Alex Van der Sluijs joined the Wright State men's soccer coaching staff in April 2022, being named head coach just a year later.
Van der Sluijs led the Raiders to a three-win improvement in his second season at the helm, finishing the 2024 campaign with a 7-9-2 overall record and a 3-5-1 mark in Horizon League play. Two players earned 2024 All-League recognition: Cole Werthmuller was named Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year and selected to the All-League First Team, while Brock Pickett earned a spot on the All-League Third Team. In total, four Raiders — Felix Ezekwuka, Conner Osterholt, Brock Pickett, and Cole Werthmuller — were named to the 2024 Horizon League All-Academic Team.
Werthmuller also received United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Second Team honors, was named to the OCSA All-Ohio Second Team and All-Ohio All-Academic Team, and was recognized as the Horizon League Fall 2024 Scholar-Athlete of the Season. Both Werthmuller and Pickett were selected to the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America teams — Werthmuller to the Third Team and Pickett to the Second.
In his first season as head coach, Van der Sluijs put up a 4-9-5 overall record and 3-4-2 league record his first season, leading the program to the Horizon League Tournament quarterfinals. Under Van der Sluijs, two Raiders earned All-Horizon League honors, with Henry Hutchinson being named to the 2023 All-Freshman team and Brock Pickett to the 2023 All-Academic team.
Van der Sluijs joined the Raiders after a four-season stint as the head men's soccer coach at Wilmington College, while he also spent seven years at Defiance College, including serving as the school's head men's and women's soccer coach.
At Wilmington College, Van der Sluijs guided the Fightin' Quakers to four consecutive winning seasons and was named the 2021 OAC Coach of the Year after leading the team to 12 wins, its most victories in a season in 15 campaigns. Under his tutelage, Wilmington earned 19 All-OAC awards, including garnering the OAC Forward and Defender of the Year honors in 2021. Additionally, forward Yusef Muqtadir garnered First Team All-OAC recognition and earned Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. During his time at Defiance, Van der Sluijs guided the men's program to its first winning season in 11 years, and its most-ever conference wins, in the 2013 campaign. On the women's side, Van der Sluijs led Defiance to the program's first-ever winning season in 2012. He currently still has the second-most wins in both Defiance men's and women's program history.
Van der Sluijs returned to Wilmington College following three years at Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, where he served as head boys' soccer coach and led the Eagles to three consecutive winning seasons. A 2007 graduate of Wilmington, Van der Sluijs was a three-time First Team All-OAC selection as a player and was named OAC Forward of the Year on two occasions. He was a key offensive figure on a team that won Wilmington College's most recent OAC regular season title in 2004.
Van der Sluijs resides in Beavercreek with his wife, Paige, son, Yori and daughter, Annika.
Alex Van der Sluijs Year-by-Year (Men's)
| Year |
School |
Overall |
Pct. |
Conference |
Pct. |
Notes/Highlights |
| 2010 |
Defiance (Men's) |
5-11-2 |
.333 |
1-7-1 |
.188 |
Finished 9th overall in the HCAC |
| 2011 |
Defiance (Men's) |
5-10-3 |
.361 |
3-4-2 |
.444 |
Finished 7th overall in the HCAC |
| 2012 |
Defiance (Men's) |
3-15-1 |
.184 |
3-5-1 |
.389 |
Finished T-6th overall in the HCAC
Program's first ever winning season |
| 2013 |
Defiance (Men's) |
10-9-0 |
.526 |
5-4 |
.556 |
Finished 6th overall in the HCAC |
| 2014 |
Defiance (Men's) |
5-13-2 |
.300 |
3-5-1 |
.389 |
Finished 7th overall in the HCAC |
| 5 Seasons |
|
28-58-8 |
.340 |
15-20-5 |
.438 |
2nd most wins in program history |
| 2018 |
Wilmington College |
9-8-0 |
.529 |
4-5-0 |
.444 |
Finished 6th overall in the OAC |
| 2019 |
Wilmington College |
9-7-2 |
.556 |
3-5-1 |
.389 |
Finished 8th overall in the OAC |
| 2020-21 |
Wilmington College |
7-3-1 |
.682 |
6-3-0 |
.667 |
Finished 3rd overall in the OAC
Advanced to OAC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2021 |
Wilmington College |
12-3-3 |
.750 |
5-2-2 |
.667 |
Finished 3rd overall in the OAC
Advanced to OAC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 4 Seasons |
|
37-21-6 |
.625 |
18-15-3 |
.542 |
|
| 2023 |
Wright State |
4-9-5 |
.361 |
3-4-2 |
.444 |
Finished 6th overall in the HL
Advanced to HL Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2024 |
Wright State |
7-9-2 |
.444 |
3-5-1 |
.389 |
Finished T-7th overall in the HL |
| 2 Season |
|
11-18-7 |
.403 |
6-9-3 |
.417 |
|
| 11 Seasons |
|
76-88-21 |
.448 |
39-44-11 |
.473 |
|
Alex Van der Sluijs Year-by-Year (Women's)
| 2010 |
Defiance (Women's) |
4-9-4 |
.303 |
2-5-2 |
.333 |
Finished 7th overall in the HCAC |
| 2011 |
Defiance (Women's) |
5-14-0 |
.263 |
3-6-0 |
.444 |
Finished T-7th overall in the HCAC |
| 2012 |
Defiance (Women's) |
9-6-4 |
.579 |
4-3-2 |
.556 |
Finished T-5th overall in the HCAC |
| 2013 |
Defiance (Women's) |
6-11-2 |
.368 |
3-5-1 |
.389 |
Finished 5th overall in the HCAC |
| 4 Seasons |
|
24-40-10 |
.392 |
12-19-5 |
.403 |
Most wins in program history |
