Tsohantaridis Steps Down as Bruins’ Soccer Coach to Return to Classroom Full-Time

NEWBERG, Ore. – After two stints and eight seasons in all as head coach of the George Fox University men’s soccer team, Timotheos (Tim) Tsohantaridis, who led the Bruins to a national title in 1988, is leaving the program to devote more time to full-time teaching duties in the school's Department of Religious Studies. 

In announcing his departure from the program, Tsohantaridis said, “I love soccer and enjoy working with the team, and I will miss the players and coaching.  Yet I am very excited to replace the hours of coaching with more hours of teaching in the Biblical studies department, which I love equally as well.  I want to thank A.D. Craig Taylor, President Robin Baker, Patty Findley, the athletic training staff, the other GFU coaches, and the community for their support.”

A Greek-born U.S. citizen, Tsohantaridis first came to George Fox in 1985 as an assistant coach for the men’s team under Paul Berry, then stepped in as the head coach the following season.  In four seasons, he led the Bruins to four National Christian College Athletic Association Region 8 appearances, region titles in 1986, 1987, and 1988, and to three national tournaments.  After going 2-1 in the NCCAA nationals in both 1986 and 1987, the 1988 team defeated LeTourneau and Cedarville in the national tournament, then knocked off Bartlesville Wesleyan 3-1 in the championship game.  He was selected as the 1988 NCCAA National Coach of the Year.

In 1989, Tsohantaridis and Manfred Tschan shared head coaching duties before Tschan took over the reins and guided the Bruins through the 2007 season.  After 19 seasons, Tschan retired to go into private business with Newberg-based Action Equipment Company and Tsohantaridis returned to the George Fox sidelines for the 2008 season.  In the four years of his second stint with the program, the Bruins went 9-59-6, giving him an overall record in eight seasons at George Fox of 59-82-10 (.424).

Tsohantaridis played for and first coached the men’s soccer program at Barrington College in Rhode Island, where he was 7-6-1 in his only season in 1979.  He has coached both men’s and women’s teams at the high school level, with an 11-year record of 109-57-8, and has a club team coaching record of 25-7-2 in two years.  Coupled with a 64-73-10 (.469) record in eight college seasons, his cumulative record is 200-152-21 (.564) in 22 years.  He has also played for three East Coast soccer clubs and the U.S. select team. 

Tsohantaridis was named the 1995 Undergraduate Professor of the Year at George Fox, an award voted on by the student body. From 1986-1990, he served as the George Fox chaplain.  An ordained minister in the Greek Evangelical Church, he moved to Massachusetts in 1990 to pastor the largest GEC congregation in the United States.  Upon his return to George Fox in 1993, he was the men’s assistant coach again for four seasons, and the women’s assistant coach for three. 

Tsohantaridis has a bachelor’s degree from Barrington (1977), a master’s degree from Ashland Theological Seminary (1985), and a Ph.D. from the University of Athens (2002).  He and his wife Valerie have two sons, Demetrius and Thaddeus. 

“We are grateful for all the time and energy Tim has devoted to our soccer teams over the years,” said George Fox director of athletics Craig Taylor.  “His teams always competed hard and conducted themselves with pride and dignity, and we believe he has laid a foundation on which our men’s program can grow and flourish.  We will always consider him a part of our program, even though he has now gone back to teaching only.”

The search for a new men’s soccer coach at George Fox will begin immediately.