TicketsCINCINNATI - As a member of the University of Cincinnati women's soccer program, individuals are not just coached to be better prepared for collegiate soccer, but also for the career path ahead of them.
And that doesn't just apply to the student-athletes on the roster each season.
Since Neil Stafford began coaching collegiately, he has worked with hundreds of student-athletes that have found success on the pitch, in the classroom and in life. At the same time, assistant coaches have also worked their way into head coaching positions with seven former Stafford assistants having led or are currently leading their own programs, including four current individuals working with NCAA Division I programs.
Stafford with his most recent assistant coach turned head coach, Matt Cosinuke
Recently, the ranks of Stafford assistants earning head coaching positions grew when Matt Cosinuke, a four-year assistant coach for the Bearcats, was tabbed as the Eastern Kentucky University women's soccer head coach January 3, 2019.
"I've been fortunate to have great mentors in my life who taught me to surround myself with talented, loyal, hard-working, high character people," Stafford said. "I've been blessed to work with some excellent assistant coaches who have demonstrated those qualities and more. I've always tried to find people that think or can do things different or even better than me. I'm passionate about that because we're all here to serve; no-one is bigger than the program and if egos get in the way, then the program doesn't thrive and move forward. If I can use my program as a classroom to have my assistants teach and learn, then I know they will be prepared and ready for the day they receive their own classroom."
// CURRENT POSITIONS OF FORMER STAFFORD ASSISTANTS
// PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD
Cosinuke is the third assistant under Stafford at Cincinnati to move on to a head coaching position. First, Gary Curneen departed Clifton to take on the lead role at Cal State Bakersfield before ultimately leaving that post to join the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League as an assistant coach.
Neil helped prepare me to be a head coach in two key areas," Curneen said. "The first was the commitment level of being a head coach at the division one level. I thought I knew what it took but Neil took it to a new level with an emphasis on recruitment, strength and conditioning, academics, and meetings that I had previously not been exposed to. The second was learning how to 'change' a culture and manage the soccer side alongside team chemistry and establishing roles and responsibilities both on and off the field. Once I became aware of these and saw how he planned and modified each one to the environment that he/we wanted, I learned that it could be adjusted and taken to my next position."
After Curneen was Nate Lie, who moved across town and took over the program at Xavier University.
"I learned so much during my time under Neil's guidance at UC and I took away many lessons that helped me tremendously as I prepared to lead my own program," Lie said. "To begin, Neil places an enormous emphasis on academic success; not necessarily for the success itself, but for the habits it helps foster and the hard work and accountability it requires. He believes in the pursuit of excellence across the board – academics, fitness, community service, treatment of others – and that it all leads to eventual on-field success."
Many of those qualities have been a foundation established by Stafford at all of his coaching stops, including his first NCAA Division I position leading Central Michigan University. There, he worked with three assistants that currently guide their own programs, including Stephanie Webb, the head coach at Guilford College (NCAA Division III).
"Neil was big on making sure you surround yourself with different people that have a different skill set than you as it will allow you to enhance a program," Webb said. "He allowed us to demonstrate our strengths and gave us opportunities to be hands on with coaching, recruiting, etc. That allowed us to become familiarized with all facets of the program so we could learn new things, but also have the opportunity to continue to grow in the areas we know well. Working under Neil allowed me to grow not only as a professional, but also as a person."
Just before Cosinuke was selected to lead the EKU program, Matt Kagan, an assistant under Stafford at Assumption College – his first head coaching job – was hired to lead the program at Oregon State. Selecting Kagan in 2001 set in motion chances to learn and grow as a coach before being handed the reigns of his own program.
"I owe a great debt of gratitude to Neil for taking a chance on a young coach," Kagan said. "He was always very demanding and held me accountable to not only be a better coach, but a better person. I feel like his ability to manage a team along with his organization of that team is something I have always kept in mind as I now am myself a head coach.
// WORKING TOGETHER
Stafford with his mentor Tom Anagnost (UIC), Matt Kagan and fellow head coaches Jason Hamilton (ECU) & Nate Norman (Notre Dame)
Spend even a few minutes with Stafford and a person can easily see his passion for growing his program in all aspects. Whether it be on the field or in the classroom for his players, working with his coaching staff to plan ahead or even taking a brief moment to welcome a visitor into the Lindner Athletic Center building, all of those interactions and plans are designed to engage and expand everyone associated with his program. Those interactions not only set a foundation for his current program, but also helped foster a foundation for future opportunities for all associated with his program.
"Neil did an amazing job integrating the athletic department, University and community around Cincinnati Women's Soccer," Lie said. "He made sure to speak with the concession staff and ushers before every game and he engaged the alumni base. Neil's view of the staff extended far beyond just the coaches; it included academics, athletic trainings, strength and conditioning, compliance, marketing, ticketing, sports oversight and so many others. By doing that, he made everyone feel invested in the program and its success."
For Stafford, success is easier to achieve with support from those around you. One way he has continually done that with his coaching staff is to share the load and work together as a single unit.
