TicketsCINCINNATI - Gavin MacLeod is set to return to the University of Cincinnati women's soccer program this fall as he has been hired as an assistant coach, Bearcats head coach Neil Stafford announced today. MacLeod, who most recently served as the Director of Coaching (Girls) for AFC Lightning in Peachtree City, Ga., is returning to UC after having previously served as a volunteer coach for Stafford during the 2014 season.
"With Gavin MacLeod, we're continuing the trend of bringing top-level, ambitious coaches to this fantastic program," Stafford said. "We've already had the privilege of working with him, so we know his qualities on and off the field. That being said, Gavin also knows what our 'Culture of Excellence' is all about. He has immense energy on the training ground and a wealth of knowledge to share with the players. Gavin also has an exceptional background in the area of sports science, which will only compliment what we are currently doing in the areas of player health, safety and performance. I've always appreciated Gavin's loyalty and his commitment to be a person of high character; he will be an excellent role-model and mentor to all of us here within the program."
MacLeod, a native of East Kilbride, Scotland, has rejoined the program following the departure of Nate Lie, who, after four seasons with the Bearcats, was recently named the head coach at fellow Queen City program Xavier. MacLeod, who will serve as the program's Director of Player Performance, will work along side fellow assistant and goalkeepers coach Matt Cosinuke, the program's Director of Recruiting.
"I am excited to return to Cincinnati and to work with Neil Stafford and Matt Cosinuke again," MacLeod said. "It is an honor to be able to represent the University of Cincinnati and I look forward to being a part of this program's Culture of Excellence and upholding the values of the team and the institution.
"I would like to thank Head Coach Neil Stafford, Athletic Director Mike Bohn and Associate Athletic Director Keri Thoman for the opportunity to return to the Bearcat family," MacLeod continued. "I also have to thank the members of the AFC family who made my time in Georgia such a wonderful experience and, in particular my fellow, Directors of Coaching for their assistance, motivation and dedication to creating an unparalleled development environment for our community. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Jackie, for her belief, patience and support which have been instrumental in getting me to this place in my career."
MacLeod first came to the States to attend Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, Tenn.) where he was a standout on the pitch for the Railsplitters. The 2009 graduate played four years for LMU and helped them to the 2017 regular season title in the South Atlantic Conference while adding conference tournament titles in 2005 (Gulf South Conference) and 2007 (SAC) and two NCAA Southeast Region titles (2006 & 2007). The defender also helped lead his side to the 2006 NCAA Division II Final Four before advancing the national final in 2007. Additionally, in 2008, he was selected as an NSCAA Scholar All-Region member while also helping the program attain the first national #1 ranking the school's history. MacLeod also found time during his collegiate days to play for a pair of USL Premier Division League teams, including the Cincinnati Kings and the Vermont Voltage.
MacLeod is not only no stranger to the Bearcats program, but also to the club programs in the Cincinnati area as several coaching opportunities have doted his resume. Following his collegiate playing career, MacLeod returned to the other side of the pond and began work at Leeds Metropolitan University in Leeds, England, where he not only obtained his MS in Sport & Exercise Nutrition in 2010, but also began his coaching career. Since then, MacLeod has served in a coaching capacity at various levels over the past handful of years, including youth, collegiate and professional levels with his first opportunity arising at Leeds United FC where he served as the nutrition consultant and assistant strength and conditioning coach for the first team while also serving as a member of the youth coaching staff.
In 2012, MacLeod returned to the Cincinnati area where he began work with nearby Kings Soccer Academy as an assistant coach of its USL PDL team while also training elite teams and working with the Elite Performance Training staff. One year later, he garnered his first manager's position, taking the reigns as head coach of the Cincinnati Saints in 2013. Then, in 2014, while working as a volunteer coach at UC, he also was named the head coach of the Dayton Dutch Lions, a team playing in the USL W-League, while also coaching at Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) and serving as the head coach of the Ohio South ODP team as well.
With a wealth of experience, MacLeod set off to the Atlanta area where he had spent the past three years working with AFC Lightning, a club with teams ranging from U6 to U19 for both boys and girls. While at AFC Lightning, MacLeod was tasked as the Girls Director of Coaching for U13-U19 teams and also served as the head coach for multiple teams. During his time at AFC, MacLeod guided teams to two state league titles, two State Cup finals, Southern Regional championship qualification and oversaw multiple teams achieving promotion to the Southern Regional Premier Leagues.
MacLeod's knowledge has not been limited to soccer players and programs, however. His experience also included strength & conditioning and nutritional consulting work with members of Great Britain's women's basketball team; Scottish national rugby team players; Olympic and world champion triathletes; and world champion boxers. He holds several licenses and certifications in various areas of expertise, including UEFA 'B' and NSCAA Premier Diploma (Distinguished Pass) in soccer. He also is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NSCA & UKSCA) and Level 4 Obesity & Diabetes Management (REPS).
// COACHING TREE
Lie's departure continues to add to the growing coaching tree Stafford has cultivated in his career. Along with Lie (2013-16) taking over at Xavier, former UC assistant coach Gary Curneen (2013) has also found his way to the top of a program as he is entering his fourth season as the head coach at Cal State Bakersfield. Kristin Cannon, who played for Stafford and served as volunteer assistant coach at UC last year, was named an assistant coach at LIU-Brooklyn earlier this year.
// SEASON APPROACHING
The 2017 season is rapidly approaching for the Bearcats with the first match of the regular season set for August 18 (Friday) at 7 p.m. when the Bulls of Buffalo visit Gettler Stadium in Cincinnati. The full team will report to campus August 1 with the Bearcats' first exhibition taking place five days later as Northern Illinois will visit UC on Sunday, August 6. For more details on the 2017 schedule, visit GoBearcats.com and also follow the team on its social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (GoBearcatsWSOC).
