John DiRico
Men’s Soccer Head Coach


Head Coach John DiRico enters his 23^rd year at the helm of the Men’s Soccer program at Dowling College. Over his past 24 season he has compiled an impressive 270-109-49 overall record, helping turn the Men’s Soccer program into an elite national contender and achieving the institution’s first ever National Championship in 2006. This past season Dowling Men’s Soccer reached their 8th NCAA Final Four appearance in 10 years under the leadership of DiRico.

In 2013 the Men’s soccer team compiled a 12-5-3 record and advanced to the ECC Championship Tournament final and received an at-large bid to make it into the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Lions advanced to the second round of the NCAA East Regional tournament.

In 2010 Coach DiRico earned their 6th NCAA Division II Final Four appearance after recording an impressive 12-2-6 record this season.  The Golden Lions finished the 2010 campaign with a No. 4 national ranking by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Golden Lions went on an 8-0 undefeated streak to close out the regular season, earning the East Coast Conference (ECC) regular season title and a were crowned the ECC Tournament Champions. The Golden Lions would advance to the NCAA championship Tournament. Dowling would capture the NCAA East Regional title. Their successful run would end at the final four when Northern Kentucky University defeated the Golden Lions 3-1. Coach DiRico earned ECC Coach of the Year honors.

In 2008 the men’s soccer team was been ranked #2 in the final NSCAA National Ranking Poll after posting an overall record of 19-4-0.   Dowling went on a 13 game win-streak in the middle of October to end the regular season with a ranking of #12 in the nation.  After 3 straight wins in the post season against Franklin Pierce University, U-Mass Lowell, and Northern Kentucky, Dowling fell to Cal. State Dominguez Hills in the National Title match.

During his tenure, the Golden Lions have won 14 ECC regular season championships, six ECC tournament championships and have appeared in 13 NCAA tournament appearances. DiRico has earned numerous personal accolades as well, having been named the NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year three times as well as the NSCAA National Coach of the Year in 2006. He has also earned NYCAC/ECC Coach of the Year honors nine times and was named the bigapplesoccer.com Coach of the Year twice, having earned Person of the Year recognitions in 2006. In 2007, DiRico was also a recipient of the Adelphi University Woodruff Award.

Prior to taking over the reins at Dowling, Coach DiRico served as an assistant at St. John the Baptist High School and eventually became the head coach at SUNY-Old Westbury. He has also served as the head coach on the staff of the Eastern New York State Boy’s Olympic Development Program and on the Long Island Junior Soccer League Select Program.

DiRico is currently a member of the United States Soccer Federation and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He also holds a National B coaching license, is a former chair of the NSCAA Northeast Regional Ranking Committee, and a former NCAA Regional Selection Committee member.

He has been happily married to his wife, Lorraine, for 40 years and they have three children- Elizabeth (30), Jennifer (28), and John (26).
 
Year              W- L -T       W/L Pct     Notes                 
1992-93          4-12-3          .289                    
1993-94          3-11-1          .233                    
1994-95          9-7-3            .553                    
1995-96         14-3-1           .806          NYCAC Champions
1996-97         14-5-1           .725          NYCAC Champions, NCAA Tournament
1997-98         12-7              .632           NYCAC Champions, NCAA Tournament
1998-99         14-3-1           .806           NYCAC Champions, NCAA Tournament
1999-00         12-6-1           .658                    
2000-01         14-2-1           .853          NYCAC CO-Champions, NCAA Tournament
2001-02         15-1-3           .868          NYCAC CO-Champions,       NCAA Tournament,  NCAA Semifinalists
2002-03         11-4-2          .706           NYCAC TRI-Champions
2003-04         15-4-3          .750           NYCAC Champions, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Semifinalists
2004-05        17-2-5          .812            NCAA Tournament,                                                                          NCAA Semifinalists
2005-06        13-1-5          .816            NCAA Tournament
2006-07        22-0-2          .958            NYCAC Champions,  NCAA Tournament,  NCAA Final Four, National Champions
2007-08        17-3-3          .804           ECC Champions, NCAA Quarterfinalists
2008-09        19-4             .826            NCAA Tournament,  NCAA Final Four, National Finalists
2009-10        13-5-1          .711                    
2010-11        12-2-6          .750           NCAA Tournament,  NCAA Final Four
2011-12        6-7-3           .469                    
2012-13        2-15-1         .139                    
2013-14       12-5-3          .675           ECC Finalists, NCAA Tournament
Career Totals
22 Years      270-109-49  .688
 
