Coaching Carousel

[Kuiper]

Westminster College is advertising for a new head men's soccer coach

Girish Thakar is still listed as the head coach on the website, but he must be retiring or leaving after 26 years (or is going to only coach women's soccer since he has been coaching both most of those years)

[Hopkins92]

Westminster College is advertising for a new head men's soccer coach

Girish Thakar is still listed as the head coach on the website, but he must be retiring or leaving after 26 years (or is going to only coach women's soccer since he has been coaching both most of those years)

That sounds wild, from a logistics standpoint. PITA.

[Kuiper]

Westminster College is advertising for a new head men's soccer coach

Girish Thakar is still listed as the head coach on the website, but he must be retiring or leaving after 26 years (or is going to only coach women's soccer since he has been coaching both most of those years)

That sounds wild, from a logistics standpoint. PITA.

It's hard to do logistically, and hard to do well.  These days, it's not common.  Lewis & Clark has the same coaching staff for both men and women, but Thakar had different assistant coaches for men and women, which could make him more like a Director of Soccer than a head coach of each, which I think is probably a better model if you are going to try do it.  Thakar has had enough success with both teams that he should be credited as someone who did it well.

Having coached the Westminster College men's and women's soccer teams concurrently since 2002 and the men's team since 1998, Girish Thakar has won a combined 532 games and 11 conference championships, while making 25 postseason appearances. Thakar enters his 26th season with the men and 22nd with the women in 2024 for an impressive, combined record of 531-334-87 (.603).

Coach Thakar's Profile:
PAC Champions: 11
M: 2002, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2018
W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2022
NCAA Tournament: 11
M: 2002, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2018
W: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2022
ECAC Championship: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017
National All-Americans: 5
Regional All-Americans: 46
All-Conference Selections: 215
Academic All-American Selections: 7
Academic All-District Selections: 47

Thakar took the reins of the Westminster women's program on an interim basis in 2002, then was named permanent head coach prior to the 2003 season. During the past 21 seasons, the Titan women are a combined 278-128-42 (.667) with six PAC championships and four-straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2002-05.

Thakar's 25-year record as Westminster's men's coach is 253-206-45 (.547), including a team-record 17-6 mark in 2008 after the Titans won the PAC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In 2015, the Titans won their fourth PAC title; Westminster advanced to the finals after upsetting the No. 2 nationally ranked Thomas More College in the Semifinals. Westminster qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time, however, lost to No. 1/5 Kenyon College in the first round. In 2018, the Titans won their fifth PAC Championship with a 1-0 victory over Grove City College, advancing to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time.

Since Thakar took over both teams, Westminster has qualified for the NCAA Championships 11 times, including five for the men (2002, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2018) and six for the women (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2022). In addition, the 11 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) titles the Titans have collected includes five for the men (2002, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2018) and five for the women (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2022). Thakar was named PAC Coach of the Year six times, three for women's soccer (2002, 2005, 2006) and three for men's (2008, 2015, 2018).

Both teams won the PAC title in the same year in 2002 and 2006, with the latter considered Thakar's finest year of coaching as both teams won the league crowns as underdogs and qualified for the postseason in the ECAC Division III South Championships.

[Kuiper]

Marco DeVito named head coach at Nichols

The Nichols College Division of Athletics and Vice President & Director of Athletics Jack Hayes, have announced that Marco DeVito has been named the next Head Men's Soccer Coach. Devito, who becomes the 20th head coach in program history, replaces Chris Traina who is retiring after 23 seasons with the Bison. DeVito comes to "The Hill" after spending the last season with Tufts University.

"We are thrilled to have Marco DeVito join Nichols College as our head men's soccer coach", said Hayes. "His passion for the sport, experience at the regional and national levels, and his knowledge of Nichols made him the ideal choice to lead the program."

"I would like to thank Jack Hayes, Kristan Mallet, and the rest of the search committee for their trust and support during the hiring process." DeVito added, "I will work tirelessly to ensure that all of our student athletes here at Nichols have the best experience possible and bring the Men's Soccer program back to regional prominence. It was clear from the moment I stepped onto campus that Nichols is truly a place where student athletes and coaches can thrive. Roll Bison!"

DeVito was an Assistant Coach at Tufts University in 2024, primarily working with the goalkeepers for Tufts University.  He was part of a group that earned the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2024, as the Jumbos went 12-0-6, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jumbos' ranked second nationally in goals against average (.488) and sixth in save percentage (.870).

From 2022 to 2024, DeVito was an assistant men's soccer coach at Babson College. The Beavers posted a 26-7-10 record with DeVito on staff, including a 15-0-4 record in NEWMAC play. DeVito coached two All-Americans, two Defensive Players of the Year, and one Offensive Player of the Year, and 12 All-Conference selections during his two seasons with the Beavers.

DeVito spent time in the Worcester Area, as a graduate assistant for the Anna Maria men's soccer team from 2020 to 2022. In his time there the AMCATs he helped recruit the program's first ever GNAC Player of the Year.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Siena College and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Anna Maria.

