Alan Alderson is trading in the mountain ranges of northern B.C. for the Great Lakes region of southern Ontario.
Alderson, who announced last month he was leaving the head coach position of the UNBC men's soccer squad for a yet-to-be revealed destination, was introduced Tuesday as head coach for the London Youth Academy Centre.
It's the latest Vancouver Whitecaps FC program in London, Ont., recently launched by the club in partnership with the Elgin Middlesex Soccer Association.
"I am really excited to be a part of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a dynamic organization who are on the cutting edge of player development in North America," said Alderson in a Whitecaps release. "In Prince George, I saw first-hand the excitement and enthusiasm that a Whitecaps FC Academy Centre can bring to a community. I look forward to helping generate the same enthusiasm in the southern Ontario soccer community and I'm honoured to play a part in helping young players in this country strive to reach higher standards and develop their abilities."
Alderson took over at UNBC in June 2012, just as the team was making the jump from the B.C. college league to university soccer in Canadian Interuniversity Sport's Canada West conference. Alderson came to Prince George with 20 years of experience coaching college and university teams, including a lengthy run as head coach of the Trinity Western University men's team. He was at the helm in 2001 when the Spartans moved up to CIS from the B.C. Colleges Athletic Association and was director of coaching for a soccer development program in Calgary when UNBC hired him.
Alderson's replacement at UNBC has yet to be named. The job posting for the interim head coach position closed Monday afternoon.
UNBC athletics director Loralyn Murdoch has said the school will hold off on making it a permanent position until the season is over and a fuller slate of candidates will be available.
In April, Timberwolves assistant coach Sonny Pawar announced he was moving to Victoria after nine years with the men's team, including a six-year stint as head coach when UNBC was part of the B.C. college league. The assistant's post is a volunteer position and Pawar's replacement has not been announced.
The T-wolves alumni game is Saturday at 2 p.m. at the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League fields. The team leaves two days later for a series of exhibition games in Kamloops and Calgary. The Timberwolves open the season Sept. 11-12 in Victoria and play their home-opening series Sept. 26-27.
