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Kevin Langan
Kevin Langan became the seventh head coach in the 36-year history of the 49ers men’s soccer program on January 3, 2012. Langan, who is entering his 12th season as Charlotte's head coach, previously served as the Niners' Associate Head Coach from 2009 to 2011.
In year 11 in the Queen City, Langan became the Niners all-time winningest head coach, earning his 118th victory in the Niners, 5-0, demolition of Detroit Mercy on September 9 at home at Transamerica Field. Charlotte finished the year with a record of 9-5-2, but got off to its best start in program history, earning wins in each of its first seven matches and outscoring its opponents, 31-2, in those seven contests. CLT finished the year with 46 regular season goals which ranked first in the nation heading into postseason play. In true Langan fashion, the Niners also had a solid year at the back, keeping five consecutive clean sheets during the early portion of the season and holding its opponents to just 16 goals in 15 regular season matches. Following the season, seniors Sean Suber and Kameron Lacey added to the Niners' professional pedigree by being drafted 35th overall and 82nd overall, respectively, in the MLS SuperDraft.
The 49ers have made 16 all-time appearances in the NCAA Tournament with 11 of those NCAA Tournament trips coming during Langan’s tenure on the coaching staff. Charlotte has nine conference titles (regular-season or tournament) in the program’s history, five have come under Langan’s leadership.
As a member of the coaching staff since 2009, Langan played an integral role in helping the 49ers reach the College Cup Finals in 2011. In his 49ers tenure, Charlotte has reached a College Cup Championship game, captured two Atlantic 10 regular-season titles, two Conference USA regular-season titles and a Conference USA Tournament title, and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
56 players have earned All-Conference honors including 30 named to the first-team, along with 19 more being named to the All-Freshman teams under Coach Langan. Eight players (Donnie Smith, Kyle Parker, Brandt Bronico, Luke Waechter, Elliot Panicco, Callum Montgomery, Patrick Hogan, Preston Popp, ) have garnered Conference individual honors under Coach Langan's tutelage. In 2014, he was named NSCAA Southeast Region Coach of the Year. In 2016, he earned Conference USA Coach of the Year honors. 34 players have received United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) All-Region honors, including 16 on the first-team. 21 Niners have earned NSCAA Scholar All-Region honors and five players (Donnie Smith, Tyler Gibson, Aidan Kirkbride, Brandt Bronico and Callum Montgomery) earned NSCAA Scholar-All-American honors. Tyler Gibson also was named a 2013 CoSIDA Academic All-American. Callum Montgomery was named a 2016, 2017 and 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-American. Under Coach Langan, 16 players have gone onto professional soccer careers.
In his first season as head coach (2012), he guided Charlotte to the most successful season by a first-year head coach in the program’s history. Langan guided the 49ers to 15 wins, an Atlantic 10 regular-season title, an appearance in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to the eventual runners-up Georgetown, and a national ranking the entire season. In 2012, the team posted the second-best defensive record in the program’s history and celebrated two NSCAA Scholar All-Americans (Tyler Gibson and Donnie Smith). He also became the first coach in the program’s history to start their career undefeated after seven games. In addition, two 49ers (Donnie Smith and Jennings Rex) were drafted by the MLS in his first year.
In his second season (2013), he guided Charlotte to a Conference USA Tournament title, a national seed in the NCAA Tournament and a national ranking for the majority of the season. Two 49ers earned national academic honors as Tyler Gibson was named a CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American and Aidan Kirkbride earned NSCAA Scholar All-American honors.
In his third season (2014), he guided Charlotte to a Conference USA regular-season title, a national seed in the NCAA Tournament and a national ranking for the majority of the season. At one point in the season, the 49ers were ranked number one in the RPI. Langan earned NSCAA Southeast Region Coach of the Year honors. Brandt Bronico was named to the Conference USA All-Academic team.
In his fourth season (2015), he guided the 49ers to their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The 49ers were nationally ranked for a majority of the season. Brandt Bronico was named to the Conference USA All-Academic team for the second straight season. Kyle Parker was drafted 31stoverall in the MLS Superdraft by the Columbus Crew.
