“I wanted to be closer. We live in Beavercreek, and I was home at 8 or 9 o’clock. And with two young kids, I missed a lot of quality time.”
The 38-year-old Dayton native will get to keep that short commute home and have his family nearby after being named the Wright State men’s coach Tuesday.
And his one season on the staff was a factor in being named to replace Jake Slemker.
Van Der Sluijs — it’s pronounced Van Der Slice, and he’s known as coach Slice — had a multitude of duties on the staff, but his main focus was building bonds with the players and exhibiting his passion for the game.
“Coaching is a calling. That’s what draws you to it,” said Van Der Sluijs, who spent four years at Wilmington, seven at Defiance College and three at Chaminade Julienne.
“Ultimately, I want to love and care for our guys … I want them to play for each other. I think that’s the way to sustain winning and build something great that lasts.”
Slemker, who was let go March 30, led the Raiders to their first Horizon League regular-season title in is first year in 2018 and had them ranked as high as 11th nationally.
They won their first league tourney crown in 2019 and beat Notre Dame in a first-round NCAA game.
But they dropped off offensively the last three seasons while going a combined 14-20-8.
After scoring 44 and 46 goals his first two seasons, they tallied a combined 55 the last three.
“I was a forward in my day, and I want us to play creative, free soccer,” said Van Der Sluijs, who was a three-time all-conference pick at Wilmington.
“I want us to attack and bring a swag to our game. Soccer is just so beautiful, and I want to keep it artful. When guys are playing with joy, it leads to winning.”
But Van Der Sluijs admitted the move has been bittersweet because of his friendship with Slemker.
“There’s some conflicting emotions with it. What he did here was great,” he said.
“But ultimately, the opportunity here was so great. It felt like the right thing when this came open and the administration put their faith in me. Our visions aligned.”
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