Lindsey Wilson College

Lindsey Wilson College Athletics
210 Lindsey Wilson Street Columbia, KY 42728

NAIA Kentucky Midwest

Private Small National competitor

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Coaches

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Sicelo Buthelezi

Sicelo "Stitch" Buthelezi enters his second season as the head coach of the Lindsey Wilson men's soccer program in 2023. He recently served as an assistant coach for the program from 2016 through 2021.

During his first season as head coach of the Blue Raiders in 2022, Buthelezi led the team to a second-straight and 16th Mid-South Conference Tournament championship. From there, Lindsey Wilson upended several notable foes, including the defending NAIA national champion, en route to an appearance in the national semifinals for the first time since 2019. He also coached the league's Freshman of the Year, four All-Mid-South honorees, and an NAIA All-American selection.

In 2020-21, Buthelezi aided the Blue Raiders to an 11-4-2 overall record and an 8-1-2 record in the Mid-South Conference. He guided the Blue Raiders to an appearance in the Mid-South Conference tournament semifinals and the first round of the NAIA National tournament. He coached Mid-South Conference player of the year Cyrus Harmon and three NAIA All-Americans.

In 2019-20 Buthelezi helped guide the Blue Raiders to a 16-4-1 overall record and A Mid-South Conference Tournament Title. He coached three NAIA All-Americans, two NAIA All-American honorable mentions, the MSC Freshman and Defender of the Year as well as eight MSC All-Conference selections. LWC made an appearance in the NAIA National Championship Semifinals.

In his third season with the program, Stitch helped the Blue Raiders to a 15-3-1 record and to the MSC Tournament Championship. He helped coach two NAIA All-Americans as well as one NAIA All-American honorable mention, the MSC Player of the Year, and six all-conference selections including five first-team selections.

During his second season with the program, Buthelezi helped guide the Blue Raiders to a 14-4-0 record and the Mid-South Conference regular season championship with a 7-0-0 mark in conference play. He helped coach two NAIA All-Americans, the MSC Player of the Year, and eight all-conference selections, including five First Team honorees.

In his first season with the program in 2016, Buthelezi helped lead the Blue Raiders to a 13-4-2 record and a share of the Mid-South Conference regular season title. He helped coach a pair of NAIA All-American honorees, the MSC Player of the Year, and seven All-MSC selections.

Prior to joining the Blue Raiders, Buthelezi spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Northwestern Ohio. While with the Racers, Buthelezi helped lead the team to a 17-5-2 record during the 2014 season, the regular season Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference title, and an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament Semifinals. In 2015, Northwestern Ohio went 16-5 and captured the WHAC Tournament Championship.

Buthelezi also has previous coaching experience at the club level including with the Ohio Extreme Soccer Club U16, the Kentucky Rush in Somerset, Kentucky, and the Adair County Youth Soccer League.

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Buthelezi had an outstanding four-year career as a Blue Raider from 2009-12. He made 89 appearances, the sixth most in program history, with 88 starts and recorded 21 shots, six goals, and two assists while helping to anchor a defense that compiled 46 total shutouts during his career as a central defender.

The two-time captain helped lead the Blue Raiders to the NAIA National Championship in 2009 and 2011 while collecting a pair of Mid-South Conference regular season crowns and three MSC Tournament titles. Buthelezi was an NAIA Second Team All-American and NAIA All-Tournament Team selection in 2012, a two-time All-MSC First Team member, and twice earned All-MSC Honorable Mention honors. He even represented South Africa at the Under-20 level during his playing days.

Buthelezi is married to his wife Megan.

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Thomas Pazo

Thomás Pazo begins his first season as the Lindsey Wilson men’s soccer assistant coach in 2022-23.

Pazo has spent time in the coaching ranks since 2013 serving as the assistant or head coach at youth academy clubs, high school programs, and at the collegiate level.

Most recently, he served as the head coach at Crown College for one season where he took over a winless season before taking over and advancing to the NCCAA North Region Championship. During his tenure he was responsible for implementing training sessions, traveling logistics, budget management, recruiting, and supervising his coaching staff. He was able to nearly double the team's roster from 18 to 35 players in just one season.

Pazo also spent time in the college ranks as an assistant coach with Union College where his team won the 2019 Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament championship in 2019 and were the runner-up in 2017. His 2019 Bulldog squad advanced to the NAIA National Championship Tournament.

While with Union he was responsible for growing the program to 60 athletes, which allowed for the implementation of a developmental team in which he served as the head coach.

He also has coaching experience with youth academy teams, spending time with Kentucky Rush Soccer Club, San Luis Obispo Soccer Club as well a North Georgia United Soccer Club. Pazo adds time in the high school ranked, coaching as an assistant of the San Luis Obispo Boys High School.

His soccer experience extends past the sidelines and into the field of play. Pazo competed collegiately at Shorter University (NCAA DII) and the University of Wisconsin Superior (NCAA DIII). Prior to college e played for the under 15s with Friburguense FC in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Pazo earned his undergraduate degree in 2015 from Shorter University where he was a double major in Economics and Business Management with a minor in Spanish. He completed his Master of Arts in Health and Physical Education in 2019 from Union College and is currently working on his second master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Cumberlands.