Coaches

Mark Howlett

Mark Howlett enters his sixth season in 2023 after being named the Knights' head coach in July 2018.


The Knights earned their second-straight SUNYAC playoff berth in 2022 after finishing with a 9-5-4 overall record and 3-3-3 in conference action. Geneseo had their comeback attempt in the first round of the playoffs fall short on penalty kicks against Brockport. Joe Vogt was named Defensive Player of the Year, while Arilotta also earned First-Team All-SUNYAC honors for his second-straight season. Cameron Houser and Tyler Lewandowski also were named All-SUNYAC.


Howlett helped lead the Knights to their first SUNYAC playoff berth since 2017 in the 2021 season, posting a 10-7-2 overall mark and 5-4 in conference play. Geneseo earned back-to-back wins on the final weekend of the season to clinch the postseason berth, including a double overtime win over Buffalo State. Justin Arilotta earned First-Team All-SUNYAC recognition, while Joe Vogt, Cameron Houser, and Tyler Lewandowski also earned All-SUNYAC honors. Arilotta went on to earn First-Team All-Region honors.


In 2019, Geneseo recorded a 7-9-2 mark and then had the 2020 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


In 2018, the Knights posted a 7-7-4 mark as Bryan Wager '20 was named a SUNYAC All-Star. Gavin Gleasman '19 led the team in scoring and notched the program's first hat trick since the 2016 season with three first half goals in a 4-0 over St. John Fisher. The men's soccer team earned the Geneseo Team GPA award, finishing the academic year with a 3.30 team GPA, the highest among the Knights' male intercollegiate athletic programs.


Before arriving at Geneseo, Howlett coached at State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) rival Buffalo State for five seasons, leading the Bengals to a combined 50-36-9 mark. In 2017, he led the team to a 14-3-3 record, a berth in the SUNYAC Tournament and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. He was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year and United Soccer Coaches East Region Coaching Staff of the Year and coached the program's first All-American since 1984.


Prior to his time at Buffalo State, Howlett coached for four seasons at SUNY Canton where he helped the Kangaroos transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III membership.


Howlett established his coaching roots in nearby Rochester, serving as the men's soccer assistant coach at Nazareth from 2008 to 2010 while also serving as the Director of Coaching for local youth soccer organization Doug Miller Soccer and head coach of the Rochester Ravens, a professional women's soccer team that participated in the USL W-League.


Howlett starred for two years at Roberts Wesleyan before transferring to Judson (Ill.) for his final two years of competition. A three-time NAIA All-American, he led Judson to a pair of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and two NAIA Tournament appearances.


A native of Portsmouth, England, he was also a member of the AFC Bournemouth development program, playing for two years under scholarship with the English professional team's development club, and was named AFC Bournemouth Player of the Year in 2004.


Howlett has two daughters, Lillian and Willow.