Westminster College Athletics

Girish Thakar is in his 24th season leading Westminster College's women's soccer program. In February 2025, the College made the decision to split the men's and women's coaching positions, hiring Ryan Francis '15 as the head coach of the men's program and allowing Thakar to concentrate specifically on the women's side. The move separates the programs' coaching staffs for the first time since 2002, when Thakar began running the two programs concurrently. 

Thakar enters the 2025 women's soccer season with 289 victories, six PAC titles and six appearances in the NCAA Division III Championship field, including four straight from 2002-05. Westminster received the PAC's first-ever automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Championship in 2007. Thakar's six PAC women's championships are the third-most in league history. 

In 2024 Westminster clinched the PAC's regular season title with a 9-0-1 league record and secured the No. 1 seed in the PAC Championship Tournament for the fourth time in the last six years. After earning a 1-0 semifinal win over Saint Vincent on Nov. 6, the Titans suffered a 4-3 loss to No. 2 Grove City in the league's title match on Nov. 6 at the UPMC Sports Complex in New Wilmington. Westminster wrapped up its season with an 11-6-1 record. 

The program had three players recognized with United Soccer Coaches All-Region VII honors in 2024: Brooke Horvath and Morgan Murphy were named first team while Gabby Hunter was a second team selection. A total of six players were named Academic All-District^® team selections last season by the College Sports Communicators (CSC): Allie Augustine, Horvath, Hunter, Murphy, Mackenzie Powell and Natalie Vilchek.

A four-time PAC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year award winner, Thakar has coached a pair of PAC Player of the Year award winners: Tammy Newell in 2002 and Mallory Bugel in 2005 and 2006. The program has seen four of its first-year players named PAC Newcomer of the Year: Julia Redilla in 2019, Brooke Horvath in 2021, Morgan Murphy in 2022 and Chloe LaRosa in 2023 and had Sophia Galietta in 2023 and Murphy in 2024 named PAC Defensive Player of Year award winners. 

Prior to arriving in New Wilmington, Thakar was the head men’s coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, from 1993-96. He graduated from Slippery Rock in 1991 and later earning a master’s degree from the university. As a player at Slippery Rock, Thakar was a four-year starter who earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honors.