KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's soccer program and head coach Chad Wiseman are excited to announce the hiring of Scott Spada as the program's Director of Soccer Operations and Garrett Loehr as the program's Assistant Goalkeeper Coach.
 
"Scott has an unbelievable amount of experience working with athletes from very diverse backgrounds. He is a Bronco alumnus and very passionate about the success of the athletic department," Coach Wiseman said. "Scott is a winner on and off the field and in the Kalamazoo community. Our student-athletes are going to enjoy the relationships they create with Scott. He brings a great outgoing personality and sense of humor which our program values!"
 
With a strong background in coaching and leadership, Spada joins the program after retiring from a distinguished 25-year (1998-2023) teaching career at Kalamazoo Central HS. With 25 seasons of coaching high school and middle school sports in the Kalamazoo Public Schools (1998-Present), Scott has consistently demonstrated his commitment to developing young athletes.
 
Spada's exceptional achievements have been recognized by the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association, as he was inducted into their esteemed Hall of Fame in 2023. Additionally, his impact extends beyond baseball, having also been inducted into the Michigan NSA/BPA Hall of Fame in 2015.
 
Passionate about creating opportunities for aspiring athletes, Spada founded and directed Team Kalamazoo Baseball for 26 years (1998-Present), providing a platform for players to hone their skills and reach their full potential. Furthermore, he served as the Club Director of the Kalamazoo Wrestling Academy from 2017 to 2021, contributing to the growth and development of the sport.
 
Spada's athletic dedication to sports extends to his collegiate years. A four-year member of the Western Michigan University baseball program (1994-1997), he holds a bachelor's degree in physical education teacher/coach from WMU in 1998 and a master's degree in athletic administration/sports management from WMU in 2003.
 
Loehr joins the program after previously serving as an assistant goalkeeper coach for the Minot State soccer program from the 2022-23 season. During his time at Minot State, he oversaw training sessions, periodization, scouting, Spiideo software analysis, and VX GPS tracking of the health and fitness of each goalkeeper. 
 
Loehr entered the coaching profession as the Director of Goalkeeping in 2016 for KC Blaze Soccer Club. While at KC Blaze Soccer Club, he executed goalkeeper-specific training for all keepers in the club and planned camps internally as well as for the greater KC Metro Area. 
 
From 2017-2020, the Kansas City, Missouri native served as the boys and girls varsity assistant goalkeeper coach at Regis Jesuit High School. At the same time, Loehr worked with the former Director of Goalkeeping for FC Barcelona, Carles Gil, as a goalkeeper coach to implement training sessions, and international and local camps for the Barcelona Elite Soccer Club and its training program, Total Goalie 360.
 
Loehr played four seasons at Rockhurst University from 2013-2017, where he helped guide the Hawks to three NCAA Division II Final Four appearances. After leaving Rockhurst, he spent the 2019-2020 season as a goalkeeper for FC Denver.
 
"The program has been looking for a GK coach and we found our guy," Coach Wiseman added. "Garrett has a great set of skills that will boost our already talented goalkeeper fleet. He emphasizes creating relationships, is extremely hard-working, and is ready to learn and adapt to the Bronco way of doing things."
 
Spada and Loehr join existing assistant coaches Shane Lyons and Mike Haines, Athletic Trainer Danny Walen, and Strength and Conditioning Coach John Deal for the 2023 season.