UW-Stout Names Cole Schwartz as Men's Soccer Head Coach

QuoteUniversity of Wisconsin-Stout Athletic Director Duey Naatz announced today the hiring of Cole Schwartz as the new head coach of the Blue Devils men's soccer program.

Schwartz, a proven coach and decorated former player with deep ties to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), brings a dynamic blend of experience, leadership, a passion for player development, and a track record of success to UW-Stout as the team continues to build its presence in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).

Schwartz comes to Stout after two impactful seasons as the assistant men's soccer coach at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., where he helped guide the Pipers to a 22-12-3 record from 2023 to 2024. During his tenure, Hamline achieved a program-record 14 wins in 2024, tied for fourth nationally among NCAA Division III regular-season teams, and secured multiple top-10 regional rankings. Schwartz played a key role in developing two consecutive MIAC Rookies of the Year, four All-MIAC First Team selections, and a program-record 56 goals in the 2024 season. His contributions also included recruiting, tactical analysis, and practice management, transforming Hamline from a 10th-place MIAC finish to a competitive seventh-place standing in his first year.

"We are excited to welcome Cole Schwartz to UW-Stout as our men's soccer head coach," Naatz said. "Cole's coaching experience, combined with his remarkable playing career and commitment to student-athlete development, makes him the perfect leader for our program. His vision for success and passion for the game will undoubtedly inspire our team to new heights."

Schwartz's soccer journey is marked by excellence both on and off the field. As a player at Gustavus Adolphus College, he earned First Team All-American honors, was a two-time Academic All-American, and finished as the fourth-leading goal scorer in NCAA Division III in 2019 with 24 goals. He also contributed to two MIAC championships during his collegiate career, which began at NCAA Division I Radford University. Beyond college, Schwartz competed with Minneapolis City SC, leading the club in scoring in 2020 and 2021 across the NPSL, UPSL, and USL2 leagues.

In addition to his Hamline role, Schwartz currently serves as head coach for Lakeville Soccer Club's UPSL team, the top Lakeville U17 select team, and the Minnesota Olympic Development Program, showcasing his ability to develop talent at multiple levels. Schwartz holds a bachelor's degree in Physical and Health Education with a coaching minor from Gustavus Adolphus College and is set to complete his Master's in Soccer Coaching Education from Ohio University in July 2025. He possesses multiple U.S. Soccer coaching licenses, further underscoring his expertise.

"I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the new Men's Head Soccer Coach at UW-Stout," Schwartz said. "The program's potential is clear, and I am eager to implement a vision that will cultivate a winning culture and achieve sustained success. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the search committee and Director of Athletics Duey Naatz. Thank you to my mentors Tyler Oliver and Tudor Flintham who have helped show me the profound impact this profession can have on student-athletes. Lastly, thank you to my friends, family, and amazing wife for their continued support. I am committed to a student-centered approach and developing our student-athletes both on and off the field. We have a lot of work to do, but I know this program is destined for great things."

Schwartz takes over a Blue Devils program that began in 2024 under head coach Marcos Rodriguez. With his diverse background—shaped by a global upbringing in Poland, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Virginia, and Minnesota as the son of international school teachers—Schwartz is poised to bring a fresh perspective and a winning culture to UW-Stout.

Stout was 2-16-1 in its first season.  Current HC Rodriguez becomes Stout's women's soccer HC; he was their GK coach in 2021.

Quote from: Ron Boerger on April 08, 2025, 12:58:05 PMStout was 2-16-1 in its first season.  Current HC Rodriguez becomes Stout's women's soccer HC; he was their GK coach in 2021.

Stout's team was almost entirely freshman last season, unlike another new Wisconsin program in River Falls that attracted a bunch of upperclassmen transfers from Northland and Lakeland.  That was probably a big factor in the different results for the two programs. 

Clint Moore Named Head Coach of Men's Soccer at Pomona-Pitzer

QuoteClint Moore has been named the new head coach of the Pomona-Pitzer Men's Soccer team, as announced by the Sagehen Athletic Department.
 
Moore joins the Sagehens after eight seasons as an assistant coach at the Colorado School of Mines, where he helped guide the Orediggers to an 86-41-21 record. During his tenure, Mines captured six RMAC Regular-Season crowns, five RMAC Tournament titles, and made five NCAA Tournament appearances—including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2019.
 
