Westminster College Athletics

Ryan Francis '15 was named the head coach of the Westminster College men's soccer program on April 17, 2025

"Ryan is a terrific fit to lead the Westminster men's soccer program into its next chapter," said Director of Athletics Jason Lener. "We are excited to watch him move this program forward, building a very competitive team that our current players, alumni and the College will be proud of. Ryan has proven himself as a tireless recruiter and is relentless in his game preparation and scouting. We believe he is exactly the right coach to lead this program well into the future." 

In February, the College made the decision to split the men's and women's coaching positions, allowing longtime head coach Girish 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. 

"I'd like to thank President Richardson, Jason Lener and all the staff involved during the search for their trust and support and allowing me the opportunity to lead this program," Francis said. "I've been incredibly fortunate to be a part of this program for over a decade while having a true legend like Girish as a mentor. I'm incredibly excited to build on the pride and tradition involved with the program."

Francis served as a graduate assistant with the men's program from 2016-19 and as an assistant coach from 2019-21. During that time, Westminster made five playoff appearances and won Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament titles in 2015, as the No. 4 seed, and 2018, as the No. 2 seed. He also worked closely with PAC Player of the Year selections Nick Iregui '21 in 2018 and Ahmed Cisse '20 in 2019. Since the start of the 2022 season Francis has worked primarily with the women's program, helping secure three-straight playoff appearances and a PAC Championship Tournament title in 2022 as the No. 1 seed. Francis also assisted with the development of PAC Defensive Player of the Year selections Sophia Galietta '24 in 2023 and Morgan Murphy in 2024 and PAC Newcomer of the Year selections Murphy in 2022 and Chloe LaRosa in 2023. 

A key figure within Westminster's soccer program over the last decade, Francis was a four-year player, two-time All-PAC selection and team captain during his run with the Titans. A feisty defender, he appeared in 75 career matches, making 71 starts.

A native of Harwick, Pa. and 2011 graduate of Springdale High School, Francis earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Westminster in 2015 and a master's degree in education in 2019.