MORAGA, Calif. (SMCGaels.com) -- Saint Mary's men's soccer coach Adam Cooper continues to add experienced leadership to the Gaels' program with the appointment of experienced youth academy coach Stephen Wondolowski as a volunteer assistant coach.

The Danville native joins recent addition Charlie Campbell and 5th-year assistant Chris Brown on Cooper's coaching staff.

"Stephen is going to be a great addition to our staff," said Cooper.  "Though his title is volunteer assistant, he has great experience and connections and can coach virtually any level of soccer.  He will make a significant impact on the development of our players as well as the program overall.

"With the addition of Stephen, I believe we have an outstanding coaching staff and I'm excited about the direction of our program."

Wondolowski, the brother of current San Jose Earthquakes and U.S. National Team forward Chris Wondolowski, currently serves as the head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes U-16 USSDA team and previously served as an assistant coach at Menlo College.

"This is a great opportunity for me to coach at a championship caliber Division I program," said Wondolowski.  "I have known Coop and Chris Brown for years and learning from them will be great for my development as a coach.

"Growing up in the East Bay, I have always kept tabs on and cheered for Saint Mary's athletics and I'm very happy to be a Gael."

A 2007 graduate of UC Santa Cruz, he was a 4-year starter for the Banana Slugs and helped lead the team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a national finals appearance in 2004.  He earned NCAA Division III Final Four All-Tournament honors as a sophomore and was named to the NCAA D-III All-Independent Team three times.

As a senior, he scored 17 goals and was named the D-III All-Independent Offensive Player of the Year.  After college, he spent time as a player with the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer, scoring a goal in the 2008 U.S. Open Cup.

Wondolowski attended De La Salle High School and was a 2-time all-Bay Valley League honoree.  He played club soccer locally for Diablo Valley SC and Danville Mustang Soccer Association.

The Saint Mary's men's soccer program is coming off its fifth winning season in the last six years under 2-time WCC Coach of the Year Cooper.  The Gaels advanced to the 2009 and 2011 NCAA Tournaments and, in 2011, claimed the program's first West Coast Conference championship.  Since 2009, 17 different SMC student-athletes have earned all-league honors and two players have been named WCC Defender of the Year.  Last season Andre Rawls became the program's first WCC Goalkeeper of the Year and selected in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by New York City FC.

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