[Kuiper]

Hendrix Hires David Castillo as Men's Head Soccer Coach

Hendrix College has announced David Castillo as its next Head Men's Soccer Coach.

Castillo comes to Hendrix after a successful tenure at Louisiana Christian University. Over his four seasons in Pineville, he became the all-time winningest coach in program history and led the Wildcats to back-to-back Red River Athletic Conference championships. In 2023, Louisiana Christian defeated LSU-Shreveport 1-0 to earn both the program's first conference championship and NAIA tournament berth. The Wildcats defeated Hope International in the first round of the NAIA tournament to claim the program's first-ever NAIA tournament win.

A year later, Castillo guided the Wildcats back to the conference tournament championship, defeating Xavier (La.) 2-0 to earn another NAIA tournament berth. Louisiana Christian would advance to the Round of 32 for the second-consecutive season after beating Hastings 1-0.

Castillo compiled a total record of 51-25-13 at LCU. The Wildcats were 33-119-10 in their 10 previous seasons prior to his arrival.

Before Louisiana Christian, Castillo served as an assistant women's soccer coach at Southeastern (Fla.) University, helping the Fire to an NAIA semifinal appearance in 2019. In that season, Castillo mentored five NAIA All-Americans, as well as the 2019 NAIA National Player of the Year, and helped the Fire finish the season ranked 4th in the final NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll.

Castillo's coaching career began at his alma mater, Florida College, where he served on the coaching staffs of both the men's and women's soccer programs, including a two-year stint as the head women's coach and associate head coach of the men's program. Under his guidance, the women's program earned a number one overall national ranking in the USCAA poll and earned a berth to the USCAA National Championship Tournament. Castillo also helped guide the progams during their transition to the NAIA and the Southern States Athletic Conference.

Castillo was a four-year starter and two-year captain at Florida College, earning a USCAA All-American Honorable Mention nod in 2015.

He is originally from Riverview, Florida and earned a bachelor's degree in Educational Studies from Florida College in 2016. In 2023, he earned his MBA from Louisiana Christian in 2023. Castillo currently holds a UEFA B and a UEFA C license from the Scottish Football Association.

[Kuiper]

La Verne hires Drew Rea as its new head coach

"We are excited to welcome Drew to the Leopard family. He brings a wealth of coaching knowledge and has deep connections to Southern California. We are confident he can build on the positive momentum of the men's soccer program and accelerate its success on and off the field," said Panatier.

Rea joins the Leopards after most recently serving as the head coach at Norco College. At Norco, he led the Mustangs to two Inland Empire Athletic Conference titles, made the playoffs five times, and went from ranked 130th in the state to top five in Rea's six years in charge.

"I am thrilled to take on this role at the University of La Verne. I want to thank Dr. Panatier and the search committee for giving me this opportunity. I believe the future is bright at La Verne and I can't wait to get started," said Rea.

He spent 11 years at Cal State Dominguez Hills assisting both the men's and women's soccer teams and one year at UC Riverside as men's soccer's assistant head coach. With the Toro's, he claimed the 2008 Men's NCAA DII National Championship, the women's 2009 NCAA Division II runner up, six California Collegiate Athletic Association titles, and eleven total playoff berths. At UCR, he helped the Highlanders capture a Big West Championship.

Outside of collegiate athletics, Rea has served as the Director of Soccer for Legends FC since 2016. With Legends, he is the Boys Elite Club National League Director and acts as a college advisor for the boys. Under his supervision, the boys' program rose from 89th in the country to the top five in under three years.

Rea moved to the United States with his family in the 1980s from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland and played soccer at Aquinas High School in San Bernardino where he won a CIF Title. He began his college career at Western Michigan University before transferring to Cal State Bakersfield where he was a two-time All-American. After his collegiate career ended, Rea returned to Ireland to play professionally for Glentoran before transitioning into coaching.

Interestingly, a decent number of players on Rea's roster at Norco college (a junior college) were int'l, with 3 from Japan, 1 from France, and 2 from Australia.  He might continue those pipelines as La Verne seeks to shore up enrollment.

[mngopher]

https://hamlineathletics.com/news/2025/3/5/john-pucci-named-hamline-head-mens-soccer-coach.aspx

Hamline names John Pucci as head men's soccer coach.

We officially have a game of musical chairs on our hands in the MIAC. Tudor Flintham left Gustavus for his alma mater St. John's. Tyler Oliver left Hamline to fill the Gustavus vacancy. Now John Pucci has left St. Mary's for his alma mater Hamline. For those unfamiliar — St. John's, Gustavus, Hamline, and St Mary's are all MIAC schools.

[Kuiper]

Steve DeMatteo named head coach at The College of New Jersey

Steve DeMatteo has been chosen as TCNJ's new men's soccer head coach, as announced Tuesday by Director of Athletics Liz Shatkus.

