Erik Skipper

Erik “Skip” Skipper, who served as a volunteer coach worked the last four years, was promoted to the top assistant coach on the Seattle Pacific University men’s soccer staff, Head Coach Mark Collings announced June 20, 2017.

“I’m really excited to have Skip working with us on a full time basis,” Collings said. “Skip and I have known each other since our playing days at SPU and to get to work together now is pretty cool for both of us. The dynamics in our office are great with both Jimmy Ward and Skip, I feel really fortunate to come to work every day with these guys.”

During Skipper’s four seasons as a volunteer, he helped guide SPU to a 48-13-14 record, including a 26-4-9 home mark at Interbay Stadium.

The Falcons made three consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, two of them as the No. 1 seed in the West Region. They won the 2014 and 2015 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships.

“The fact that Skip has been with us the past four years as a volunteer should make for a really smooth transition. His contributions the past four years have been immense, so I’m excited to see what he’s able to do in a full time role,” said Collings.

“His promotion will allow us to continue moving forward as a program and also means that he will get to start implementing some of his ideas a little faster than if we were starting with someone that didn’t have the same familiarity with SPU. Erik’s passion for SPU and knowledge of the game make him a great mentor for all of the guys in our program.”

The four-year letterman on the Seattle Pacific men's soccer team from 1998 to 2001 started 69 of the 74 games he played as a collegian. Skipper netted 16 career goals for the Falcons, half of them (8) game-winning strikes. Skipper tallied five game-winning goals as a junior in 2000. He distributed 12 assists as a Falcon.

He compiled three goals and one assist as a freshman in 1998, starting all 23 games for an SPU squad that advanced to the national semifinals.

Skipper was also an outstanding student at SPU and as a senior received the prestigious Falcon Award for Excellence, the school’s highest honor issues to student-athletes, taking into account her academic, athletic and leadership qualities.

The 2002 Seattle Pacific graduate worked as a math teacher at Seattle’s Blaine Middle School from September 2006 through June 2014 and has been active in local club soccer coaching.

Skipper takes over the top assistant coaching position vacated by Kevin Reiman, who was hired as an assistant on the Xavier (Ohio) men’s soccer staff. A former MLS player with Real Salt Lake, Reiman served four seasons at SPU.