A FORMER Ardrossan Winton Rovers player has been hired as the head coach for a college football team in New York.

Paul Templeton from Ardrossan is the new men’s head soccer coach at Manhattanville College.

Paul played for Ayr United as well as Winton and Cumnock junior teams, before moving across the pond 11 years ago to study at Southern Connecticut University.

The 32-year-old said: “I am honoured to be named the head coach of the men’s soccer program at Manhattanville college. It is a proud and special moment for my family and for me.

“I want to extend my appreciation to Mr Manetta [the college athletics director] and to the entire search committee for entrusting me to lead the program.

“I also want to express my gratitude to Southern Connecticut head coach Tom Lang for his role in supporting and developing my experiences as a coach.

“I am excited to begin working with the student-athletes to continue to strive for academic and athletic excellence as well as the proud traditions of the men’s soccer program at Manhattanville College.”

Director of Manhattanville College Department of Athletics, Ed Manetta, added: “We are excited to have Paul aboard here at Manhattanville.

“He brings with him an impressive track record as a coach and player and we feel he has the ability to take our program where we want it to go.”

Paul comes to Manhattanville with a wealth of high-level playing and coaching experience. Most recently, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach for Division II Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). He has also served as a Region I coach for the Olympic Development Program and head coach (BU-16) for the Connecticut Olympic Development Program.

On the pitch, Paul played professionally for the USL Development League on AC Connecticut from 2012-14. At college, he was a standout on the SCSU men’s soccer squad. Paul, a former All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-American, was a four-year team member and three-year captain and reeled in four All-Conference (Northeast 10) honours, as well as Defensive Player of the Year in both the NE 10 and the ECAC as a junior.