All-Time Individual Honors
NCAA Divison II
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Jan Eric Wetteland
Thomas Vaaland
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player
Morten Jensen
NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Offensive Player
Lamine Traore

All-Tournament Team Patrick Cunningham Lamine Traore Morten Jensen Serigne Babacar Mboup Chris Kenney Abdoul Karim Diallo Leonard Doramadou All-Americans Billy Grady Morten Jensen Meshach Tinglin Ahmadoul Gaye Northeast Regional All-Tournament Team Moussa Keita El Hadji Mbow Rob Miller Lamine Traore Bill Grady Christoffer Zachrisson East Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year Morten Jensen Ahmadoul Gaye Defensive Player of the Year Thomas Vaaland Rookie of the Year Carl Rydin Tournament MVP Carl Rydin Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year Patrick Cunningham Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete Patrick Cunningham Morten Jensen Big Apple Soccer Player of the Year Morten Jenson North East Region Player of the Year Morten Jensen All-Conference Teams Patrick Cunningham Chris Green Moussa Keita Lamine Traore Ahmadoul Gaye* Carl Rydin* Thomas Vaaland*

Morten Jensen Guy-Roland Kpene Jon Nessa Vladimir MilosavijevicNemanja Veljovic* Junior Laurencin Bill Grady Meshach Tinglin* Chris Corridon Juan Vargas Marcus Come All-Region Teams Lamine Traore Vladimir Milosavijevic Nemanja Veljovic Ahmadoul Gaye* Bill Grady Morten Jensen Moussa Keita Guy-Roland Kpene Carl Rydin Meshach Tinglin Thomas Vaaland New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year Morten Jensen Mervin Shade Moussa Sy* Newcomer of the Year Moussa Sy Frank Vertullo Academic Player of the Year Vidar Magne Ekehaug All Conference Teams First Team Morten Jensen* Guy Roland Kpene Marcus Reis Serigne Babacr Mboup* Jan Eric Wetteland* Jose Danillo Vittorato Andre Phillip Mervin Shade Georges Haba** Abdoul Karim Diallo Leo Doramadou* Mamdou Sylla Moussa Sy* Aboubacar Mady Camara Ben Diallo Aboubacar Kjetil Soyland Richard Flaim George Maffia Wayne O’Neal* Jean Morlan Keith Arce

Second Team Nemanja Veljovic Serigne Babacar Mboup Mamadou Sylia Vidar Magne Ekehaug*** Mesut Karatuna* Leonard Doramadou Moussa Sy Frank Vertullo* Aboubacar Mady Camara Mervin Shade Wayne O’Neal George Maffia* Ben Diallo Aboubacar Jerry Ward Richard Flaim   ESPN/COSIDA Academic All-Americans Morten Jensen** Vidar Magne Ekehaug* Jan Eric Wetteland   National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas National Player of the Year Morten Jensen All-North East Region Teams Carl Rydin* Morten Jensen* Guy-Roland Kpene Jan Eric Wetteland* Serigne Babacar Mboup Vidar Magne Ekehaug Mervin Shade Abdoul Karim Diallo Wayne O’Neal Jean Morian Leonard Doramodou   All American Teams Morten Jensen* Georges Haba Moussa Sy Guy-Roland Kpene Moussa Keita Lamine Traore Carl Rydin Jan Eric Wetteland Morten Larsen Madi Camara Aboubacar     All-New York/New England Moussa Sy Aboubcar Mady Camara   New York Regional First Team Wayne O’Neal* George Mafia Jean Morian

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