Jim Conlon was named the fourth head coach in Grand Valley State Soccer history on Friday, July 30, 2021.
Before his tenure with the Lakers, Conlon spent 12 seasons as the head coach of Division III Washington University in St. Louis, where he led the Bears to three national championship game appearances, including the program's first National Title in 2016 and runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2015, nine University Athletic Association (UAA) titles and 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament in his 12 seasons on the Danforth Campus. He had a
208-37-19 (.824) overall record leading the Bears.
Prior to joining WashU, Conlon served as both the men’s and women’s head coach at Division III Wartburg (Waverly, Iowa) where he became the first full-time head coach and improved both programs from sub-.300-win percentages in his first year to double-digit wins by both programs in each of his final four seasons. He led the men to four NCAA Tournament appearances and got the women to their first-ever NCAA Tournament in his final season before departing for WashU.
Conlon was a four-year varsity letter winner at Loras College, where upon graduation he began his coaching career as an assistant for both the men’s and women’s team while earning a master’s degree in physical education. Conlon and his wife, Jeanne, have two children; Courtney (16) and Carson (13).
