Boston, MA- This past spring saw the addition of four new head coaches into the Athletic Department. The new staff is split among the three seasons with one already leading the team to a successful A.I.I. post season appearance this past winter. Fisher is happy to welcome Head Women's Soccer Coach Julian Crowder, Head Women's Basketball Coach, Jesse Ford, Head Men's Soccer Coach, Joseph Tibbs and Katie Zuman, Head Softball Coach to the staff.
Coach Julian Crowder enters his first season as the Head Women's Soccer Coach. Crowder initially began his career at Fisher College as an assistant coach with the men's soccer staff after finishing a three year career at Dean College and University of Massachusetts – Boston. He is a recipient of an Associate's degree in Science in 2009 from Dean. During the 2017 season Crowder was asked to take over operational and game oversight of the Women' Soccer team leading them into the conference post-season. The 2018 season will be Crowder's first season at the helm of the Women's Soccer program.
A 2-year varsity starting goalkeeper at Salem HS in Salem. MA, he also played in three futsal national tournaments.
Coach Jesse Ford has entered his second season with the Fisher College Women's Basketball coaching staff. After being named the Interim Head Coach in November of 2017, he was officially named the Head Coach on January 25th of 2018. During the 2017-18 season, Coach Ford was able to lead the Fisher Women's Basketball team to a program-best 17-11 regular season record, finishing above .500 for the first time in program history. The record-setting season was capped off with the programs first ever NAIA A.I.I. Tournament post-season appearance, dropping a competitive battle against Stillman College and finishing the season at 17-12.
Coached by Ford, the Falcons ranked top 15 in the country in Defensive Field Goal Percentage and in Steals per Game. Offensively, they also ranked top 20 in the country in Assists per Game and in Made 3-pt Field Goals per Game.
Ford had previously been a part of the Fisher College Men's Basketball program for four seasons as an Assistant Coach, and as the Associate Head Coach during his final season with the team.
Prior to Fisher, Ford brings with him four additional years of extensive coaching experience, including three at the Division 1 level. During the 2013-14 season, Ford worked as a Graduate Assistant under Don Verlin and the University of Idaho Men's Basketball program (finished 5th in the WAC and 2nd in the WAC tournament). At Idaho, Ford assisted in all aspects of coaching duties, including individual workouts and game film analysis.
Additionally, he spent the 2012-13 season as an Assistant Varsity Boys' Basketball Coach at Genesee High School in Genesee, Idaho. As an undergraduate at the University of Idaho, he spent two seasons (2008-09 and 2010-11) as an undergraduate Student Assistant under Coach Jon Newlee for the University of Idaho Women's Basketball program.
Coach Joseph Tibbs will be entering his first season has the men's head soccer coach at Fisher College. He brings impressive coaching experience from the elite club, high school, Olympic Development Program, and collegiate levels.
Prior to starting at Fisher, Tibbs served as the head coach of the men's soccer team at the University of Maine-Machias. Coach Tibbs led the Clippers to an overall 2nd place finish in conference play in addition to making it to the Yankee Small College Conference Tournament semifinals. Tibbs coached both the YSCC All-Conference Player and the YSCC Player of the Year. 2 student-athletes were named to the USCAA All-American Team as well as 1 being named to the USCAA National All-Academic Team.
Coach Tibbs gained invaluable coaching experience at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. Tibbs has held assistant coaching stints at Southern Virginia, St. Bonaventure, Southern Connecticut State, and Central Connecticut State Universities. In addition, Tibbs has served as head coach or staff member of ODP teams in Alaska, Connecticut, Eastern New York, South Dakota and Virginia.
A big supporter of youth soccer, Coach Tibbs has been heavily in invested in youth development over the years. Tibbs had a successful tenure as the Director of Coaching with Fredericksburg Soccer Club Inc. based in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He helped turn FSCI into a successful community-based club in the Northern Virginia area by creating technical initiatives in player development and coaching education. Tibbs implemented new year-long programming that attracted families from the recreation, academy, and competitive levels. In addition, he appointed the first full-time Youth Academy Director to oversee the development of players ages 5-12, and recruited several new head coaches to lead teams within the competitive select program.
Before FSCI, Tibbs served as Technical Director with the Alaska Rush Soccer Club based in Anchorage, Alaska. During his Stint, he managed the coaching staff, provided player development clinics, and was responsible for increasing club standards. In 2011, Tibbs coached the AK Rush U15 Boys to the semifinals of the Alaska State Cup.
From 2008-2011, he worked as a professional staff coach with South Central Premier Soccer Club in Connecticut. During that time, South Central was a member of the US Soccer Development Academy program. Tibbs coached several players that participated in the USSDA program, and many of his players have continued their careers at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels.
He currently holds a US Soccer National "C" License, US Soccer National Youth License, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, and the NSCAA Level II Goalkeeping Diploma. He has also served on the coaching education instructional staff for Alaska Youth Soccer Association and the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association.
Coach Katie Zuman started this past June as the Falcons newest addition to the coaching staff. Zuman brings a historic pedigree to the softball program. She was previously the Head Softball Coach at Mount Ida College, having taken over the program in 2008. Zuman will also be serving as Fisher's Sports Information Director after previously holding a position as the Student Affairs Operations Manager at Mount Ida.
In her tenure as Head Coach, the Mustangs amassed a record of 137-253. Zuman has directed 15 different players to GNAC all-conference honors along with a berth into their first ever trip to the GNAC post-season tournament in 2010 and return trips to the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. Her team also finished with the highest GPA across all sports last spring with a team GPA of 3.65, as well as coaching over 35 NFCA Scholar Athletes.
A 2001 Wheaton College graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Zuman played shortstop and centerfield for the Lyons. As a captain in her senior year, she helped lead her team to an impressive 42-9 record along with a 3rd place finish in the Division III College World Series. She was a two-time Regional All-American, the New 8 Rookie of the Year, NEWMAC All Conference, NEISCA All-Star and an ECAC All-Star. She is also in the top ten in the Wheaton softball record book for runs scored (138), hits (189), doubles (34), triples (9), and stolen bases (44).
The addition of these four coaches help to round out Fisher College's Athletics staff in ensuring a strong a dedicated coaching staff for all student athletes.