Jim Regan enters his 39th season as head coach of the Cardinals. During the past 39 years, Regan has guided the team to a 381-272-59 record.
Regan has begun the rebuilding process for the Wheeling Men's Soccer program, and got it started on the right foot by bringing in 17 new recruits for the 2021 season. During the spring of 2021, Wheeling went 1-7 in Mountain East Conference Play, as a primarily young team got its feet wet in collegiate soccer, and gained some much needed experience on the field.
The 2018 Wheeling squad finished the season 10-6-3 and managed to secure the No. 3 seed in the Mountain East Conference Tournament. The Cardinals went on to upset No. 2 seed Notre Dame College in the semifinals, advancing in PKs 5-4, before falling to the University of Charleston in the league championship game.
The Cardinals added six wins to Regan's win total in 2016. The veteran coach guided his 2015 squad to the MEC playoff semifinal and a 10-8-1 record. WU shut out then No. 1-ranked University of Charleston, 2-0, and added a second victory over the eventual NCAA Final Four and MEC Champions.
Regan was named Wheeling University's head men’s soccer coach in 1983, and in his first season at the helm, the Cardinals finished 11-6 overall. Regan is responsible for elevating the men’s program to national prominence, with a top 20 ranking in 1999, 2000 and 2003 along with an Elite Eight appearance in the 2000 NCAA Division II National Tournament.
In 1988, Regan established Wheeling University's women’s soccer program. He spent 14 years leading the two teams on the field, before handing over the reigns in 2002 to his former player and WU Hall of Famer Carrie Hanna. Regan compiled a record of 185-92-7 with the women for a 545-321-62 overall career mark.
The Belfast, Northern Ireland native instills in his players a sense of composure and patience for a possession-oriented, attractive style of soccer. His strong work ethic and spirit for competition are exemplified by the efforts of his players on the field.
His teams at Wheeling University generated 36 All-Americans, eight District Championships, seven Regional Titles, six WVIAC Championships and four National Tournament appearances. The five-time WVIAC Coach of the Year earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Coach of the Year award after the 2000 season.
Regan was inducted into the Wheeling University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Bethany College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. During his playing career (Bethany), he was a two-time First Team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference selection and helped guide Bethany to four conference titles.
In addition to his head coaching duties, Regan served as the academic liaison between the athletic department and faculty.
Regan has coaching certificates from UEFA, the USSF, the Canadian Soccer Association, and has been a member on the NCAA women’s national soccer committee.
Regan resides in Wheeling with his wife, Jill. All of their four children – Sean, Kyle, Brandon and Danielle – all played soccer at Wheeling Jesuit. Coaching runs in the Regan family – his wife, Jill, coaches soccer at the Linsly School, his son, Sean, is the Head Men's Soccer Coach at rival-West Liberty and his other son, Brandon, is the assistant men's soccer coach at Robert Morris University.
