Few coaches possess the encyclopedic knowledge of Island and sa国际传媒 soccer like James Merriman. Dad Bill Merriman was the legendary coach of the Vancouver Island University Mariners, making it literally in the genes.
But sentiment has very little to do with professional sports, which is a results-based business, and James Merriman has proven himself so far in that regard. The Pacific FC head coach was rewarded Wednesday with a three-year contract extension, beginning next year and through the 2026 Canadian Premier League season, with a club option for another two years.
Merriman, in his second season as bench boss, has amassed a 25-12-13 record, including a CPL-leading 7-1-4 in wins-losses-draws this season. He has been with the Tridents since the inception of the professional CPL in 2019 as PFC assistant coach, first to Michael Silberbauer in the inaugural season and Pa-Modou Kah the next two seasons, including the CPL championship campaign of 2021.
Seven years in the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy, the MLS club’s youth development program, gave Merriman book on practically every young prospect in the province.
“To see those guys now playing across the CPL is incredibly rewarding,” he said.
His knowledge of the international game is just as immersive.
“It was always the focus of PFC to develop young Canadian players and make good decisions regarding international players,” said Merriman, 38. “We’ve managed to stay competitive, move players up to the next level [MLS and Europe], win a league championship and play in CONCACAF.”
It is the kind of insight, backed by commitment, that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Former European pro and sa国际传媒 international Josh Simpson of Victoria is co-owner and president of PFC and described Merriman as “the pillar of this club since day one.”
“We have seen him develop into one of the top coaches in this country and we are lucky to have him continue his journey with us for another five years,” Simpson said.
For Merriman, it all comes back to his Island roots. Those reverberate on two of the eight CPL benches with Martin Nash of Victoria, the 38-time sa国际传媒 capped 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup champion and former Whitecaps pro, the head coach of second-place York United. Martin’s dad, John Nash, coached Merriman. “Steve [Nash, Olympian and two-time NBA MVP] would show up at training. I was lucky to grow up in that culture on the Island,” said Merriman.
Merriman’s greatest mentor was has dad, who guided VIU to the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national titles in 2010 and 2017 and to national silver or bronze medals in 2011, 2012 and 2014 and was named PacWest Conference coach of the year three times. James Merriman was assistant coach to his dad for two seasons at VIU to keep active while recuperating from serious injury as a player.
“That became the transition for me from player to coach,” said James Merriman, who played NCAA Division 1 at the University of Denver. “It gave me the desire to keep going in coaching.
“My dad was family first and treated his teams the same way. That is a culture I have always held onto.”
That team-as-family approach is working out well at Starlight Stadium. PFC captain Josh Heard of Victoria describes Merriman as “a winner who cares deeply about the sport and the players that he leads.”
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