"He gives you responsibility to work and then includes you on every aspect of the program," Curneen said. "He also listens to feedback and areas that you see improvements. We used to laugh about how many meetings we had, but in those times where staff are sitting around chatting and talking about the game, you start to see the game from other perspectives and it grows trust between staff. You move from colleague to friend during that process. Once you become friends and relationships grow, you are willing to go above and beyond for each other. I think that's a really powerful thing to teach coaches today."
Webb echoed those sentiments.
"While working with Neil, I saw that he was always allowing his assistants to be a part of the process and allowing them to voice their opinions and be a part of discussions," Webb said. "It allowed his staff to think outside the box and how to listen to others. He pushed you to think differently and not just jump into a decision, but to analyze all the information to make the best decision for the team."
// LASTING IMPRESSIONS
The Staffords and Lies taking in a Pearl Jam concert together
The 2019 season will mark Stafford's 17th year guiding a collegiate soccer program and his seventh doing so at Cincinnati. During those seasons, and no matter how long they worked together and how many years have separated their time together on staff, the takeaways each took continue to resonate today.
"His standards still stand out for me, even now," Curneen said. "I've never seen someone with a higher bar that is not effected by success. Anyone can be demanding when times are tough, but Neil always seemed to make a point or two after we won and that was a real shock to me at the time. I had never experienced someone asking more and more physically, mentally, and emotionally to the level he did and, as a result, I learned that we all have more to give (coaches especially). We all say we do our best, but Neil really makes you ask that of yourself and I love that!"
At Cincinnati, Stafford's program strives to continue building a Culture of Excellence, something Kagan saw the roots of back in 2001.
"The biggest takeaways from my time working with Neil are to simply be myself and recruit the right people as opposed to recruit the best player," Kagan said. "Neil is big on team culture and I learned how important the word 'culture' was/is to the success of a college soccer team. He also empowers his coaches to be leaders on and off the field. I learned how to manage people and learned how to speak to people from Neil. I'll always cherish my time with Neil. He is one of my best friends and I owe a ton to him!"
In the end, no matter how long or short their time together was, one thing remains: not only was knowledge shared by all involved, but a pathway for continued education, and friendship, remains.
"I felt my time at Cincinnati, and Neil's leadership specifically, prepared me well for the next step in my coaching career," Lie said. "He included me in conversations regarding all aspects of the program, yet gave me the freedom to grow and find my own voice. To this day, he still serves as a great friend and mentor and I am grateful for that every day."
And that doesn't just apply to the student-athletes on the roster each season.
Since Neil Stafford began coaching collegiately, he has worked with hundreds of student-athletes that have found success on the pitch, in the classroom and in life. At the same time, assistant coaches have also worked their way into head coaching positions with seven former Stafford assistants having led or are currently leading their own programs, including four current individuals working with NCAA Division I programs.
Stafford with his most recent assistant coach turned head coach, Matt Cosinuke
Recently, the ranks of Stafford assistants earning head coaching positions grew when Matt Cosinuke, a four-year assistant coach for the Bearcats, was tabbed as the Eastern Kentucky University women's soccer head coach January 3, 2019.
"I've been fortunate to have great mentors in my life who taught me to surround myself with talented, loyal, hard-working, high character people," Stafford said. "I've been blessed to work with some excellent assistant coaches who have demonstrated those qualities and more. I've always tried to find people that think or can do things different or even better than me. I'm passionate about that because we're all here to serve; no-one is bigger than the program and if egos get in the way, then the program doesn't thrive and move forward. If I can use my program as a classroom to have my assistants teach and learn, then I know they will be prepared and ready for the day they receive their own classroom."
// CURRENT POSITIONS OF FORMER STAFFORD ASSISTANTS
| Matt Cosinuke | Head Coach | Eastern Kentucky |
| Nate Lie | Head Coach | Xavier |
| Gary Curneen | Asst. Coach | Chicago Red Stars (formerly HC at CS Bakersfield) |
| Ian Carry | Head Coach | Kentucky |
| Steph Webb | Head Coach | Guilford College (NCAA Division III) |
| Will Austin | Head Coach | Martin Methodist College (NAIA) |
| Matt Kagan | Head Coach | Oregon State |
// PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD
Cosinuke is the third assistant under Stafford at Cincinnati to move on to a head coaching position. First, Gary Curneen departed Clifton to take on the lead role at Cal State Bakersfield before ultimately leaving that post to join the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League as an assistant coach.
Neil helped prepare me to be a head coach in two key areas," Curneen said. "The first was the commitment level of being a head coach at the division one level. I thought I knew what it took but Neil took it to a new level with an emphasis on recruitment, strength and conditioning, academics, and meetings that I had previously not been exposed to. The second was learning how to 'change' a culture and manage the soccer side alongside team chemistry and establishing roles and responsibilities both on and off the field. Once I became aware of these and saw how he planned and modified each one to the environment that he/we wanted, I learned that it could be adjusted and taken to my next position."
After Curneen was Nate Lie, who moved across town and took over the program at Xavier University.
