Feb. 6, 2007

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst College Director of Athletics Pete Russo has announced that the college has extended the contract of head men's and women's soccer coach Keith Cammidge for four years. The contract runs through the 2010-11 school year.

Although Cammidge had an offer to take over the men's soccer team at Fort Lewis College, one of the premier programs in NCAA Division II soccer, he chose to stay at Mercyhurst, where he has built both the men's and women's soccer programs into national contenders.

Cammidge has a 70-20-7 record in five years as the men's coach at Mercyhurst and a 67-24-5 record in the same time span as the women's coach. In 2006, the men went 17-4, while the women finished 16-4. Both teams won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference regular season title (the women were co-champions) and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs. The men's program has won 10 of the past 11 GLIAC Championships and advanced to the Division II Final Four in 2002, Cammidge's first season at the helm.

"His success made it very easy to recommend a contract extension for such a committed coach," Russo said. "The present members of the soccer teams and the new recruits now know that he will still be here when they graduate."

While Fort Lewis won the Division II Men's Soccer National Championship in 2005 and advanced to the championship game in 2006, Cammidge made a statement by staying at Mercyhurst.

"It speaks volumes to the commitment of this institution to run successful and consistent soccer programs," Cammidge said.

Prior to coaching at Mercyhurst, Cammidge headed up NCAA Division I programs at Northeastern University, Drexel University, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He has a career mark of 171-177-14 in 19 years coaching men's soccer and 80-46-5 in six years coaching women's soccer.

"Mercyhurst gave me an opportunity when I needed one," Cammidge said. "I'm grateful for that and feel a sense of loyalty to the school."

Cammidge earned his Bachelor's Degree in physical education and exercise physiology from Boston University and got his Master's Degree in sports management from Northeastern.

He played his collegiate soccer as a midfielder at Boston University and was a member of the 1980 NCAA Tournament team and 1981 ECAC championship team.

He was born in London, England, and is married to the former Maureen Daly. They have a son, Ryan, and daughters Kelly and Clara Rose.