Under Moore's leadership, the program produced 36 All-RMAC players, 21 all-region selections, and six All-Americans. His mentorship also resulted in one RMAC Player of the Year, two RMAC Defensive Players of the Year, and two South Central Regional Players of the Year. Moore was part of the United Soccer Coaches South Central Regional Staff of the Year in both 2019 and 2020-21. Four times during his tenure, Mines swept both the RMAC regular-season and tournament titles, with five straight regular-season championships from 2018 to 2022 and three consecutive tournament wins from 2018 to 2020.
 
Before Mines, Moore coached at the United States Air Force Academy, where he was part of the 2017 United Soccer Coaches West Region Division I Staff of the Year. With Moore on staff, the Falcons posted a program-best 11-1 home record, earned 10 shutouts, and won the first Western Athletic Conference Regular-Season title in program history. He also helped guide a program-best eight players to All-WAC honors.
 
From 2015–2016, Moore served as an assistant coach at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Illinois. During his time with the Titans, he was involved in all aspects of managing an NCAA Division III program, including recruiting, student-athlete development, academic advising, travel operations, community engagement, and soccer camps. His leadership helped IWU rise from the bottom of the conference standings to a top-three finish in 2016 and its first trip to the conference tournament since 2012.
 
Moore also coached for two seasons at his alma mater, Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. While at Knox, he worked with both the men's and women's programs and served as interim head coach for both teams on separate occasions. His impact was immediate—leading the men's team to its first regular-season conference title since 1988. That season, the program earned MWC Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Over two seasons, Moore guided the team to a 28-10 record with back-to-back trips to the conference tournament.
 
"It's a privilege to be named the next men's soccer coach at Pomona-Pitzer," said Moore. "I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this program and thank Dr. Miriam Merrill and the members of the search committee for their roles in bringing me to Pomona-Pitzer Athletics. I'm excited to work hard and build on the strong foundation that Coach Swartz established during his tenure.
 
Colorado School of Mines gave me seven rewarding seasons, and my time there will be cherished. I learned so much inside a great program and department while competing against some of the nation's best Division II programs. I will take these experiences into my new role to coach, mentor, and lead our Pomona-Pitzer student-athletes. We have a talented group, and I am eager to get started!"
 
Moore was a dual-sport athlete at Knox College, where he earned four varsity letters each in soccer and basketball. He was a two-year captain in soccer and a one-year captain in basketball, earning multiple scholar-athlete awards throughout his collegiate career. Academically, Moore completed a double major in biology and environmental studies, graduating with honors in biological research. He was the recipient of a summer research fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a Knox College Richter Memorial Scholarship, and an award from the Illinois State Academy of Science Research Conference for his independent honors research.

Mark Mettrick at Gettysburg just retired: https://gettysburgsports.com/news/2025/4/10/mens-soccer-mettrick-announces-retirement-as-gettysburg-mens-soccer-coach.aspx

Big announcement out of Gettysburg

Mark Mettrick announces his retirement, effective at the end of the spring semester, after 11 years at Gettysburg and 31 years as a college coach

QuoteAfter 11 years on the Gettysburg sidelines and 31 years as a collegiate head coach, Mark Mettrick has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the spring semester.

Mettrick has guided the Bullets' men's soccer program for the last 11 seasons, posting a .590 winning percentage, five Centennial Conference (CC) tournament appearances and two NCAA tournament bids.

The Mount St. Mary's and Loyola head coach for 20 combined years prior to his arrival in Gettysburg posted 316 wins over his 31 years and a .615 winning percentage.

"Mark has always thought deeply about how to effectively connect with his players to find the most impactful way to impart the enduring life skills that the team learns through competitive soccer," Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation Mike Mattia said. "He is aggressive with his tactics on the field but is kind to all and always knows the right time to inject a little humor to lighten the mood when needed. He established a very successful men's soccer alumni network that helps the current team with career counseling, internship opportunities and job placement. Mark has had a positive impact on hundreds of soccer players that he coached throughout his entire career. He will certainly be missed at Gettysburg, and I want to wish him and his family all the best as he starts the next stage of his life."

In Mettrick's 10 seasons with games, Gettysburg logged a record of 93-61-23. The Bullets won at least eight matches in eight of those campaigns.

