Nov. 24, 2009

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University women's soccer head coach Sue Ryan announced today that assistant coach Steve Welham has been promoted to associate head coach. The Seawolves recruiting coordinator as well as the goalkeepers coach, Welham recently completed his fourth season on the Stony Brook coaching staff.

"As an assistant coach, Steve has been an integral part of our building process at Stony Brook University and I am thrilled that we can reward him in this manner," Ryan said. "He has helped establish us as not only one of the top programs in the America East but also the Northeast Region."

Welham joined the women's soccer program as an assistant coach in 2006 and has helped Stony Brook to three consecutive winning seasons, including its first winning season in eight years (2006). In 2008, he helped the Seawolves to their best season in program history as SBU recorded its most victories (11) since 1994 in addition to setting a school record for conference wins (six). The Seawolves also made their first appearance in the America East title game since 2002.

Under the tutelage of Welham, goalkeeper Marisa Viola has garnered both national and conference accolades. Viola was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008 and earned NSCAA All-Northeast Region second team honors in 2007 and 2008. Viola concluded her brilliant career at Stony Brook in 2009 with program records for shutouts (26) and games played by a goalkeeper (70).

Viola set a school record with 10 shutouts in 2007 and also posted the seventh longest shutout streak in NCAA Division I women's soccer history. Viola was also named to the America East All-Rookie Team in 2006 in addition to being selected the America East Rookie of the Week two times.

In 2008, Welham brought in the #2 ranked recruiting class in the America East Conference according to Soccerbuzz.com, an on-line soccer publication which also ranked the Seawolves class 13th out of 42 teams in the Northeast region. Welham also recruited sophomore forward Colleen McKenna, who was named the America East Rookie of the Year in 2008 after leading the conference in goals (nine) and points (21).

He joined the Seawolves after a successful two-year stint with the Boston University men's team. As the goalkeepers coach, he helped guide the Terriers to the America East regular season and tournament titles in 2004 while reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Welham holds the rare honor of having coached in the America East finals on both the men's and women's sides (2004 Boston University - men's champion & 2008 Stony Brook University - women's finalists).

A magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University, Welham was honored as the 1999 Seton Hall University Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was also a three-time pick to the Big East Academic All-Star Team and was a seven time Dean's List student. Welham was also an ECAC Student-Athlete award winner and was a recipient of the Seton Hall University Merit Scholarship.

Welham received his master's degree from Boston University in 2003 in counseling with a specialization in sports psychology and worked closely with the BU men's team during the 2002-2003 season helping to devise a strategy to build a winning mentality.

Currently involved in Olympic Development Program, Welham is on the Region I Goalkeeping Staff and is also the head coach of the girls ENY-South ODP U-17 team. He was also a member of the U.S. Youth National Scouting Staff for Goalkeepers. Welham currently holds the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma along with the NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma (Level III).

"This is a fantastic honor and I would really like to thank Sue Ryan, [Stony Brook Director of Athletics] Jim Fiore and [Stony Brook Sr. Associate AD for Business Ops and Administration] Matt Larsen for this promotion," Welham said. "I am extremely excited about the direction of this program and feel the future is very bright. It is a great feeling to work at such an amazing University and to have the opportunity to do what you love everyday."