Pleasant Valley High School has a new varsity boys’ soccer coach.

Alex Wunder was unanimously confirmed by the district’s board of directors Thursday evening.

Wunder served as interim head coach in the fall after the sudden death on Aug. 21 of coach Chris Pachuta, who had coached for 10 years.

Wunder and the team’s assistant coaches pulled the team together, posting the best season for the Bears and leading them to a division title and Wunder to be the MVC coach of the year.

A month ago when his name came up for intramural adviser, the motion on Wunder failed to pass. The vote was 3-3 with one member abstaining and two members absent.

Two weeks ago, Wunder was again put forth for consideration as intramural adviser. Before voting, members of the team asked the board to confirm Wunder for the position, and again the vote was split.

School board directors Daniel Wunder, Alex Wunder’s father, and Russell Gould both abstained, as both had sons who coach the team.

Directors Donna Yozwiak and Laura Jecker both stated that they had some concerns related to letters that had been sent to them regarding Alex Wunder. Yozwiak also said that she would not vote for an intramural adviser before the district hired a head coach.

On Thursday, Wunder was put forth for the position of head coach with the recommendation of the Athletic Committee, Superintendent David Piperato and high school Principal Matthew Triolo.

The meeting started with players and parents addressing the board in favor of Wunder’s hiring.

“Great coaches have the ability to motivate young men to something greater then themselves,” said Jim Buckley of Saylorsburg. “What I witnessed these boys get from coach Wunder was how to face up to a tragedy. They learned that they could face adversity and overcome it.”

Diane Robinson of Chestnuthill Township said that she believes that her son is a better person because of Wunder.

“I know that he has the boys’ best interest at heart,” said Bill Phelps of Saylorsburg. “We believe that it would be a disservice to the school and the boys to not vote in favor of Alex.”

Several of Wunder’s players also addressed the board.

Jack Robinson summed up what Wunder meant to the team after Pachuta’s death.

“He was there for us. I was one of the first of the team to arrive at the high school that day. He was there with a hug. He cried with us, he picks us up when we need it. He has been there for us whenever we needed him, and so we are here for him today, when he needs us.”

Before the board took the final vote to hire Wunder, several of the directors took the opportunity to make a statement.

Gould, who sits on the Athletic Committee and was involved in the process of interviewing coaches for the position, pointed out that he was very upset with the way several members of the board had handled the situation with Wunder and the assistant coaches.

In his statement, Gould said that the concerns expressed in the letters received by Yozwiak and Jecker had been addressed before the second vote for the advisers and that it was a shock that they voted no for a second time.

Yozwiak clarified her position, stating that at the time of the second vote she voted no because it is her belief that a head coach should be hired before appointing the intramural advisers because she thinks that the program should be run by the head coach.

She added that she was pleased that Wunder was being put forth to be hired and that it was her intention to vote in favor of his being hired.

Gould responded by saying that on the very same day that Yozwiak voted no on Wunder, she voted yes on a field hockey adviser when there was no field hockey coach.

Yozwiak replied that she realized later that she had made a mistake and that she should not have voted in favor of the field hockey adviser.

After the final vote was taken, the crowded room burst out into applause.

Piperato asked Wunder if he wanted to say anything, and he took the opportunity to thank everyone for their support.