Wilmot Named Assistant Soccer Coach

Chris Wilmot has been selected as Harvard's new assistant soccer coach replacing Elliot Klein, who was dismissed from his position by the Athletic Department after one season as assistant to coach Bruce Munro.

The Crimson learned yesterday that Wilmot, a senior who played on this season's team, will take over the three month (September, October, November) position while he finishes his final semester here next fall.

Wilmot played stellar defense for the Crimson the last three years and was drafted first by the New York Cosmos professional team which termed him "the best defenseman and the best collegiate in this crop of seniors." The Englishman was an All-American selection and unanimous All-Ivy pick.

This is the first time in modern Harvard sports history that an undergraduate will be employed as a coach for a varsity team. Graduate students have at times been hired to help with the freshman football program.

Under the coaching of Munro and Klein, the Crimson sprinted to a 13-1 record before losing to Howard, 1-0, in the NCAA semifinals at Miami's Orange Bowl.

After the 1970 season, at the request of the players, the Athletic Department undertook an evaluation of the soccer program and in particular the coaching situation. One of the products of the investigation was the decision to hire an assistant coach to aid Munro and act as a liaison between the players and the head coach.

In the midst of the search for the new coach, Klein's name was mentioned to the selection committee by Harvard goalie Shep Messing. Messing knew Klein while he was a coach at Nassau Community College on Long Island.

With the approval of Munro, Klein was hired and assumed duties as "chief defensive strategist" in the program.