameyson is currently an athletic trainer for AU.

Having been a part of the previous soccer program, Jameyson said he knows it will be a challenge starting a team from scratch, but knew from the beginning that Slawson was the best candidate.

“I think we are pretty lucky out of all the candidates that he was able to take the position,” said Jameyson. “The pool of applicants was incredible, but he was the most prepared in his interview. He already had a plan for the program from day one.”

Building a program from the bottom up can be very challenging, especially as a younger coach, although Slawson does not believe he is necessarily starting over. He is very determined and had a distinct vision for where he wants the program to go.

“This is not a rebuilding process,” said Slawson in a press release from the athletic department. “We’re going to hit the ground running. We’re going to go out there, we’re going to get the best players for this program and this university to help us compete straight away in the conference, and we’re going to take it from there. We’re going to play an attractive brand of soccer where young men are 

going to want to be a part of it, and we’re going to be a winning program with a winning culture from day one.”

Slawson is coming to AU from the University of Akron, where he has spent the last ten years as the assistant coach for the men’s soccer team.  

Previous to his career with the Zips, he also coached at Kenyon College, a smaller, Division III school.

“He’s coming out of a program at Akron which is so successful,” said King. “You look at what they have done with their program. They’ve been an elite program and won a national championship, and now we are getting someone who has been in that environment for ten years, but he can take his experience and his ideas and bring them here.”

Women’s head soccer coach, Danny Krispinsky, knows Slawson will be a great asset not only for the soccer program and athletic department, but the entire university.

“I think it is a great hire for the program,” said Krispinsky. “Oliver brings a lot of experience at a high level of coaching in soccer, but I also think there are a lot of other qualities he brings for the men’s program now and going forward.”

Slawson will begin his career with Ashland University following his last season with Akron. 

Once their season concludes, he will begin the recruiting process and begin preparing his team for the 2016 season.