Each Monday of the fall semester, we’ll be bringing you three different “Getting to Know Them” profiles on coaches, athletic administrators and athletic trainers at Slippery Rock to introduce you to the folks behind the scenes here at The Rock. Next up, we check in with men’s soccer head coach Kevin Wilhelm. 

QUICK BIO
Kevin Wilhelm is in his third season in charge of The Rock men’s soccer program, where he has improved the team’s win total in each of the first two years since taking over. Last fall, Wilhelm guided SRU to an 8-9-2 overall record and its first appearance in the PSAC Tournament since the 2015 team won the title. SRU won just 10 total games in 2016 and 2017 combined before Wilhelm took over prior to the 2018 season. Wilhelm is in his third overall stint at Slippery Rock having previously served as an assistant from 2002-03 and 2007-09. He helped The Rock to a 41-19-4 record in those seasons, including a PSAC title and an 18-4-1 record in 2009. Before coming back to SRU in 2018, Wilhelm served as the Director of Coaching for the Northern Steel Soccer Club in Pittsburgh from 2006-16, where he oversaw the expansion of the club from 17 to 32 teams. Wilhelm was an All-Conference player at Slippery Rock and owns both a bachelor’s degree (1998) and master’s degree (2005) from The Rock. 

IN HIS WORDS  

Q: What’s the first concert you went to? What’s the most recent concert you went to?
A: First concert was Sting. Most recent was The Interrupters.

Q: What was your favorite subject in school? Why?
A: History and geography were my favorites. If you don’t know where you came from, you’ll never know where you are going.

Q: What was your first job growing up?
A: I worked in a tobacco field in southern Virginia.

Q: When did you know you wanted to go into a career in collegiate athletics?
A: The drive to want to coach began in high school. I didn’t decide on college coaching until my last season at SRU as a player.

Q: What was the last book you read? Thoughts on it?
A: “The Game of Their Lives.” It was about the U.S. Men’s National Team coming together after WWII and beating England in the World Cup of 1950. It was inspirational to read about beating all the odds with limited resources. It felt very reflective of what we are going through with the pandemic.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie?
A: Christmas Vacation.

Q: What’s your favorite meal?
A: Smoked ribs, pulled pork or very spicy chili.

Q: What meal/dish/item are you best at cooking?
A: Any of the three listed above. I also do pretty well with making Cajun chicken fettuccini alfredo.

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant? What do you order there?
A: Coney Island. I get the Pittsburgh style steak and cheese sandwich.

Q: What was your first car? What’s your dream car?
A: Chrysler Horizon stick shift. My dream car would be any truck that can pull a boat and is low maintenance.

Q: What artists and/or songs on your current most-listened to playlist?
A: I don’t have a playlist. I still listen to CDs.

Q: Tell us about your family.
A: My father was a professor at SRU and my mother a seventh-grade teacher at Slippery Rock School District. My wife, Amanda, is a teacher in the Grove City School District. Our daughter, Keira, loves soccer and the outdoors. She just turned 10.

Q: How do you relax?
A: Bass fishing or hanging out with my family.

Q: Favorite current TV show? Favorite TV show of all-time?
A: The News. Two and a Half Men (before Ashton Kutcher).

Q: What’s the best advice you ever received and who did it come from?
A: My grandpa told me: “If you don’t think about things first, you better have comfortable shoes.”

Q: What’s your favorite season/type of weather? Why?
A: Early Fall. It’s the best weather in Slippery Rock all year.

Q: When you go grocery shopping, are you the “Make a List” person or the “Just Wing It” person?
A: List.

Q: What was your favorite or most memorable vacation?
A: Going out west and visiting Yellowstone National Park. I got engaged to my wife there.

Q: Where is one place you haven’t visited yet, but you definitely plan to?
A: Spain and Portugal.

Q: You could have dinner with three people living or dead, who would they be and why? 
A: JFK to learn his many secrets. Will Ferrell for laughs. Jurgen Klopp to learn more about his soccer philosophy.

Q: Are you a tech savvy person?
A: Not since 2005. Since then it passed me by.

Q: Describe your perfect day off.
A: Fishing until noon. Big lunch and a nap. Hang out with my family.

Q: Do you listen to podcasts? If so, what are your favorites?
A: What is a podcast?

Q: What is your biggest fear?
A: Snakes. I had a mamba incident as a child while living in Africa.

Q: Who is your hero? 
A: Anyone that is honest, ethical, courteous and has a high work-ethic.

Q: Can you sing?
A: No.

Q: What is/would be your go-to karaoke song?
A: “Patience” by Guns N’ Roses.

Q: You can only eat one thing the rest of your life, what is it?
A: Pizza. Many variations.

Q: Fly or drive for a long trip?
A: Drive.

Q: How did you decide on your kids names or pet names?
A: German heritage. 

Q: Cats or dogs?
A: Both.

Q: How many and what kind of pets do you have? How long have you had them?
A: One dog and two cats. Over nine years.

Q: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
A: No.

Q: Does pineapple belong on pizza?
A: No. Fruit doesn’t belong on pizza.

Q: Sheetz or WaWa? Why?
A: Sheetz. Ever try to eat anything made by WaWa? Enough said.

Q: What’s the last TV show you binged watched?
A: I have never binge watched.

Q: Is there a professor you had a class with in college that you still remember?
A: Dr. Patty Pierce. 

Q: How long can you go without looking at your phone?
A: As long as needed.

Q: What was the last app you downloaded on your phone? What is your most-used app?
A: Weather Channel. Weather Channel.

Q: What’s one game show or reality show you could go on that you think you could win?
A: Jeopardy.

Q: Retirement destination?
A: Haven’t put much thought into it.

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