We are certainly excited to have Dom here at GGC

Veteran coach to fulfill career goal at GGC: building womens soccer program

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., (November 30, 2011) - Veteran womens soccer coach Domenic Martelli has been chosen to lead the womens soccer program at Georgia Gwinnett College, with the teams inaugural season less than a year away. A Lawrenceville resident, Martelli has had his eye on GGC for years and labels it an ideal fit for him professionally and personally.

Martelli comes to GGC with 18 years of Division I coaching experience. He spent the last 12 seasons at Georgia State University, where he served as the institutions winningest coach in school history, amassing a record of 109-106-25.

Its thrilling to be a part of what is beginning to take place at GGC, said Martelli, the second coaching hire by GGC in the last six weeks. This is a golden opportunity a college growing academically, technologically and, of course, athletically. To be able to start a brand new program, work for Dr. Darin Wilson, and be part of an Office of Athletics that is on the cusp of building a $13.5 million athletic facility is extremely exciting.

A native of Newburgh, N.Y., Martelli played collegiate soccer at Ohio State University where he earned a bachelors degree in business administration in 1989. He returned home to Newburgh to obtain a masters degree in elementary education at Mount St. Marys College and began coaching collegiately at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, serving as an assistant womens coach (1993-2000) until taking the head position at Georgia State.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Martelli served as a Region III Olympic Development Program staff coach from 2003-2007 and has spent countless hours recruiting, coaching and teaching soccer in metropolitan Atlanta.

We are certainly excited to have Dom here at GGC to lead our womens soccer program, said Wilson, director of Athletics. He brings a wealth of collegiate soccer experience as well as various soccer connections throughout the metro Atlanta area. Dom will immediately begin recruiting in Gwinnett County to field a competitive team in the fall.

With Grizzly soccer slated to begin in fall 2012, Martellis primary goal is to build program awareness and start the recruiting process immediately.

Since moving to Georgia, I have been involved in soccer on every level, and I plan to do the same at Georgia Gwinnett by being at club practices, recruiting at tournaments and high school games, and staying involved with the community by coaching clinics, Martelli said. Through community involvement, well be able to highlight the opportunities presented academically and athletically at GGC and attract some of the top players in the southeast.

GGC has applied to become a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Grizzlies plan to field varsity teams in mens and womens soccer, softball, mens and womens tennis, and baseball by the 2012-2013 school year.