Jim Millinder is the Academy’s Director of Coaching for the Girls and the head women’s coach at the University of San Francisco. In his twelve seasons at USF, Jim has transformed the Dons into a competitive force in the West Coast Conference, one of the top women's soccer conferences in the nation.
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During this time he’s developed many top women’s players. Ali Schaffer became the first USF women’s soccer player to take home a major individual conference award after being named 2015 WCC co-Defender of the Year. And the 2015 squad boasted six All-WCC performers - matching the most ever for the Dons (2006) - and three NSCAA All-West Region honorees in goalkeeper Madalyn Schiffel (1st team), midfielder Jessica Nakae (2nd team) and Schaffer (3rd team). Jim’s players also have kept a presence on the international scene. Leticia Torres competed with the Chilean National Team during World Cup qualifying in 2014, while goalkeeper Madalyn Schiffel has been a fixture in the United States' U-18, U-20 and U-23 national team camps. Meanwhile, Camille Wilson earned three caps for the Philippine national team as a 17-year-old and Sydnie Telson won gold with Team USA in the 2015 European Maccabi Games held in Berlin.
Prior to USF, Jim spent 11 seasons leading the USC Trojans Women’s soccer program, leading the Women of Troy to a record of 136-70-21 (.645) and eight NCAA Tournament appearances. He also guided the team to a school-record 16 wins in 1997 and is USC’s all-time leader in wins. USC went 14-7-1 en route to earning a share of the 1998 Pac-10 title and making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.One season after his departure in 2006, USC won the NCAA championship with a core of players he recruited, including 2008 Honda Award Finalist Kristin Olsen and 2005 Gatorade National Prep Player of the Year Amy Rodriguez - a 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and U.S. women’s national team member.
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During Jim’s illustrious college coaching career he has won numerous awards, including 2015 NSCAA West Region Coach of the Year; 1998 Pac-10 Coach of the Year; 1997 NSCAA West Region Coach of the Year and 1996 Pac-10 Coach of the Year
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Jim also has a stellar record with club players. He served as the head coach of the 1992 U.S. Amateur Championship Ajax women’s club team and 1993 U.S. Amateur titlist Cal-South men’s state senior team. Among his other coaching positions were with the Cal-South under-16 girls Olympic Development team and the Amateur Athletic Foundation. Millinder was also an ambassador to the U.S. soccer team at the 1994 World Cup.
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Millinder played professionally for eight years and competed against soccer legends such as Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johann Cruyff. He played midfielder in the North American Soccer League for the New York Cosmos (1978), Los Angeles Aztecs (1979), Tulsa Roughnecks (1980), and Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1981-82). From 1983 to 1985, Millinder played for the Oklahoma City Slickers in the American Soccer League, where he was a two-time All-Star, and for the Los Angeles Lazers in the Major Indoor Soccer League.
Millinder earned his A.A. degree from El Camino in 1991, followed by his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1993. He was a star in soccer and football at North Torrance High School and earned junior college All-American honors while at El Camino in 1977.
Jim and his wife Carol have two sons, Austin and Jacob.