"With Gavin MacLeod, we're continuing the trend of bringing top-level, ambitious coaches to this fantastic program," Stafford said. "We've already had the privilege of working with him, so we know his qualities on and off the field. That being said, Gavin also knows what our 'Culture of Excellence' is all about. He has immense energy on the training ground and a wealth of knowledge to share with the players. Gavin also has an exceptional background in the area of sports science, which will only compliment what we are currently doing in the areas of player health, safety and performance. I've always appreciated Gavin's loyalty and his commitment to be a person of high character; he will be an excellent role-model and mentor to all of us here within the program."
MacLeod, a native of East Kilbride, Scotland, has rejoined the program following the departure of Nate Lie, who, after four seasons with the Bearcats, was recently named the head coach at fellow Queen City program Xavier. MacLeod, who will serve as the program's Director of Player Performance, will work along side fellow assistant and goalkeepers coach Matt Cosinuke, the program's Director of Recruiting.
"I am excited to return to Cincinnati and to work with Neil Stafford and Matt Cosinuke again," MacLeod said. "It is an honor to be able to represent the University of Cincinnati and I look forward to being a part of this program's Culture of Excellence and upholding the values of the team and the institution.
"I would like to thank Head Coach Neil Stafford, Athletic Director Mike Bohn and Associate Athletic Director Keri Thoman for the opportunity to return to the Bearcat family," MacLeod continued. "I also have to thank the members of the AFC family who made my time in Georgia such a wonderful experience and, in particular my fellow, Directors of Coaching for their assistance, motivation and dedication to creating an unparalleled development environment for our community. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Jackie, for her belief, patience and support which have been instrumental in getting me to this place in my career."
MacLeod first came to the States to attend Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, Tenn.) where he was a standout on the pitch for the Railsplitters. The 2009 graduate played four years for LMU and helped them to the 2017 regular season title in the South Atlantic Conference while adding conference tournament titles in 2005 (Gulf South Conference) and 2007 (SAC) and two NCAA Southeast Region titles (2006 & 2007). The defender also helped lead his side to the 2006 NCAA Division II Final Four before advancing the national final in 2007. Additionally, in 2008, he was selected as an NSCAA Scholar All-Region member while also helping the program attain the first national #1 ranking the school's history. MacLeod also found time during his collegiate days to play for a pair of USL Premier Division League teams, including the Cincinnati Kings and the Vermont Voltage.
MacLeod is not only no stranger to the Bearcats program, but also to the club programs in the Cincinnati area as several coaching opportunities have doted his resume. Following his collegiate playing career, MacLeod returned to the other side of the pond and began work at Leeds Metropolitan University in Leeds, England, where he not only obtained his MS in Sport & Exercise Nutrition in 2010, but also began his coaching career. Since then, MacLeod has served in a coaching capacity at various levels over the past handful of years, including youth, collegiate and professional levels with his first opportunity arising at Leeds United FC where he served as the nutrition consultant and assistant strength and conditioning coach for the first team while also serving as a member of the youth coaching staff.
In 2012, MacLeod returned to the Cincinnati area where he began work with nearby Kings Soccer Academy as an assistant coach of its USL PDL team while also training elite teams and working with the Elite Performance Training staff. One year later, he garnered his first manager's position, taking the reigns as head coach of the Cincinnati Saints in 2013. Then, in 2014, while working as a volunteer coach at UC, he also was named the head coach of the Dayton Dutch Lions, a team playing in the USL W-League, while also coaching at Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) and serving as the head coach of the Ohio South ODP team as well.
With a wealth of experience, MacLeod set off to the Atlanta area where he had spent the past three years working with AFC Lightning, a club with teams ranging from U6 to U19 for both boys and girls. While at AFC Lightning, MacLeod was tasked as the Girls Director of Coaching for U13-U19 teams and also served as the head coach for multiple teams. During his time at AFC, MacLeod guided teams to two state league titles, two State Cup finals, Southern Regional championship qualification and oversaw multiple teams achieving promotion to the Southern Regional Premier Leagues.
MacLeod's knowledge has not been limited to soccer players and programs, however. His experience also included strength & conditioning and nutritional consulting work with members of Great Britain's women's basketball team; Scottish national rugby team players; Olympic and world champion triathletes; and world champion boxers. He holds several licenses and certifications in various areas of expertise, including UEFA 'B' and NSCAA Premier Diploma (Distinguished Pass) in soccer. He also is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NSCA & UKSCA) and Level 4 Obesity & Diabetes Management (REPS).
// COACHING TREE
Lie's departure continues to add to the growing coaching tree Stafford has cultivated in his career. Along with Lie (2013-16) taking over at Xavier, former UC assistant coach Gary Curneen (2013) has also found his way to the top of a program as he is entering his fourth season as the head coach at Cal State Bakersfield. Kristin Cannon, who played for Stafford and served as volunteer assistant coach at UC last year, was named an assistant coach at LIU-Brooklyn earlier this year.
// SEASON APPROACHING
The 2017 season is rapidly approaching for the Bearcats with the first match of the regular season set for August 18 (Friday) at 7 p.m. when the Bulls of Buffalo visit Gettler Stadium in Cincinnati. The full team will report to campus August 1 with the Bearcats' first exhibition taking place five days later as Northern Illinois will visit UC on Sunday, August 6. For more details on the 2017 schedule, visit GoBearcats.com and also follow the team on its social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (GoBearcatsWSOC).