A new legacy has begun on the pitch for Douglas College.
The women's soccer squad recently hired Dalibor Plavsic as its new head coach assuming the position as of Feb. 1, who joins the Royals with a plethora of experience at multiple levels of the game.
The 31-year-old is taking the reins from Chris Laxton after the bench boss of 10 years stepped down in December to spend more time with family.
In a release, Plavsic believes his own experience as a student-athlete can help with the New Westminster program's performance as women will look to defend their 2023 PACWEST conference championship.
"I’m excited to be working collaboratively with our Royals student-athletes and staff to continue the ongoing success of this program," he said.
"As a former student-athlete, I am excited to be on the sidelines now — working alongside a talented squad and passionate staff. I look forward to continuing the growth and success of the Douglas College Women’s Soccer program."
Plavsic's coaching résumé ranges from the local minor soccer association level and Vancouver Whitecaps U17 Academy to the Canadian men's national team.
He was listed as a staff member for Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament in July 2019, as well as equipment manager in May 2019 during the CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship.
Plavsic also served as a performance analyst during a national camp in January 2020. That same year, he earned his Canada Soccer Coaching "B" Diploma.
Currently, in addition to taking on the Douglas College role, he's also the head coach of the Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC under-18 premier league team.
"We are looking forward to Dalibor building on the success of the Royals Women’s Soccer program," said Brian McLennon, Douglas College's director of athletics and recreation.
Plavsic is a graduate of UBC (Bachelor of Education) and the University of Fraser Valley graduate (Bachelor of Kinesiology, coaching and pedagogy).
Last season, the Royals women's soccer team went to the national championships after winning their third-ever B.C. title, stemming from a regular season record of 5-3-4.
