New College Announces Coaching Staff for Inaugural Year of Intercollegiate Athletic Competition

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida (NCF) has announced the head coaches for each of its six varsity intercollegiate athletic teams which will begin competition in the 2023-2024 academic year. The announcement was made by athletic director and head men’s baseball coach Mariano Jimenez, Jr.

“I’m excited about the energy and dedication these coaches have brought to New College, instilling a culture that will prioritize academic and athletic excellence,” said Jimenez.

More than 130 student-athletes have enrolled for the first season of Mighty Banyans athletics.

Dr. Glodi Konga – Men’s Soccer

Konga joins NCF after spending the previous two seasons at Eastern University (PA), where he was the head coach in 2022. He holds a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) B license. His playing career included an NJCAA national championship at Cloud County CC (KS), two years at NCAA Division I Liberty University, and a professional stint with the Philadelphia Fury. Konga earned his Ph.D. in sports leadership from Concordia University in Chicago.

Debbie Pekel – Women’s Soccer

Pekel is one of the most decorated women’s soccer players in the history of Grace Christian University (MI) and served as an assistant coach last year at Bob Jones University (SC). She led all of NCCAA Division II in goals in 2013, and is Grace’s second all-time career scorer. Pekel holds goalkeeping level one and level two licenses from United Soccer Coaches and her U.S. Soccer Federation C license for coaching.

Andrew Wingreen – Men’s Basketball

Wingreen was a part of the Stetson University basketball staff from 2019-2023. A graduate of Northland International University (WI), Wingreen got his start in coaching as a student assistant during his college years. He helped launch the Bob Jones University basketball program as an assistant coach from 2012-2017, and has worked camps at some of the top basketball programs in the nation, including Kansas, Duke, and Wisconsin.

Brian Cruz – Women’s Basketball

Cruz brings more than a decade of coaching experience to New College. He was especially known for his recruiting prowess as an assistant coach at Warner University, where he was a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year nominee in 2022-2023. As a head coach, Cruz posted a .748 winning percentage over four seasons at Cape Coral High School, qualifying for the post season each year.

Aly Bermudez – Softball

Bermudez is a Tincher Pitching certified instructor who has trained girls from as young as eight years old to collegiate athletes in the circle. In addition to her private instruction business, Bermudez served as the pitching coach at Bishop Verot High School. She pitched collegiately at Lasell University (MA).