In his first season at the helm of the Bullets in 2014, Mettrick directed to the Orange and Blue to six more wins than their total from one year earlier, tying the best single-season turnaround in program history. Gettysburg finished the year 9-7-1 and was ranked as high as fourth in the region.

In the fall of 2015, he led the Bullets to an outstanding start as the team cracked the national rankings for the first time in nine years. The team posted a double-digit win total for the first time since 2007 with a 10-5-1 overall record. In 2016, the team went 9-4-3 and posted its first unbeaten record (5-0-3) at home since 1999.

In 2017, the team went 13-5, marking its best win total in 16 years, and qualified for the CC playoffs for the first time in seven years. Mettrick coached five all-conference performers, including CC Player of the Year Patrick Santini '18, who finished fifth in the country in scoring with 20 goals. Santini became the program's first All-American in 19 years when he was named United States Coaches First Team and D3Soccer.com Second Team.
Gettysburg made a run to the CC semifinals in 2019 and qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in 18 years. The Bullets opened the NCAA playoffs by shutting out the nation's second-best offense, Oglethorpe University, 5-0. The team spent six weeks ranked among the top 10 teams in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Five Bullets were tabbed all-conference, while three earned regional accolades, marking the program's most all-region honorees since 2007.

His 2021 Bullets' squad posted its best mark in Mettrick's first eight at the helm, recording an overall record of 13-6-2 and advancing to the CC championship game and earning and at-large bid to the NCAA Division III tournament after missing the entire 2020 season due to the pandemic. Six players earned all-conference honors at season's end, including two first-team nods.

The 2022 season saw another conference tournament appearance – the fifth straight for the program – and another six all-conference selections that included the Rookie of the Year in Athi Msiza. The season also brought the team's first top-25 coaches' association national ranking since 2015.

In addition to coaching the first All-American at Gettysburg in nearly two decades, Mettrick coached 12 all-region selections, 37 All-conference honorees, and two CC Rookies of the Year.

Before coming to Gettysburg, Mettrick completed a highly-successful 14-year stint as head coach at Loyola University in Baltimore. He posted a record of 166-84-25 (.649) and guided the Greyhounds to five NCAA Division I Tournament appearances, advancing as far as the Round of 16 in 2001. A native of Manchester, England, Mettrick also coached Loyola to eight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular-season titles and four MAAC tournament titles. A five-time MAAC Coach of the Year, he also captured two NCAA Division I Regional Coach the Year awards (2001, 2008) and was a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Coach of the Year finalist.

Prior to arriving at Loyola, Mettrick served as the head coach at Division I Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md. from 1994-99. He guided the Mount to a record of 57-42-12 to go with a pair of Northeast Conference (NEC) titles and was twice named the NEC Coach of the Year. For his career, Mettrick owns a record of 284-163-44 (.623).

Mettrick played for Manchester United (English Premier League) as a youth and progressed as far as their reserve team before leaving for the States. He was a 1988 graduate of Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., where he was a two-time Division I All-American First Team selection for the Hawks. He remains tied for fourth in school history in career goals (46) and tied for fifth in career points (109).

After graduation, Mettrick was a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). As a midfielder, he would go on to enjoy a solid four-year career with the MISL's Baltimore Blast, earning All-Star accolades in 1992 and twice helping the Blast reach the MISL championship game. He served as assistant men's soccer coach at Mount St. Mary's in 1993 before taking over as head coach the following season.

"I will always be thankful for the opportunity that Gettysburg College gave to me," Mettrick said. "I would like to thank all the players and parents for all their support over the years. I have had the pleasure of coaching some wonderful young men during my tenure and value those relationships. I am truly appreciative of the engaged men's soccer alumni and the alumni council under the leadership of Scott Estill and Matt Rockstroh, who went far and beyond in supporting the players and the program. Lastly a note to the athletic department – I have enjoyed some great relationships with fellow staff and will miss those daily interactions. Thank you, Gettysburg!"

As I put in the other thread... anyone know if Mike Singleton is still looking for a job? That's not far from the areas he mentioned in his seeking work post on LinkedIn. I have no idea what happened at Goucher, but this would be a pretty good job.

