University of Portland Athletics

Irwin enters his fourth season as the Director of Soccer at the University of Portland. Following the passing of legendary head coach Clive Charles, Irwin was promoted in the fall of 2003 after serving 16 years as an assistant. Irwin and the Pilot coaching staff are responsible for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams as a combined staff. His inaugural season at the helm was capped when both the men’s and women’s teams earned NCAA playoff berths, with the men advancing to the second round and the women reaching the third round.

During the 2005 season, the UP women won their second NCAA National Championship in four years. The Pilots finished 23-0-2 to become just the second team in NCAA Division I women’s soccer history to complete an unbeaten season with a championship. The men overcame injury and adversity to finish 6-11-2 overall.

The 2004 campaign also featured a high success rate as each program again advanced to the NCAA playoffs. The women achieved a 20-win season and reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual national champion Notre Dame. The men’s squad finished 12-8-2 and defeated Washington in the first round of the tournament, advancing to the second round for the fourth consecutive season.

Irwin came to The Bluff as an assistant coach prior to the 1987 season and was reunited with Charles, his long-time friend and former professional teammate, beginning at Cardiff City in the English Second Division in 1971. Irwin has a distinguished record as a goalkeeping specialist as all five starting men’s goalkeepers who trained under Irwin at UP have gone on to play professionally: Greg Maas, Kasey Keller, Stuart Dobson, Scott Hileman and most recently Curtis Spiteri. Keller, a three-time All-American and the 1991 Adidas Goalkeeper of the Year, is a regular on the U.S. National Team (1990, 98, 2002 and 06 World Cups), captained the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team in Atlanta and is the reigning U.S. Soccer’s Male Athlete of the Year.

In the women’s net, Michelle Voiland (1991-94) was a three-time All-WCC pick. Erin Fahey (1991-93, 95) earned All-America status in ’95 after leading the nation with a school-record 16 shutouts in 23 games and recording the country’s third-lowest goals-against average, 0.46. Cheryl Loveless became the third Irwin-coached keeper to be named All-America after posting a 0.42 GAA (No. 2 nationally) and 13 shutouts (No. 3 nationally) in 1996. In 1997, Angela Harrison was named first team All-Far West region to become the fourth Irwin protégé to earn post-season regional or national honors. In 1998, Harrison bested her own school and WCC goals-against average with a 0.30 effort, finishing third in the nation. The Pilots posted a school-record 17 shutouts en route to the 2002 NCAA Championship, and followed with 16 shutouts in 2003 with then-freshman keeper Cori Alexander minding the nets each contest.

Irwin has extensive experience on both the men’s and women’s side of the U.S. National Team circuit as a goalkeeper coach. Earlier this year, he was with the full women’s squad for the second straight year serving along with head coach Greg Ryan. In 2004, he was with the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team which cruised to the Nordic Cup title in Iceland. He has also worked with the U-18 Boy’s National Team, and was named goalkeeper coach of the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team in 1997. Irwin has served as goalkeeper coach for the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team since 1999, including a trip to the 2001 World Youth Championships in Argentina. Irwin has also trained keepers on the 1998 World Cup team, the 2000 Olympic team, and U-18, U-17 and U-16 national teams. In addition, Irwin is a national staff coach, and OYSA staff coach.

Irwin is a F.C. Portland staff coach and has coached the U-15 and U-16 girls to the Oregon State Championship. He also coaches U-15 and U-18 boys in the F.C. program and is certified as an “A” licensed coach and is a member of the Region IV staff.

Irwin’s soccer background includes 17 years in the pro ranks. He began playing semi-pro as a 16-year-old in Northern Ireland, where he earned several youth and amateur international caps. He played eight seasons in England with Cardiff City, winning several Welsh Cups, and played in the European Cup Winner’s Cup competition, before moving to the United States in 1978 and playing for three years with the NASL’s Washington Diplomats. His seven-year NASL experience also took him to the Dallas Tornado (1981), the Portland Timbers (1982) and the San Jose Earthquakes (1983-84). His final two pro campaigns were in the Major Indoor Soccer League with the Minnesota Strikers (1985) and the Wichita Wings (1986).

Irwin, 55, and his wife, Liz, live in Portland and are the parents of two sons: Bryan (20), who is a defender for the Pilots, and Nicholas (14).

BILL IRWIN/GARRETT SMITH COACHING LEDGER