Bill Shilling, the men’s head soccer coach, has decided to leave Friends University after close to eight years of service.

Junior Aaron Travis has been a member of the soccer for team for three years and said Shilling’s resignation was made official to the team in a meeting Nov. 15.

According to Joe Zimmerman, director of athletics, the resignation was a mutual agreement between Shilling and the University.

Zimmerman wants students to understand there were no hard feelings. He said Shilling had another job and was working as the soccer coach part time, and the University felt it should be a full-time position.

“There was no animosity and no major problems. It was a mutual agreement,” Zimmerman said.

Shilling said he didn’t want to comment at this time.

Travis was deeply affected by Shilling’s decision to leave. He feels his former coach brought much to the soccer program.

“I was very surprised when he said he was leaving,” Travis said. “He was the main reason I came to Friends to play soccer. I am very proud of what he did for the team and me as an individual.”

Chris Bluml, assistant coach for the men’s soccer team, was also surprised by Shilling’s resignation. He has worked with the former coach for two years.

“He was a really good coach and loved the boys,” Bluml said. “He really put himself on the line for them.”

The Falcons won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title several times during Shilling’s tenure. Last year, the team went 8-1 in conference and shared the title with Bethany College. But this fall, the team finished 4-5-1 in the KCAC.

Bluml said the soccer team is not sure who will take Shilling’s place. He is not pleased with how the men’s team finished this year and hopes the new coach will be able to improve the quality of the program.

At the same time, Bluml feels Shilling is not to blame for this year’s performance.

“This soccer team has the ability to be a great team. This past season, things didn’t come together the way they should have,” he said. “This was just one bad season. Bill’s record speaks for itself.”