Men's Soccer | 6/15/2021 11:26:00 AM
Rhonda Faunce, Interim Director of Athletics at Elmira College, is pleased to introduce
Lamine Balde as the next head coach of the EC men's soccer program.
Balde joins the Soaring Eagles after helping the Washington & Jefferson College men's soccer program win back-to-back Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championships in the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2021. During his two seasons as an assistant coach under six-time PAC Coach of the Year Ian McDonald, W&J boasted a 20-10-3 overall record and went 13-2-2 against PAC opponents.
With Balde on the sidelines, the Washington & Jefferson offense flourished. The 2019 squad set a program record and tied for 30th in Division III with 53 goals. The Presidents scored a PAC-leading 2.41 goals per game that season, and while playing an abbreviated 2021 schedule, W&J's offense was second in the conference with an average of 2.64 goals per game.
In two years with the Presidents, Balde mentored 16 All-PAC selections, including two Newcomer of the Year honorees and the 2021 Player of the Year. Washington & Jefferson's team also experienced tremendous success in the classroom, as evidenced by the program's four CoSIDA Academic All-District award winners.
"I'm excited to get a coach of Lamine's caliber at Elmira to lead our men's soccer team," Faunce said. "He truly is an up-and-coming leader in the sport. Lamine has had great playing experience and tremendous coaching experience and is ready to hit the ground running. It is evident to the team and all that have spent time with him thus far that something special can happen with him as our coach."
"I am thankful and privileged to take over this program," Balde explained. "A massive thanks to
Rhonda Faunce and the search committee for making the process as smooth as possible. I cannot wait to get started and see what the future holds."
In January, Balde was chosen to participate in the 2021 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar. Held virtually this winter, the Emerging Leaders Seminar educates, develops, and connects selected participants and equips attending young professionals with the skills necessary to accelerate their career progression in college sports.
Balde's collegiate coaching experience began at his alma mater, Bethany College – a fellow PAC member – as an assistant during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. As a player, he was a two-time All-PAC performer and collected 64 points (26g-12a) in four seasons with the Bison. During his senior campaign in 2013, he ranked second in the conference in points (24) and third in goals (9).
After graduating from Bethany, Balde extended his playing career with the Fort Pitt Regiment in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). He led Fort Pitt in scoring in two of his three years with the Regiment. He also competed with the Indy Eleven, where he trained with the United Soccer League (USL) first team squad in 2017. Most recently, Balde suited up for the Pittsburgh Hotspurs during the organization's inaugural NPSL season in 2019.
Originally from the West African country of Guinea, Balde earned two degrees from Bethany. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management in 2015 and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching in 2017.