Elyria Catholic hires Duffy as new coach

The Panthers hired Jim Duffy, who has coached at St. Edward for 14 seasons at the varsity and JV levels, as the new girls soccer coach.

Elyria Catholic announced Feb. 9 the hiring of Jim Duffy as the new girls soccer coach. Duffy is coming off coaching 14 seasons at St. Edward at both the varsity and JV levels.

“It is my privilege to accept the position of girls head coach at Elyria Catholic High School,” Duffy said in a news release. “I am looking forward to being an architect in developing and building upon a very successful program and recalibrating this young team. The returning EC players bring a high soccer IQ to the team and this will help us develop the younger incoming players in the fall.”

Duffy takes over for Ryan Manner, who led the Panthers to a 17-6 record and regional final berth in Division III last season. Duffy coached St. Edward four years as the head coach from 2013 to 2016 and led the Eagles to a regional semifinal in 2013, district final in 2014 and district semifinals in 2015 and 2016.

Duffy was also the head boys soccer coach at Holy Name from 2001 to 2003.

Elyria Catholic Athletic Director Jack Duffy expressed his pleasure in hiring Duffy. The two are not related.

“During the interview process, Coach Duffy emphasized the importance of building and sustaining a positive culture in all aspects of our girls soccer program,” Duffy said in the news release. “He has had tremendous success as a head coach and is widely respected by former players, parents, and colleagues throughout Northeast Ohio. We are very fortunate to have him as our head coach at Elyria Catholic.”

Duffy’s experience branches out to the collegiate level, coaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and he was both the men’s and women’s head coach at Central College in Pella, Iowa, from 1993 to 1995.

Duffy’s athletes have gone on to play at schools like Harvard, the U.S, Naval Academy, Dartmouth, San Diego State and Marquette.