Christopher Whalley
Head Coach
E-Mail: WhalleyC@lmc.edu / Phone: 828.898.8801

Head Coach Chris Whalley heads into his seventh year at Lees-McRae College and his fifth at the helm of the Bobcat Men’s Soccer program. Expectations are high in 2009 as the squad will aim to return the NCAA Tournament. LMC has been voted the preseason favorites in conference Carolinas and they also will begin the season ranked thirteenth in country according to the NSCAA/Adidas poll.

In 2008, Whalley led the thirteenth ranked Bobcats to another outstanding season. In 2007, the men’s soccer team became the first in the history of Conference Carolinas to the take the Regular Season and Tournament crowns, however the 2008 squad completed the sweep again, winning an unprecedented back-to-back Conference Carolinas Regular Season and Tournament Championships.

The team finished the season undefeated against conference opponents at 11-0-3 and ended the year with an overall record of 17-3-3, giving the program a winning percentage of 89% over the last two seasons. Lees-McRae College returned to the NCAA Div II Tournament for a second consecutive season falling in the Sweet Sixteen to Regional host Tusculum, one of only two teams to knock off the Bobcats all season. Whalley now has an overall record of 54-19-10 in four seasons with the Bobcats, a winning percentage of 76%.

The 2007 Bobcats finished with a program record 21 wins, the second highest win total in the country and finished the season ranked seventh in the country after falling in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championships. The team climbed as high as number two nationally.  The Bobcats also set Conference Carolinas history as the only team to claim both the Regular Season and Tournament Championships in the same season. Whalley was named Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year and also Southeast Regional Coach of the Year following the 2007 season. 

Coach Whalley’s players continue to garner accolades for their performances on the field with six All American, eight All Region and 14 All Conference performers in 2007 and 2008. Two Bobcat players have now won back-to-back Conference Carolinas Player of the Year awards, Berin Boracic took the honor in 2007 and Lee Squires claimed the mark in 2008. Whalley expects another banner year in 2009 as both Squires and Boracic return along with a cast of several outstanding players and incoming freshmen.

Coach Whalley was pleased with the development of such a young squad in 2008, starting five or six new players on a regular basis. “The future is looking very bright for the Bobcat program.  We are returning a fantastic group of young men as we look to continue to build on past successes,” Whalley said. 

“Jay proved to be a valuable asset to the team during his first season as a collegiate coach.  In 2008 he worked very hard with the goalkeepers and was tremendous with practice and game day preparations. I look forward to another season working with the young coach,” Whalley said about the addition of assistant coach Jay Benfield in 2008.

Coach Whalley originally joined the Bobcats after a successful playing career with the professional club, the Reading Rage (Penn.) of the United States Pro-Select League. Whalley played his collegiate soccer with Mercyhurst College in Erie, Penn. as a midfielder, playing in the NCAA tournament twice with the Lakers and in the NCAA DII Final Four in 2002. Whalley was also First Team All-GLIAC in both of his seasons with Mercyhurst College.

In 2003, Whalley was selected to represent the Great Britain Student Team in a number of games in the United Kingdom. Along with this Whalley has had playing experience with the English professional teams Nottingham Forest FC and Brentford Football Club up to the U18 level.

Coach Whalley continues to play in the USL Professional Development League for the West Virginia Chaos. In the 2005 season Whalley served as player/assistant coach in his first year for the Chaos and led the team in minutes and was second on the team in total points and goals scored, while helping the Chaos to best record in franchise history. In 2006 Whalley captained and served as assistant coach for the Chaos and led them to a third place finish in the Mid-Atlantic conference scoring 17 points on the year and was tied for fourth in the nation in assists.   In 2007 Whalley played every minute for the Chaos and led the team in goals and received an honorable mention for the PDL Eastern Conference. Whalley played in every game in 2008 and returned to the sidelines this past summer as player/coach of the Chaos leading them to their second best record in franchise history

Coach Whalley has an undergraduate degree from York St. Johns (England) in Sport and Exercise Science and his master’s degree from Mercyhurst College in Organizational Leadership. Whalley holds coaching licenses with the NSCAA, USSF, and the English Football Association.  In addition to his coaching responsibilities Whalley can be found in the classroom at Lees-McRae teaching in the Physical Education department.

Although residing in Banner Elk, N.C. now, Whalley was born in Lincoln, England and is the son of Dave and Kate Whalley.

Jay Benfield
Assistant Coach
E-Mail: benfieldj@lmc.edu / Phone: 828-898-8801
Head Coach Chris Whalley welcomes Jay Benfield back to the Bobcats coaching staff following a successful rookie tenure. In 2008 Benfield was part of the squad that repeated as Conference Carolinas Regular Season and Tournament Champions, earning an NCAA Tournament berth, reaching the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and finishing thirteenth nationally. An accomplished collegiate player during his time at UNC Greensboro, Benfield will continue to primarily work with the goalkeepers, assist Coach Whalley in practice and match day preparations as well as scouting future opponents.

“Jay was an integral part of our team success in 2008.  I expect only the same from him and the team in 2009,” Whalley said.

After being named All-State twice and both All-Region and All-Conference three times while winning Regional and Conference Player of the Year honors in 2000 for West Forsyth High School, Benfield matriculated to UNC Greensboro where he continued to see success on the field as a five year member of the Spartans soccer program. 

In 2005, his senior season, the Spartans finished the season 16th in the country with Benfield leading the Southern Conference in minutes played (2052:51), save percentage (.824) and goals against average (0.83). The goalkeeper led the Spartans to the Southern Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships and a berth in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. 

Prior to that season Benfield was a Preseason All Southern Conference pick and garnered  Southern Conference Player of the Week and Player of the Month Awards on his way to earning All-Southern Conference and CoSIDA All-State accolades as well as being named the Spartans Team MVP.  As a junior the North Carolina native also led the Spartans to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and finished the year as the ninth ranked team in the country.  In 2004 the Spartans entered the NCAA Tournament as the number eight seed after winning the Southern Conference Regular Season Championship and going unbeaten in 17 consecutive games as well as earning a consensus national number one ranking for four weeks.

Benfield ended his career as the Spartans record holder in career minutes played, seeing time in the goal for 5324:58 while also ranking second in career shutouts with 14 and setting the single season record for shutouts registering nine during the 2005 season.  He also owns the fourth and tenth best single season goals against averages, 0.83 in 2005 and 0.99 in 2004 as well as the second and twelfth most single season minutes with 2052:51 in 2005 and 1539:48 in 2004.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience as a first year college coach,” Benfield said.  “After arriving in Banner Elk, it did not take long to understand and see why Lees-McRae has evolved into a top flight Division II soccer school. Coach Whalley is doing a tremendous running the Bobcat program. I look forward to learning from my experiences at LMC and also to helping continue what is quickly becoming a perennial soccer power,” Benfield also commented.

Prior to coming to the Bobcats and following graduation from UNCG, Benfield returned to West Forsyth High School as the boys and girls assistant coach in Clemmons, N.C. from 2005-2007. The former Titan and Spartan player was also the goalkeeper coach for the Twin City Youth Association from 2005-2007.