2025 National Coach and Staff of the Year Recipients Announced
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 19, 2025) - United Soccer Coaches announced on Friday the association's 2025 National Staff and Coach of the Year recipients for senior and junior college, high school, and youth/club soccer, as voted on by the coaches in their respective divisions and levels.
These staffs will be honored at the United Soccer Coaches Awards Ceremony on Jan. 16, 2026, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa., in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention. Each Regional Staff of the Year appeared on the ballot for National Staff of the Year, along with the addition of staffs from all schools which reached the semifinals of their respective championship.
2025 National Coaches of the Year
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS
HEAD COACH AND SCHOOL
Large Public School Boys
Aziz Haffar, West Des Moines Valley High School (Iowa)
Small Public School Boys
Buddy Hayford, Twin Valley Middle/Senior High School (Vt.)
Independent Boys
Jay Wood, St. Christopher’s School (Va.)
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS
HEAD COACH AND SCHOOL
Large Public School Girls
Greg Davidson, Hamilton Southeastern High School (Ind.)
Small Public School Girls
Amy Dunlap, Indian Hill High School (Ohio)
Independent Girls
Avi Dubnov, Miss Porter’s School (Conn.)
HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT
Steve Mastronardi, Elmira High School (N.Y.)
YOUTH/CLUB
Todd Hill, New Haven (Conn.) Youth Soccer
2025 National Coaching Staffs of the Year
COLLEGE MEN
SCHOOL
NCAA I Men
Furman University
Head Coach: Doug Allison
Assistants: Bret Boulware, Brandon Tucker and Charlie Arndt
NCAA II Men
Midwestern State University
Head Coach: Michael Meachum
Assistants: Patrick Fitzgerald, AJ Francois and Carlos Gonzalez
NCAA III Men
Tufts University
Head Coach: Kyle Dezotell
Assistants: Adam Batista, Cristian Wood-Suvak, Luca Napora and Zach Abdu-Glass
NAIA Men
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Head Coach: James Peterson
Assistants: Cedric Muteshi and Stevan Djukic
Junior College I Men
Daytona State College
Head Coach: Joe Avallone
Assistant: Jonathan Lopez
Junior College II Men
Phoenix College
Head Coach: David Cameron
Assistants: Pedro Mendoza, Ethan Dougherty and Carmen Esnal
Junior College III Men
Cerritos College
Head Coach: Benjamin Artiaga
Assistants: Chris Lekavich, Alejandro Diaz, Tony Leone and Jeffrey Payeras
COLLEGE WOMEN
SCHOOL
NCAA I Women
Florida State University
Head Coach: Brian Pensky
Assistants: Bobby Shuttleworth, Erwin van Bennekom and Micah Bledsoe
NCAA II Women
Florida Tech
Head Coach: Katy Freels
Assistants: Scott Wilson and Olivia Simmons
NCAA III Women
Washington University in St. Louis
Head Coach: Jim Conlon
Assistants: Taylor Imming, Amanda Kesler and Sidney Conner
NAIA Women
Keiser University
Head Coach: Alex Adams
Assistants: Taryn Pardoe, Craig Mooney, Michael McBride and Vinnie Cainth
Junior College I Women
Daytona State College
Head Coach: Hope Clark
Assistant: Liz Manner
Junior College II Women
Holmes Community College
Head Coach: Wesley Noble
Assistants: Hardy Lewis, Miguel Molina, Sarah Keeton Odom and Beau Bartholomew
Junior College III Women
Sierra College
Head Coach: Jason Gantt
Assistants: Ron Benjamin, Megan Harris, Todd DeCarlo and Janis Hurter
United Soccer Coaches
Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., United Soccer Coaches is the trusted and unifying voice, advocate and partner for coaches at all levels of the game. The largest community for soccer coaches in the world, we unite coaches of all levels around the love of the game and we elevate the game through advocacy, education and service. To learn more visit UnitedSoccerCoaches.org.
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Mission Statement: The mission of United Soccer Coaches is to provide programs and services that enhance, contribute to, and advocate for the development and recognition of soccer coaches, players, and the game we love.
