PRESQUE ISLE, ME
The University of Maine at Presque Isle Athletics Department is pleased to announce the hiring of John Gonzalez as its next Head Men's Soccer Coach. Gonzalez is the first new men's soccer coach since 1991, after Alan Gordon retired this spring following a 35 year career at the reins of the program. Gonzalez brings a wealth of experience in the coaching realm over the last few years and a passion that is a perfect fit for UMPI.
Gonzalez grew up in Utica, New York, before beginning college at Mohawk Valley Community College right in Utica. There, Gonzalez was the team's goalkeeper for two seasons. He then transferred to SUNY Canton and converted to a field player, playing two seasons in the Roos defensive third. After graduating from Canton in 2020, Gonzalez decided to dive into the coaching realm.
Reaching out to many different schools in the Northeast, SUNY Morrisville answered, and gave him the opportunity to become a volunteer assistant coach, working primarily with the goalkeepers starting out. At Morrisville, Gonzalez worked his way all the way up to Associate Head coach for the Mustangs. His hard work paid off into another opportunity beginning in the fall of the 2024 season when he was hired as an assistant coach at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where he has been for two years. He helped navigate the Eagles to a 13-3-6 season in 2024, en route to an ECAC Conference Championship after a 7-0-2 conference record.
UMPI Executive Director of Athletics Dan Kane weighed in on the decision to bring John Gonzalez on board. "Throughout the search process, John distinguished himself with his passion for student-athlete development, his strong recruiting background, and his commitment to building a competitive and positive team culture. His experiences at both Morrisville and Juniata have prepared him well for this opportunity, and we are excited about the vision, energy, and leadership he will bring to UMPI Men's Soccer. We look forward to welcoming John to our campus and supporting him as he leads our program into its next chapter."
Gonzalez is more than excited for his first collegiate head coaching position as well as the opportunity to help rebuild the Owls program. "I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the UMPI Men's Soccer program. I want to thank Dan Kane, the search committee, and everyone involved in the hiring process for believing in my vision for the future of this program. Coach Gordon built a strong foundation over his remarkable career, and I have tremendous respect for everything he accomplished at UMPI. My goal is to build a culture centered around hard work, accountability, and a commitment to excellence both on and off the field. We will recruit student-athletes who are passionate about representing this university and this community, and together we will work to bring sustained success to the program and compete for championships in the NAC. My family and I are excited to become part of the UMPI community and get to work."
At Morrisville and Juniata, Gonzalez gained invaluable hands-on coaching experience around successful and winning programs. He also gained a lot of recruiting experience at both schools. This experience as an assistant coach will be integral in helping the UMPI Men's soccer program rebuild and seek to qualify for the postseason for the first time since joining the NAC.
Please join us in welcoming Coach Gonzalez to the UMPI community!
