Englishman Phil Wheddon, the goalkeeper coach for the United States women's national team, is Syracuse University's new women's soccer coach and will take over full-time after the 2008 Beijing Olympics (if the USA reaches the finals).
 
Wheddon, who is the third coach in SU women's history, became the national team's goalkeeper coach in 2002 and helped lead the team to a third-place finish in the 2003 World Cup. A year later, his team won the gold medal in Athens, defeating Brazil, 2-1. He has also worked with the men's national team program as a goalie coach.
 
"To become a head coach at the collegiate level after all of my experience at the international level is a great next step," Wheddon said. "Being part of the US soccer federation has afforded me some great opportunities. It has helped me prepare for the next step in my coaching career. I have been fortunate to have worked with some of the best coaches in the world and the best people. I appreciate all of them. I have won an Olympic gold medal and coached in the men's and women's World Cup. These experiences put me in a great position to lead Syracuse."

A native of a native of Basingstoke, England, Wheddon graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 1994. In 2000, he served as the goalkeeper coach for MLS's MetroStars before becoming an assistant coach for the Boston Breakers of the WUSA in 2001 and 2002.