"I learned so much during my time under Neil's guidance at UC and I took away many lessons that helped me tremendously as I prepared to lead my own program," Lie said. "To begin, Neil places an enormous emphasis on academic success; not necessarily for the success itself, but for the habits it helps foster and the hard work and accountability it requires. He believes in the pursuit of excellence across the board – academics, fitness, community service, treatment of others – and that it all leads to eventual on-field success."
Many of those qualities have been a foundation established by Stafford at all of his coaching stops, including his first NCAA Division I position leading Central Michigan University. There, he worked with three assistants that currently guide their own programs, including Stephanie Webb, the head coach at Guilford College (NCAA Division III).
"Neil was big on making sure you surround yourself with different people that have a different skill set than you as it will allow you to enhance a program," Webb said. "He allowed us to demonstrate our strengths and gave us opportunities to be hands on with coaching, recruiting, etc. That allowed us to become familiarized with all facets of the program so we could learn new things, but also have the opportunity to continue to grow in the areas we know well. Working under Neil allowed me to grow not only as a professional, but also as a person."
Just before Cosinuke was selected to lead the EKU program, Matt Kagan, an assistant under Stafford at Assumption College – his first head coaching job – was hired to lead the program at Oregon State. Selecting Kagan in 2001 set in motion chances to learn and grow as a coach before being handed the reigns of his own program.
"I owe a great debt of gratitude to Neil for taking a chance on a young coach," Kagan said. "He was always very demanding and held me accountable to not only be a better coach, but a better person. I feel like his ability to manage a team along with his organization of that team is something I have always kept in mind as I now am myself a head coach.
// WORKING TOGETHER
Stafford with his mentor Tom Anagnost (UIC), Matt Kagan and fellow head coaches Jason Hamilton (ECU) & Nate Norman (Notre Dame)
Spend even a few minutes with Stafford and a person can easily see his passion for growing his program in all aspects. Whether it be on the field or in the classroom for his players, working with his coaching staff to plan ahead or even taking a brief moment to welcome a visitor into the Lindner Athletic Center building, all of those interactions and plans are designed to engage and expand everyone associated with his program. Those interactions not only set a foundation for his current program, but also helped foster a foundation for future opportunities for all associated with his program.
"Neil did an amazing job integrating the athletic department, University and community around Cincinnati Women's Soccer," Lie said. "He made sure to speak with the concession staff and ushers before every game and he engaged the alumni base. Neil's view of the staff extended far beyond just the coaches; it included academics, athletic trainings, strength and conditioning, compliance, marketing, ticketing, sports oversight and so many others. By doing that, he made everyone feel invested in the program and its success."
For Stafford, success is easier to achieve with support from those around you. One way he has continually done that with his coaching staff is to share the load and work together as a single unit.
"He gives you responsibility to work and then includes you on every aspect of the program," Curneen said. "He also listens to feedback and areas that you see improvements. We used to laugh about how many meetings we had, but in those times where staff are sitting around chatting and talking about the game, you start to see the game from other perspectives and it grows trust between staff. You move from colleague to friend during that process. Once you become friends and relationships grow, you are willing to go above and beyond for each other. I think that's a really powerful thing to teach coaches today."
Webb echoed those sentiments.
"While working with Neil, I saw that he was always allowing his assistants to be a part of the process and allowing them to voice their opinions and be a part of discussions," Webb said. "It allowed his staff to think outside the box and how to listen to others. He pushed you to think differently and not just jump into a decision, but to analyze all the information to make the best decision for the team."
// LASTING IMPRESSIONS
The Staffords and Lies taking in a Pearl Jam concert together
The 2019 season will mark Stafford's 17th year guiding a collegiate soccer program and his seventh doing so at Cincinnati. During those seasons, and no matter how long they worked together and how many years have separated their time together on staff, the takeaways each took continue to resonate today.
"His standards still stand out for me, even now," Curneen said. "I've never seen someone with a higher bar that is not effected by success. Anyone can be demanding when times are tough, but Neil always seemed to make a point or two after we won and that was a real shock to me at the time. I had never experienced someone asking more and more physically, mentally, and emotionally to the level he did and, as a result, I learned that we all have more to give (coaches especially). We all say we do our best, but Neil really makes you ask that of yourself and I love that!"
At Cincinnati, Stafford's program strives to continue building a Culture of Excellence, something Kagan saw the roots of back in 2001.
"The biggest takeaways from my time working with Neil are to simply be myself and recruit the right people as opposed to recruit the best player," Kagan said. "Neil is big on team culture and I learned how important the word 'culture' was/is to the success of a college soccer team. He also empowers his coaches to be leaders on and off the field. I learned how to manage people and learned how to speak to people from Neil. I'll always cherish my time with Neil. He is one of my best friends and I owe a ton to him!"
In the end, no matter how long or short their time together was, one thing remains: not only was knowledge shared by all involved, but a pathway for continued education, and friendship, remains.
"I felt my time at Cincinnati, and Neil's leadership specifically, prepared me well for the next step in my coaching career," Lie said. "He included me in conversations regarding all aspects of the program, yet gave me the freedom to grow and find my own voice. To this day, he still serves as a great friend and mentor and I am grateful for that every day."