(August 7, 2003) - Fordham Men's Soccer Head Coach Jim McElderry annouced the hiring of Mark Dietz as an assistant coach today. This is the second time McElderry has crossed paths with Dietz, as McElderry recruited and coached Dietz at Fairfield University from 1998-2001. A 2002 graduate of Fairfield University in Business and Marketing, Dietz helped the Fairfield men's soccer team become one of the best in the northeast, as the team was ranked nationally in each of his last three seasons and won the MAAC Championship in 1999. He earned First Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 1999 and as a senior in 2001, while being named First Team Academic All-Conference from 1999-2001 and to the Dean's List every year at Fairfield. A native of Louisville, KY, Dietz was an All-American nominee in 1996 and 1997 at St. Xavier High School, where the team won two state championships in 1994 and 1997. He earned Second Team All-State honors twice, while also garnering All-Midwest Region Honors, twice. He was also a Regional Team starter in the Kentucky Olympic Development Program for three seasons (1996-98) Most recently, Dietz was a head coach in the Fairfield United Soccer Association in 2002. Founded in 1841, Fordham is New York City??s Jesuit University. With 22 men??s and women??s varsity sports teams, the Fordham Rams are members of the NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track, women??s rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis and volleyball and in the Patriot League (NCAA I-AA) for football. Transactions: Fordham hires Mark Dietz as assistant men's soccer coach.