As for Mike, don't know, but may be tough to commute from Balt. County where I think he lives (about 1.5 hours over mostly back roads), but if there is a will there is a way. Goucher is there and he mentioned that his wife's job is. Gettysburg is semi isolated. Would be an amazing option for him and Gettysburg. I hope he gets a shot. Any college would benefit with him as their coach.

Wilson College is looking for a new Men's Soccer Head Coach

Chris Higgins must have departed after three seasons at the helm.

Forgive my ignorance but why is he looking for a job?

Quote from: NEPAFAN on April 11, 2025, 02:31:54 PMForgive my ignorance but why is he looking for a job?

Singleton? He left Goucher women's team. Not sure of the circumstances but it was oddly timed.

Another big job opens up.

Perry Nizzi Retires after 26 years at Hamilton

https://athletics.hamilton.edu/news/2025/4/10/mens-soccer-nizzi-announces-retirement-after-26-seasons-as-head-mens-soccer-coach.aspx

Hamilton College Director of Athletics Jon Hind '80 has announced the retirement of long-time Head Men's Soccer Coach Perry Nizzi, effective on June 30, 2025.
 
Nizzi, who is also a physical education instructor at Hamilton, was hired in December 1997. The search for a new coach will begin immediately.
 
In 26 seasons with the Continentals Nizzi posted a record of 211-146-48, including a team-record 12 wins in 2001, and his teams reached double figures in wins eight times. He coached an all-American and 23 all-region team picks, and since 2011 had 16 all-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) selections.
 
"Perry Nizzi has been an excellent ambassador for the men's soccer program, Hamilton College and the greater Mohawk Valley," Hind said. "He has done a remarkable job in directing our men's soccer program for more than two decades."
 
Nizzi has led Hamilton to plenty of team success with 17 trips to the postseason including five NCAA Division III championship appearances. The 2016 NESCAC Coach of the Year guided the Continentals to the conference championship final that same year. Nizzi led the team to Liberty League tournament titles in 2004 and 2007, and regular season crowns in 2000 and 2006. In 2000 Hamilton advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals and was ranked 16th in the final Division III coaches poll.
 
Nizzi's last year with the Continentals was one of his best as the team received an at-large bid to the NCAA championship, defeated Calvin University 3-2 in the first round and tied Kenyon College 2-2 in the second round before Kenyon advanced on penalty kicks. Hamilton's final overall record was 8-6-4.
 
"Perry Nizzi will leave an indelible mark on Hamilton Athletics and the countless student-athletes he has mentored," Hamilton Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, Deidre Pierson said. "He is known for his unique coaching style and his true legacy lies in the positive impact he has had on the lives of his players. Coach Nizzi fostered a team environment that was both intensely focused and remarkably jovial. He possessed a rare ability to instill discipline and a strong work ethic while maintaining a lighthearted atmosphere that players cherished. He created a culture where student-athletes could thrive as players, students and as individuals."
 
In 17 years as the head coach at Herkimer College from 1981 to 1997, Nizzi's teams won 291 matches, giving him a total of 502 victories in 43 seasons at the two schools. He is a member of five halls of fame including Rome Sports Hall of Fame, Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame, NJCAA Soccer Hall of Fame, Herkimer College Athletic Hall of Fame and SUNY Cortland's C-Club Hall of Fame.

Quote from: jknezek on April 11, 2025, 03:11:26 PM

Quote from: NEPAFAN on April 11, 2025, 02:31:54 PMForgive my ignorance but why is he looking for a job?

Singleton? He left Goucher women's team. Not sure of the circumstances but it was oddly timed.

I think during the season it went south.

Quote from: Kuiper on April 10, 2025, 12:29:24 PMBig announcement out of Gettysburg

Mark Mettrick announces his retirement, effective at the end of the spring semester, after 11 years at Gettysburg and 31 years as a college coach

QuoteAfter 11 years on the Gettysburg sidelines and 31 years as a collegiate head coach, Mark Mettrick has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the spring semester.

I wonder how this announcement will affect Gettysburg's search for a replacement for Mettrick.

Gettsyburg's Athletic Director Announces his Departure

One possibility is that Gettysburg's outgoing AD puts in place an interim for the Fall season before he leaves and then the new AD hires a replacement for next season.  Not ideal for the program, but pretty hard to recruit a strong head coach as a lame duck athletic director with one foot out the door.