The Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Coach of the Year is an American soccer award given to head coaches in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The award is granted to the head coach voted to be the most successful that season by the league's coaches.
The award was first given following the 1986 season, the sixth year of the conference's existence, to Bill Sento of Loyola (MD). St. Francis Brooklyn and Monmouth, which is no longer a member of the NEC, are the programs that have been awarded the most, each with five.
Jaymee Highcock of Fairleigh Dickinson is the current title holder,Six Knights Earn All-NEC Honors; Rabassa Guillamon and Highcock Receive Major Awards at fduknights.com. 12 Nov 2025 after having won the 10th NEC tournament title for the University.
Winners
Season Coach School Postseason Ref. 1986 Bill Sento Loyola (MD) 5-0-1 2nd 17-1-4 1987 Bill Sento (2)Loyola (MD)5-1-0 1st17-4-21988Joe Donahue Monmouth3-1-1T-2nd12-5-2 1989Ben Stravato Fairleigh Dickinson5-2-02nd17-4-0NEC Champion1990Jim Deegan Mount St. Mary's3-2-24th12-5-3NEC Semifinals1991Sam Carrington St. Francis (NY)6-1-01st14-4-2NEC Champions 1992John Kowalski Robert Morris6-1-11st11-8-2NEC Semifinals 1993 Bill Furjanic Saint Francis (PA) 4-3-1 5th 7-10-1 1994Mark Mettrick Mount St. Mary's5-2-13rd11-6-2NEC Championship Game 1995 John Kowalski (2) Robert Morris 8-0-0 1st 14-4-0 NEC Semifinals 1996Mark Mettrick (2) Mount St. Mary's5-3-04th10-8-1NEC Semifinals 1997 Sam Carrington (2) St. Francis (NY) 5-1-0 1st 14-6-1 NEC Semifinals 1998Sam Carrington (3) St. Francis (NY)7-1-1T-1st15-6-1NEC ChampionsNCAA Play-In 1999 Pete Caringi UMBC 9-0-1 1st 19-1-2 NEC ChampionsNCAA First Round 2000Seth RolandFairleigh Dickinson8-2-01st13-8-1NEC ChampionsNCAA Play-In 2001 Bill Denniston Robert Morris 8-2 T-1st 9-9-1 NEC Semifinals 2002Pete Caringi (2) UMBC8-1-1T-1st11-7-2NEC Semifinals 2003 Shaun Green Central Connecticut 6-0-3 2nd 11-3-4 NEC Championship Game 2004B.J. Craig Saint Francis (PA)6-2-1T-2nd10-6-3NEC Semifinals 2005 Rob McCourt Monmouth 6-0-3 1st 10-4-6 NEC Championship Game 2006Rob McCourt (2) Monmouth7-0-21st14-4-3NEC ChampionsNCAA First Round 2007 Rob McCourt (3) Monmouth 7-2 1st 12-5-2 NEC Semifinals 2008Rob Ryerson Mount St. Mary's5-44th9-10-1NEC Championship Game 2009 Rob McCourt (4) Monmouth 8-1-1 1st 18-2-2 NEC ChampionsNCAA Second Round 2010 Joe Barroso Sacred Heart 6-2-2 2nd 11-6-2 NEC Semifinals 2011 Shaun Green (2) Central Connecticut 7-3-0 4th 10-8-1 NEC Semifinals 2012Eric Da Costa Quinnipiac8-1-11st10-5-3NEC Semifinals 2013 Shaun Green (3) Central Connecticut 6–1–0 1st 9–9–1 NEC Semifinals 2014Michael Casper Saint Francis (PA)6–11st13–6–1NEC Championship Game 2015 TJ Kostecky LIU Brooklyn 7–0–0 1st 11–6–4 NEC ChampionsNCAA First Round 2016Tom Giovatto St. Francis Brooklyn 6–0–1 1st 12–5–3 NEC Champions 2017 Tom Giovatto (2) St. Francis Brooklyn 6–0–1 1st 13–4–1 NEC Champions 2018TJ Kostecky LIU Brooklyn 6–2–0 1st 13–6–1 NEC Champions 2019 Tony Martone Merrimack 9–0–0 1st 11–3–2 – 2020Tom Giovatto (3)St. Francis Brooklyn 5–1–11st 7–2–1NEC ChampionsNCAA Second Round 2021Tom Giovatto (4)St. Francis Brooklyn 7–2–0T–1st 12–5–4NEC Championship Game2022Seth Roland (2)Fairleigh Dickinson 6–0–21st10–5–3NEC ChampionshipNCAA First Round2023Mads KaiserSaint Francis (PA) 5–0–31st7–0–8NEC SemifinalsNCAA First Round2024Austin SolomonMercyhurst 5–1–21st8–7–2 – 2025 Jaymee Highcock Fairleigh Dickinson 7–1–1 1st 13–5–3 NEC ChampionsNCAA First Round
Notes
Winners by school
School Titles Winning years St. Francis Brooklyn 7 1991, 1997, 1998, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 Monmouth 5 1988, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 Mount St. Mary's 4 1990, 1994, 1996, 2008 Saint Francis (PA) 4 1993, 2004, 2014, 2023 Fairleigh Dickinson 1989, 2000, 2022, 2025 Robert Morris 3 1992, 1995, 2001 Central Connecticut 3 2003, 2011, 2013 LIU 2 2015, 2018 Loyola (MD) 2 1986, 1987 UMBC 2 1999, 2002 Mercyhurst 1 2024 Merrimack 1 2019 Quinnipiac 1 2012 Sacred Heart 1 2010 Bryant 0 —
References