DaytonDailyNews.com

FAIRBORN — It's that awkward moment between coaches.

No one's in charge, except you're in charge.

"Recruiting is ongoing," said David Wall, Wright State's assistant men's soccer coach. "We've got targets for 2009. But we are in a holding pattern. Recruits are waiting to see who's selected as head coach."

For now, though, recruits are talking with Wall, and Kamal Raphael, the other assistant, since head coach Mike Tracy resigned following his eighth season recently. It was a resignation orchestrated by mutual consent with the athletic department.

The Raiders posted a third-straight losing season, were 69-84-6 in Tracy's tenure and had only one winning record in that time, 12-7-1 in his first season.

Senior Associate Athletic Director Rod Perry is heading the search and is posting the opening just this week. He said he hopes to have a new coach named by March 1.

"We've already had commitments from about four recruits and we will honor those," Perry said. "At the same time, we want the new coach to have some room to bring in recruits, too."

Perry said he sees the position as a popular one and already has had several inquiries. Not only is WSU committing to soccer, but the Horizon League has made an impact nationally, winning at least one game in the NCAA tournament in each of the last seven seasons and sending two teams to the tournament three times in the last eight years, including last season.

Wright State wants to become part of that mix.

"I don't think anything has gone wrong," Wall said. "Mike is a good coach. Just his results didn't go so well. The future is bright here. We have a good club, good character. We've had some wonderful people here as coaches."

Wall has submitted his application to be considered the next coach, but the search won't begin officially until the job is posted, the way it has to be at public institutions.

A native of Derby, England, Wall initially came to the United States to play and coach soccer professionally in Minnesota.

He met his wife, Tiffany, eventually moving to her home town of Troy a year ago, and taking the job as Tracy's assistant.

For now, he's in charge, keeping up with recruits, making calls to potential recruits and setting up training plans for the players on hand.

"Players are reporting this week," Wall said. "Our training starts Monday."

The new coach will join them later — or already is in place.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157

or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.