Chuck Sekyra 2014 mug

Chuck Sekyra

  • Title
    Women's Soccer Head Coach
  • Email
    csekyra@spu.edu
  • Phone
    (206) 281-2859
 
2011 GNAC Co-Coach of the Year
2009 GNAC Coach of the Year
Coach of 2008 NCAA National Champions
2007 National Coach of the Year
2007 West Region Coach of the Year
2007 GNAC Coach of the Year
2005 West Region 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 and they have sustained that lofty status. His tenure is highlighted by three Final Four appearances and the Falcons 2008 NCAA Division II national championship.

Through his 12th season in 2014, Sekyra has guided Seattle Pacific to a remarkable 209-34-20 record (.833). He directed seven of those teams to Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships, and all 12 of his squads participated in the NCAA Tournament.

Sekyra was named GNAC Coach of the Year six times (2003-05, 2007, 2009, 2011) and the Regional Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007. He received the NSCAA National Coach of the Year award in 2007.

He directed the Falcons to a 12-5-3 record in 2014 and their second straight GNAC Tournament championship after placing second in the standings with a 9-3-2 mark. They defeated regular-season winner Western Washington 5-4 in the penalty kick tiebreaker after the team's tied 1-1 through two overtimes.

SPU participated in the NCAA Tournament for the 12th consecutive year and saw its season end with a 2-1 double-overtime setback against Cal State Stanislaus in the first round of the playoffs.

Isabel Farrell was named the 2014 GNAC Player of the Year and garnered All-America acclaim while Hannah Huesers led the league in scoring with 15 goals.

Sekyra posted his 200th win on Sept. 18, 2014 with a 4-1 home victory over Simon Fraser.

SPU compiled a 15-6-1 record in 2013 and was third in the GNAC with a 10-4-0 league ledger. After tying top seed Western Washington 1-1 through two overtimes, the Falcons captured their first GNAC Tournament championship by virtue of a 4-1 shootout result. Goalkeeper Natalie Harold stopped three penalty kicks and was named the tourament MVP.

SPU posted a 1-0 opening-round victory over Sonoma State before losing 2-0 at ninth-ranked Western Washington in the West Regional semifinal.

In 2012 the Falcons forged a 15-4-2 overall record and finished second in the GNAC standings with an 11-1-2 mark. They notched a 1-0 opening round win over BYU-Hawaii before falling 2-1 in double overtime at fifth-ranked UC San Diego in the West Regional semifinals.

SPU registered a 17-3-0 overall record in 2011 and won its eighth GNAC title. The Falcons routed Grand Canyon 4-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 2-1 at Cal State L.A. They had a 13-1-0 conference record, finishing first in the GNAC standings for the third consecutive campaign.

Senior midfielder Kelsey Jenkins was honored as the 2011 GNAC Player of the Year and Sekyra was named the Co-Coach of the Year.

In 2010, the league champion Falcons compiled a 16-2-2 overall record. They advanced to the NCAA West Region final before falling 1-0 to UC San Diego.

The 2009 Falcons had a 16-3-2 overall record and won their sixth GNAC 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 draw.

Sekyra was the recipient of the 2009 GNAC Coach of the Year award and senior forward Jocelyn Charette was the conference Player of the Year.

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 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. Sekyra was honored as the conference, regional and national Coach of the Year.

His 2005 squad sustained its only setback in the national championship game, a 2-1 overtime loss against Nebraska Omaha. The Falcons finished with a 20-1-4 record and captured the GNAC crown with a 10-0-2 mark.

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 was 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.

“I am coming home,” Sekyra after being hired by SPU. “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 25 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, Taylor. The family resides in the Eastside community of Newcastle.


Chuck Sekyra at Seattle Pacific

Year     Record   (GNAC)      Highlights                               
2003     17-2-2   (11-0-1)    NCAA 1st round, GNAC champion
2004     19-1-2   (11-0-1)    NCAA 2nd round, GNAC champion
2005     20-1-4   (10-0-2)    NCAA title game, GNAC champion
2006     17-5-0   (7-3-0)     NCAA 2nd round
2007     23-1-0   (14-0-0)    NCAA semifinal, GNAC champion
2008     22-1-2   (10-1-1)    NCAA Champions
2009     16-3-2   (9-2-1)     NCAA 1st round, GNAC champion
2010     16-2-2   (12-1-1)    NCAA 2nd round, GNAC champion
2011     17-3-0   (13-1-0)    NCAA 2nd round, GNAC champion
2012     15-4-2   (11-1-2)    NCAA 2nd round
2013     15-6-1   (10-4-0)    NCAA 2nd round, GNAC Tournament champion
2014     12-5-3   (9-3-2)     NCAA 1st round, GNAC Tournament champion
Totals  209-34-20 (127-16-11) 12 NCAA Tournaments, 3 Final Fours



Woman's Soccer