DeMatteo becomes just the third full-time head coach for the program since 1982, and the first since the retirement of George Nazario, who coached the team from 1995 to 2023. P.J. Ringel '21 served as interim coach for the 2024 campaign.

"I am extremely honored and excited to become the Head Men's Soccer Coach at The College of New Jersey," DeMatteo said. "I would like to thank Director of Athletics Liz Shatkus and the entire search committee for entrusting me with this incredible position. Throughout the process I felt a strong connection with the college and athletic department, and have full belief in the men's soccer program. I am very eager and excited to work with our men's soccer student-athletes, as I am committed to their development both on and off the field.

"TCNJ Men's Soccer has a fantastic history and tradition of success that I know many are very proud of. I am excited to engage with our proud alumni, and work tirelessly with our players, staff, and support staff to create an extremely special culture and environment that can provide a platform for the program to compete at a high standard. My family and I are very much looking forward to becoming a part of the TCNJ community."

DeMatteo comes to Ewing after six seasons as the top assistant at Penn, where he helped the Quakers become a mainstay on the national stage. Penn won the last three Ivy League regular-season championships, which was the first three-peat in program history. The 2024 Penn team were a perfect 7-0-0 in Ivy League play and were the No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. DeMatteo has been part of a coaching staff at Penn that has been recognized with Ivy League Coach of the Year Honors for the past 3 seasons, and United Soccer Coaches Regional Staff of the Year honors twice during that time.

DeMatteo assisted in coordinating recruiting efforts at Penn, which helped to identify and develop 21 All-Ivy selections over the last three years, including 4 Ivy League Players of the Year, 3 All Americans, 3 Major League Soccer (MLS) draft picks, and 1 MLS Homegrown contract. In his first season with the program in 2019, the Quakers posted their first winning season in eight years and finished 2nd in the Ivy League.

DeMatteo made stops as an assistant coach at Arcadia (2013-15) and Lafayette (2015-17) before becoming a head coach for the first time at Manhattanville College in 2017. Organizing all facets of the program, he guided the Valiants to the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) semifinals and ECAC quarterfinals in 2018, earning MAC Coach of the Year recognition for his efforts. During his time at Manhattanville, DeMatteo coached 15 all-conference selections, including one MAC Player of the Year and a pair of Rookie of the Year selections. The Valiants' 13 wins during the 2018 campaign were second-most in a single season in program history.

DeMatteo arrived at Manhattanville after spending the two years prior as an assistant coach at Lafayette. Working with the team's back four, he crafted the unit into the best defense in the Patriot League in 2016, conceding a conference-low 1.06 goals per game.

DeMatteo also has extensive experience in New Jersey and Pennsylvania working at the elite youth level of the game. Most recently DeMatteo has worked at Real Futbol Academy assisting with the U15-U19 MLS Next Teams. DeMatteo has also worked at both Match Fit Academy as well as Patriot FC (PA) and has achieved success developing players and teams at both clubs.

DeMatteo began his playing career at Drew before spending his last three seasons at William Paterson. He started 45 of his 46 appearances for the Pioneers, scoring eight goals and tacking on five assists. He remains tied for the program's all-time lead in both starts and matches played in a season, starting all 22 appearances in 2008 for the ECAC Metro Tournament champions. Additionally, in 2010 DeMatteo played 1 season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) for the New Jersey based club NJ Blaze.

DeMatteo currently holds licenses from the United States Soccer Federation as well as the United Soccer Coaches Association.

[Kuiper]

Rockford hires Luke Aspinall-Stanton as their new head coach

The Rockford University athletic department is pleased to announce the hiring of Luke Aspinall-Stanton as its next head men's soccer coach. Aspinall-Stanton comes to Rockford with extensive coaching experience at both the collegiate and club levels.

Just prior to arriving at Rockford, Coach Aspinall-Stanton spent two seasons as an assistant coach at fellow Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference school, Benedictine University. Aspinall-Stanton was involved in all facets of the Eagles' program including: recruiting, camps, player evaluations, planning, creating and executing goalkeeper training sessions, developing and implementing training drills, scouting, academic support and matchday planning. Individually, the Eagles had a trio of players receive All-NACC status and four NACC Men's Soccer Player of the Week recipients during his two years on staff.

Aspinall-Stanton's other collegiate coaching stop came at Louisiana State University at Alexandria where he served as an assistant for both the men's and women's programs. There he was again heavily involved in both programs, including a brief stint as the interim head coach for the women's team. The men had a combined overall record of 18-13-6, including a 12-5-5 mark in conference play. The Generals finished as high as third place and qualified for the RRAC Tournament both seasons, advancing to the championship game in 2021. The men's program also had a total of 12 all-conference selections combined in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

In addition to his work at the collegiate level, Aspinall-Stanton has both coached and served as the Director of College Recruitment at the club level. He began by spending two years as a club coach at the Evolution Soccer Club in Naperville, Illinois. He was then promoted to the Director of College Recruitment in the summer of 2024. 

Aspinall-Stanton earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University at Alexandria.