Head Coach Grant Serafy
Grant Serafy is entering his third season at Mercer and hopes to cement the building blocks he laid during his first two years at the helm. With the goal of building a consistent winner and nationally successful team, Serafy has infused the Mercer program with a sense of renewed enthusiasm during his brief tenure. He has succeeded at all levels of soccer and is looking to guide the Bears back to the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament for the first time since 1998.
Serafy aims to build on the momentum gained during his first two seasons at the helm. Injuries have plagued his teams, but he and his players fought through adversity to win seven matches in 2004 and six in 2005. The Bears finished the 2004 season strong, winning three of their last four matches. Mercer finished 2005 on a sour note, dropping its regular-season finale and narrowly missing out on the conference tournament.
However, a trio of Bears earned honors during his first two seasons. Catie Marshalek was named to the 2004 Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team, leading the team in points and goals. Last year, Meghan Castaldo followed in Marshalek's footsteps and led the squad in points, goals and assists while earning A-Sun All-Freshman honors. Defender Heather Manting also earned an All-Freshman team selection, providing solid defense in a make-shift back line while chipping in offensively when needed.
Through tireless effort and dedication to success, Serafy has provided the program with an identity that will lead it into the future. Perhaps more important than the team's results the past two seasons, Serafy has brought in high-caliber players. His hard work on the recruiting trail is paying dividends, as Mercer's 2005 recruiting class was ranked first in the conference by Soccer Buzz, and earned regional recognition. Serafy showed his touch on the recruiting trail again, as the 2006 class was ranked second in the Atlantic Sun by Soccer Buzz.
Serafy also emphasizes excellence in the classroom, where nine players earned academic all-conference honors in 2004 and 10 players received the distinction in 2005. "We seek student-athletes who are talented soccer players, that are strong academically and demonstrate effort in the classroom, and that have good character," said Serafy. "Those are also the qualities we try to emphasize while our players attend Mercer. We want them to have the best four years of Division I soccer they can have, we want them to graduate in four years with a solid GPA with the degree of their choice, and we want their character to have developed further. We are strong believers in adhering to the values of our soccer program on the field, off the field, and in the classroom."
If past success is any indication of the future, the Bears' fortunes should be bright. Serafy may still be adjusting to the collegiate environment, but he is certainly no stranger to Macon, or to achievement on the field.
The fifth women's soccer coach in the program's 22-year history, Serafy came to Mercer on March 17, 2004, after spending the previous 16 years at Stratford Academy in Macon, where the Atlanta, Ga., native developed both the boys' and girls' soccer teams into dominant forces, winning 16 state championships.
After taking over the Stratford boys' soccer program in 1988, Serafy quickly built the program into a GISA power, guiding the Eagles to a third place finish in 1989, their highest finish ever in the state playoffs. The Eagles followed up on their success the next season as Serafy guided Stratford to their first state championship. The Eagles would be no stranger to success for the remainder of Serafy's tenure. Stratford went on to win six more boys' state championships under Serafy's leadership, and he would finish with an overall boys' record of 215-64-13.
Serafy's stay at Stratford also included the beginning of one of the most dominant girls' soccer teams in the state in 1995. In that first season, the girls' team went 10-5-1.
Success for the girls' program continued, as the Eagles continued to win state championships throughout the '90s. In 1996, Stratford received its first national ranking, coming in 17th in the UMBRO/NSCAA girls' high school Top 20 poll. The 2000 squad was ranked 25th in the Fab-50 rankings by Student Sports Magazine. The undefeated 2002 squad was ranked 17th by that same publication, and the 2003 team climbed to 34th in the poll.
Serafy's nine years of guiding the girls' soccer program at Stratford resulted in nine consecutive state championships and an overall record of 153-14-4.
Serafy holds a class "A" license from the United States Soccer Federation and a Premier Diploma from the NSCAA, the two highest forms of coaching credentials in the country. He has been a staff coach for the Georgia State Soccer Association and a coach for the Georgia Olympic Development Program.
Originally from Atlanta, Ga., Serafy starred at the Westminster Schools, playing on two state championship teams before playing at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., for two seasons. He completed his collegiate career at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education. Serafy earned a master's degree in sport management from Springfield College in Massachusetts, and served as a graduate assistant for the men's program. He is single and resides in Macon.