University of Houston Athletics
Suzie Grech Named Houston Assistant Soccer Coach
6/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
June 25, 2012
HOUSTON - Suzie Grech has joined the University of Houston's soccer program as an assistant coach with her hiring Monday, head coach Chris Pfau announced.
"I am very excited to bring Suzie on staff. I have known her for the past four years and have been impressed with what she has done as the head coach at Western Michigan," Pfau said. "To bring in someone like Suzie with her experience will not only make our student-athletes better but also make an immediate impact on all aspects of our program."
Grech, whose name is pronounced Gr-etch (rhymes with sketch), joins the Houston program after spending three seasons as the head coach of the Western Michigan women's program. There, she put together one of the most successful three-year runs in program history, appearing in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament title games in 2010 and 2011.
Under her watch, the Broncos improved their win total every year, tying the school record for most wins and most conference wins in a season in 2011 with a 14-8, an 8-3 MAC record.
Grech's student-athletes also excelled in the classroom, where they were honored with National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Awards the last two seasons, carrying a team GPA of 3.64 this past school year.
"I am very excited to join the University of Houston Cougar family. I would like to thank Mack Rhoades, DeJuena Chizer, and Chris Pfau for this incredible opportunity and all they have done to bring me on staff," Grech said. "It is an exciting time for Houston Athletics, and I am grateful to be a part of the journey. I look forward to working with Coach Pfau and the Cougars in the pursuit of excellence."
Grech served as assistant coach at Western Michigan in 2008 before being promoted to interim head coach in December 2009 and full-time head coach in 2010.
Prior to Western Michigan, Grech was an assistant at Marshall for two seasons (2005-2006) and coached at the high school level (2007).
Grech, a standout goalkeeper at the University of Michigan from 2000-2003, is the all-time leader in goals-against average and shutouts. She ended her collegiate career with a record of 36-18-3. Grech helped her team make four NCAA appearances and earned Second Team All-Big Ten and All-Great Lakes Region honors.
The Philadelphia, native also participated internationally for Spain, where she earned a silver medal at the European Women's U-18 Championships in 1999 and 2000.
Grech received her bachelor's degree in physical education in 2005 from Michigan and received her master's degree in sports administration from Marshall in 2006. She also holds a United States Federation (USSF) National "B" License and has a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) advanced national goalkeeping diploma.
