St. Clair County Community College is pleased to announce the addition of two coaches to lead Skippers Athletics teams in women’s soccer and Esports. Todd Stank will serve as the women’s soccer coach and James Jordan will be the Esports coach.
Both women’s soccer and Esports were added to the college’s growing list of athletic offerings this fall. In doing so, SC4 became just the sixth community college in Michigan to offer women’s soccer and was among the first 50 of 520 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) member institutions nationwide to field an Esports team.
The women’s soccer team will begin its play in 2020-21 and will be recruiting players over the coming year. The Esports team will begin NJCAA Esports competition this semester, potentially competing in Rocket League (PC), FIFA 20 (PS4), Overwatch (PC) and Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo Switch).
“We’re thrilled to welcome Todd and James to our Athletics program,” SC4 Athletic Director Dale Vos said. “They both bring tremendous experience and expertise to the college, along with the energy level needed to get these programs off the ground and help them reach their potential.”
A graduate of Siena Heights University, Stank has extensive experience coaching soccer. He has served as head coach at Rochester University (women’s), Waterford Kettering High School (women’s) and Capac High School (men’s and women’s). He has also served as head trainer at Romeo High School and as a staff coach and president with an array of metro Detroit soccer clubs, including the Blue Water Soccer Club.
A former Michigan Olympic Development Program evaluator, Stank holds licenses from both the United States Soccer Coaches Association and the United States Soccer Federation. He was named NAIA WHAC Conference Champions of Character Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018, and his teams continuously experience both athletic and academic success.
“I am grateful to be chosen to start the soccer program at SC4,” Stank said. “I have had the privilege of helping to build teams, clubs and programs at many competitive levels throughout my coaching career. It is a rare honor, and I look forward to the challenge and opportunity of creating and establishing a high standard and competitive culture for the SC4 women’s soccer program. Our program should always represent the college, our athletes and our community in a positive manner.”
Jordan brings six years of Esports coaching and managing experience to the college. He has coached and competed at various skill levels from minor events to premier competitions against top talent from around the world. In 2018 he led Splyce’s Rocket League team to a first-place finish in RLRS, earning a berth into RLCS, Rocket League’s World Championship Circuit. In 2019 Jordan coached and competed in various international competitions against top teams from Europe, South America and Oceania.
An SC4 alumnus, Capac, Mich., native and current St. Clair resident, Jordan also works as a unit operator for DTE Energy at St. Clair Power Plant.
“I’m excited to be here,” Jordan said. “The opportunity to foster a culture of hard work, critical thinking and excellence at SC4 is something that I don’t take lightly. I have been fortunate enough to compete with and against some of the world’s best, and I am thrilled to share that knowledge and experience with those right here in my hometown community.”
