EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Wednesday the hiring of Paul Leese, who had been the head coach at Coker College for the last five seasons, as the new Broncs men's soccer head coach.
Leese arrives on campus on March 4.
"I am excited and honored to lead the UTPA men's soccer program into its new chapter," Leese said. "I was very impressed with Director of Athletics Chris King's drive and vision for UTPA Athletics and I greatly appreciate his trust in my leadership to build the men's soccer program. The Rio Grande Valley community is passionate about soccer and my goal is to develop an exciting team that they will want to see play and can share in our future success.
"Now I can't wait to spread the word about UTPA men's soccer. The opportunity to play Division I soccer in the Rio Grande Valley is fantastic news for student-athletes in Texas and throughout the entire U.S. Our first season of competition in the fall of 2015 cannot come soon enough and I will be working my hardest to ensure that we will be ready."
Leese had immediate and sustained success at Coker, leading the Cobras to the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championships in his first season before going on to win back-to-back conference championships in 2011 and 2012.
Despite not having any seniors, the 2011 team went 18-3-0, the second best winning percentage in the nation, including 10-1-0 in conference, en route to winning the first conference regular season and tournament championships in program history and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Cobras hosted the NCAA Regional Championship for the first time in program history. The Cobras were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation and No. 1 in the Southeast Region that season. Five student-athletes earned First Team All-Conference honors, including Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Carlos Recinos, with an additional Cobra selected to the Second Team. Five student-athletes earned NSCAA First Team All-Southeast Region honors with freshman defender Fernando Bedoya also getting recognized as an NSCAA All-American. For his efforts, Leese earned his first Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year award.
The 2012 team finished 12-4-1, including 8-1-1 in conference play as Leese earned his second-straight Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year honors. That team boasted five First Team and two Third Team All-Conference selections. The Cobras also claimed the top conference honors with Player of the Year Niko Tirkkonen and Defensive Player of the Year James Sweeney. Along with their on-field success, Leese's squad also placed six players on the Academic All-Conference team in and claimed the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the first time on program history.
This past season, Leese led the Cobras to a 9-5-3 record, including a 6-4-1 mark in conference play. One of his forwards, Daniel Jackson, was selected by Real Salt Lake in the fourth round (70th overall) of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, making him the first Coker player to ever get drafted.
In 2010, Leese led the Cobras to back-to-back conference finals and the program's first top-10 NCAA Southeast region ranking at the end of the season.
Upon his arrival as head coach in 2009, Leese brought instant success to Coker, taking a team that had gone 7-12-1 and finished ninth in the conference and leading them to their first winning season in over 20 years along with their first-ever conference tournament championship.
Overall, the Cobras went 58-24-12 (.617) under Leese, including a 31-15-5 (.608) mark in conference play.
Leese's squads also excelled in the classroom. His team improved in each of his four years at the helm and his last team posted a cumulative team grade point average of 3.09. Two student-athletes were selected to the 2011 Capital One All-America Team while junior goalkeeper James Sweeney earned conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year and NSCAA Academic All-American honors.
"I am very excited about Paul becoming part of the UTPA family and joining a talented group of head coaches at UTPA. Paul was highly recommended to me by several of the most reputable coaches in collegiate soccer," King said. "I am very impressed with his ability to turn a program around and compete for conference championships as he did at Coker College. Paul's total athlete leadership philosophy on academics, athletics and community involvement impressed the search committee and me. His philosophies on leadership, team chemistry, team characteristics and defining leadership roles within a team structure go hand-in-hand with the Bronc Standard and our department's purpose, which is preparing our student-athletes for excellence in life."
Prior to taking the reigns at Coker, Leese was an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina University from 2006-09, where he was in charge of all phases of the men's soccer program, including team coaching, player recruitment, budget management and travel coordination. In 2007 his team went undefeated in Big South Conference play to win the regular season championship.
Before working at Coastal Carolina, Leese served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Furman University. From 2003-06, he oversaw all phases of the men's soccer program, coaching current United States captain and Fulham/Seattle Sounders player Clint Dempsey, along with Shea Salinas of the San Jose Earthquakes and Jon Leathers, formerly of Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Leese began his coaching as an assistant coach at Elon University from 2001-02.
During his playing career, Leese earned Big South Rookie of the Year honors in 1997 while at Charleston Southern University. He then transferred to Furman University where he was part of the best team in school history, the 1999 squad that went 21-2-1 en route to an NCAA Quarterfinal appearance.
Leese earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Furman in 2001, and earned a Masters in Business Administration from Elon in 2003.
Born in Liverpool, England, Leese graduated high school in Spain from Aloha College and played for C.D. Cultural de Marbella under the coaching tutelage of Jaime Molina. Leese was also a member of the 1999 British University National Team and enjoyed a professional career in the United Soccer League with the Greenville Lions and Carolina Dynamo.
Leese has guided academy players in the School of Excellence at Chester F.C. in the English Second Division and represented Major League Soccer as a coach at camps throughout the United States. He was the color commentator for the Furman Sports Network broadcast of the NCAA Southern Conference Men's and Women's Soccer Championships in 2000 and has coached at the high school and youth levels in North and South Carolina.
Leese continues to develop youth players in an educational environment as founder and director of ESB Soccer (Eat, Sleep, Breathe Soccer), hosting camps and clinics for high school and club organizations. Leese holds the NSCAA Premier Diploma, USSF Coaching License and the English F.A. Coaching Badge.
"I would be remiss if I didn't thank Farrah Manthei, Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, and the search committee for their leadership during this search," King said. "Farrah's leg work and research was an important part in the gathering of information towards the deep talent pool for this position."
"I instantly felt at home when I stepped on campus," Leese said. "There is a strong sense of family within the athletic department. I want to thank Associate Athletic Director Farrah Manthei for all her time and effort in leading the search process, along with the entire search committee for believing in my athletic and academic philosophies."
"I must also thank Coker College Director of Athletics Lynn Griffin and President Robert Wyatt for their tremendous support during my five years at Coker. My wife and I have grown very fond of Hartsville and have made great friends here. It will be very hard for us to leave, however I am incredibly proud of the men's soccer team and all that we have achieved over the past five years. The program is now accustomed to winning championships and I am certain they will continue to excel."
Leese, and his wife, Janeane, have two sons, Aiden and Keiran.