VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are pleased to announce that Bill Merriman has joined the club’s Island Academy Centre as Whitecaps FC Upper Island head coach.

“We are excited to have someone of Bill’s experience and expertise come on board to help lead our Whitecaps FC Island programs,” said Whitecaps FC director of soccer development Dan Lenarduzzi. “We have been in dialogue with Bill for some time now on how we can come together for the betterment of the game on Vancouer Island, and this will now provide an opportunity to further streamline the programming and pathway in the mid and upper Island region.”

As part of his position, Merriman will roll his current Merriman Soccer programs into the Whitecaps FC Island Academy Centre. All programs will now fall under the Whitecaps FC club system and curriculum under the direction of Bart Choufour, Whitecaps FC Pre-Residency and Academy Centres director and head coach.

Merriman will work closely with Island Academy counterpart Neil Sedgwick, who is leading the recently announced Lower Island program in Victoria, to create a more streamlined player development pathway, including Vancouver Island Wave of the EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League.

Born and raised in Victoria, Merriman has spent much of his time working with his family on the Island with Merriman Soccer. He has enjoyed 30 years of coaching experience, including his current position as head coach of the successful Vancouver Island University (VIU) men’s soccer program. During his time coaching he has also led Mid-Isle Youth, Ladies Premier League, Metro and Selects All-Star, BC Summer Games, Inter-Provincial League, and European touring teams. Merriman has won numerous provincial and national championships at both the youth and collegiate levels.

Merriman has been recognized for his coaching over the years with several awards, including 2011 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Coach of the Year, 2015 British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association (BCCAA) Coach of the Year, 2015 BC Soccer Youth Coach of the Year, Nanaimo District Youth Soccer Association (NDYSA) Coach of the Year, and a two-time Nanaimo Sport Achievement award winner. A number of Merriman’s former players have gone on to successful collegiate and professional careers, including current Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) player Victor Blasco.

Among the club’s Island Academy Centre operations, Merriman will work with Sedgwick, Choufour, and James Merriman on a series of skills and prospects camps, as well as a Western Canadian College ID Residential Camp at Shawnigan Lake this summer.

For more information on all Island Academy Centre programs, visit whitecapsfc.com/island.