“I recruited Peter,” said head men’s soccer coach Jeff Bateson.  “He played for four years.”

Next semester, Guilford will say goodbye to assistant men’s soccer coach Peter Truitt ’13.

“I got a job in Washington, D.C. working as the director of a soccer camp,” said Truitt.

Truitt came to Guilford as a student-athlete in 2008.

“I played for four years as goalkeeper,” said Truitt. “I stayed on as the student-assistant coach.”“He was a very good goalkeeper for us, probably one of the best that we’ve had.” said first-year midfielder Jonny Goffredi.

As a student-athlete, Truitt was very interested in sports sciences.

“He’s inquisitive, and I really saw him come alive in Research Methods,” said Professor of Sports Studies Lavon Williams. “He seemed to really enjoy learning about a topic of his interest.”

Even as a student-athlete, coaching was the end goal.

“Soccer has always been something really important to him,” said Chair and Associate Professor of Sport Studies Bob Malekoff.  “As time went on, he became more interested in sports management.”

Throughout the years, Truitt made a huge impression Guilford’s soccer program.

“Peter recruited me to come here,” said senior soccer captain Michael MacVane. “I played with him for three years.”

As a coach, Truitt made even more of an impact than as a player.

“He’s just someone I can go to and talk about anything,” said first-year soccer player Robert Stallings.

Along with coaching at Guilford, Truitt coaches for Piedmont Triad soccer club, the Greensboro United Soccer Association.

“Peter started as a goalkeeping trainer in January 2013 (and) demonstrated a great work ethic,” said Director of Coaching and Tournament Director at Greensboro United Soccer Association Gary Gartner.

For Greensboro United, Truitt’s hard work makes him difficult to replace.

“We’re trying to see if we can move things around and bring more people on,” said Assistant Girls Director at Greensboro United Guy Garguilo. “It’s difficult to replace him with just one person.”

As a former player, Truitt’s connections with this year’s team remain strong.

“He understands our lives as students because he went through four years at Guilford,” said first-year midfielder Kyle Bias.

For Truitt, being there for his players is fulfilling.

“I met with some of the kids and let them know that if they get in trouble, they can talk to me first,” said Truitt.

Many players said that they love having someone around who understands what it’s like to be a student-athlete.

“He understands the problems that we face concerning time management, going to class, going to practice and all that,” said sophomore defense Jake Elsey.

Truitt will be missed by Guilford.

“Peter was more than a coach,” said first-year forward and former student at Greensboro United Christian Torres. “He was a friend.”

Students and professors alike will feel the impact.

“I enjoy him as a student, and I was disappointed to hear he was leaving,” said Williams.

At the same time, teammates are excited for what lies ahead for Truitt.

“He’ll be missed, that’s for sure, but I’m glad for him,” said Bateson.