ROCK SPRINGS — After guiding the Rock Springs High School boys soccer team through one of its most successful seasons in recent history, head coach Alan Wendlandt has been named TRN Media’s 2025 Spring Coach of the Year.

Wendlandt, who just completed his fourth season as head coach, led the Tigers to a historic campaign that included 60 goals — the program’s highest scoring output since at least 2014—and a 10-4 conference record, the best for the Tigers since at least 2012. It marked the fourth consecutive season with both a winning overall and conference record for the program.

Reflecting on the year, Wendlandt credited his players’ mindset and daily commitment.

“I’m proud of the team for achieving the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the season,” Wendlandt said. “As a group, we dedicated ourselves to maintaining a positive attitude, pushing through challenges together, staying committed, working hard, and supporting one another. The success we experienced was a direct result of the mindset and habits they embraced from day one.”

The Tigers had six players earn First Team All-Conference honors—something that has happened only two other times since 2004—and two players earned First Team All-State recognition. Senior Jared Swafford ended his career being named first team all-state twice, which has only happened four other times in the last two decades for a Tiger. Additionally, senior Cristian Perez was named all-conference three times, a feat that has only occurred twice in the last two decades at RSHS.

Wendlandt believes the team’s individual accolades are a direct reflection of the team’s selfless mentality.

“What makes me especially proud is that this team was very selfless in the way they played,” he said. “Nobody cared who scored or assisted, as long as we performed well as a team. Ironically, this team mindset led to more individual honors than we’ve had in previous years.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Wendlandt pointed to a humbling 9-1 loss to Jackson as a key moment that galvanized the team.

“It was the widest margin of defeat we’d experienced in the last four years,” Wendlandt said. “Rather than taking the easy way out and moving on, we chose to face it head-on. The very next day, we held a long film session, breaking down nearly every moment of that game. We assigned roles to collect data on various aspects of the game and had a meaningful discussion about what we found. From that point on, we outscored our opponents 34-18 and kept every game competitive.”

Wendlandt’s commitment to building a positive and growth-oriented team culture is evident throughout his approach. From developing underclassmen to encouraging year-round engagement, the program has seen sustained success during his tenure.

“Our coaching staff does a great job of maintaining a positive environment where players feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them,” Wendlandt said. “We’ve been fortunate to have strong interest in our program, but the clearest measure of success for me is that so many of our players choose to return year after year.”

This season’s 12 seniors—eleven players and one manager—held a special place in Wendlandt’s heart, many of whom started their high school careers the same year he became head coach.

“These seniors have become outstanding athletes and even better people,” he said. “I’ll remember this senior class mainly for their positive attitude.”

Wendlandt also continued a tradition he learned from his own high school coach, Sean Grube, by having seniors speak to underclassmen following the final game.

“What really stands out to me from these speeches is that none of the seniors ever focus on wins or losses,” he said. “Instead, they encourage their younger teammates to enjoy every moment and to continue working hard to achieve their goals.”

Player development remains a cornerstone of Wendlandt’s philosophy. Working alongside assistant coaches Jeff Atkinson and Gus Wagner, the staff integrates JV and JV2 players into varsity environments and emphasizes internal competition to drive growth.

“Wins and losses are a reflection of how well you’ve developed your team,” Wendlandt said. “Practicing with more experienced players accelerates their development and helps them raise their level of play.”

Among the many individual highlights this season were Mark Hamilton’s 15 goals—the most by a Tiger since 2017—and Alex Herrera’s 12 assists, also the best since 2017. Three Tigers, Hamilton, Herrera, and Azra Moses, each reached double digits in goals, another first since at least 2013.

Wendlandt was quick to spread the credit, thanking assistant coaches, parents, local therapy groups, and school administration.

“There are so many people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to support the success of our program,” he said. “I’m very grateful to our parent committee, Jesus Ramirez and the staff at Fremont Therapy Group, Alliance Physical Therapy, and Mr. Anthony Lott for their support.”

He also offered a personal note of gratitude.

“Personally, I’d like to thank my wife Zoe for continuing to support me in my coaching career,” Wendlandt said. “And I’d like to give a shout out to Mr. Tom Jassman for believing in me and supporting me during my first season.”

As for what continues to drive him, Wendlandt doesn’t point to wins.

“For me, the most rewarding part of coaching is watching players grow both as athletes and individuals over their time in the program,” he said. “Wins are great, but knowing that you’ve played a role in helping somebody become a better version of themselves is what really matters.”