In his fifth season (2016), he guided the 49ers to their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a national seed. The 49ers were nationally ranked for a majority of the season. Langan was voted Conference USA Coach of the Year. Brandt Bronico was named C-USA Player and Offensive Player of the Year. Luke Waechter was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Elliot Panicco was named C-USA Freshman of the Year. Bronico earned NSCAA Scholar All-American honors and Callum Montgomery earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. Bronico was drafted in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft by the Chicago Fire. Matej Dekovic was drafted in the fourth round of the MLS SuperDraft by the Chicago Fire.
In his sixth season (2017), he guided the 49ers to an appearance in the Conference USA Tournament Championship game. Five players earned All-Conference USA honors and three players were named to the Conference USA All-Tournament team. Two players earned Conference USA All-Academic team honors. Callum Montgomery earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors for the second straight season.
In his seventh season (2018), he guided the 49ers to an appearance in the Conference USA Tournament Championship game and a trip to the second-round of the NCAA Tournament. Seven players earned All-Conference USA honors and three players were named to the Conference USA All-Tournament team. Five players earned All-Region honors. Callum Montgomery was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. Montgomery also was named first-team All-American and first-team Academic All-American. Montgomery was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by Dallas FC. Tommy Madden was the 38th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft by Orlando City SC. For the third time in the program’s history, the 49ers had two players picked in the MLS SuperDraft in the same year. For the first time in school history, the 49ers have two players picked amongst the top 38 picks in the MLS SuperDraft.
In his eighth season (2019), he guided the 49ers to an appearance in the Conference USA Tournament Championship game and a trip to the second-round of the NCAA Tournament. Seven players earned All-Conference USA honors and three players were named to the Conference USA All-Tournament team. Three players earned All-Region honors. Elliot Panicco was named Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year as well as becoming the first student-athlete in Charlotte 49ers history to earn the Senior CLASS Award. Panicco was the 13th overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by Nashville SC.
In his ninth season, Langan guided the 49ers through a year unlike any other that was impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. With the season moved to the Spring, the Niners recovered from a difficult 0-2-1 start to rip off six consecutive victories to open conference play, before finishing second in Conference USA and getting nipped by UNC Charlotte in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 4-1 on PK's. The Niners were led by sophomore forward and C-USA Co-Golden Boot Award winner, Preston Popp, who paced Charlotte with a team-high six goals. The back line was also a rock for the 49ers, giving up just 10 goals in 11 total contests, led by 2020 C-USA Defensive MVP, Patrick Hogan. The Niners in the Spring of 2020, piled on the All-Conference honors, placing a total of seven players on the All-Conference teams with the trio of Hogan, Joe Brito and Alex Willis earning First Team accolades.
In 2021, his tenth season as head coach, the Niners earned their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last 11 years after finishing with a 10-6-1 record and a 5-3-0 mark in Conference USA play, a mark good enough for third in the league. CLT's marquee victory of the season came in a, 2-1, overtime decision at home against No. 5 Kentucky. 2021 C-USA Golden Boot winner, Preston Popp scored the game-winning goal as time expired in the first overtime period. Charlotte scored 30 goals as a team and yet again played a schedule filled with NCAA Tournament teams including Kentucky, Marshall, FIU, Seattle and Maryland.
In 2009, as an assistant coach at Charlotte, the 49ers made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1997. Charlotte ended third-ranked Wake Forest’s nation’s-best 46-game unbeaten streak against non-conference opponents. In 2010, Charlotte captured the program’s first-ever Atlantic 10 regular-season title. In 2011, Charlotte reached the College Cup for the second time in school history and advanced to the College Cup finals for the first time. The 49ers won 16 games which tied for the second most wins in the program’s history.
“It is a great time to be the head coach of the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer program,” Langan said. “The university boasts some of the best soccer facilities in the country. We are a part of an athletic department that is growing and hungry for success. We have worked hard to develop a great culture around the program and we are confident that we will continue to bring success to Charlotte.”
From an article in TopDrawerSoccer.com about Coach Langan
Those who perhaps don’t pay the closest attention to men’s college soccer might be surprised to learn the Charlotte 49ers are something of a power player in the national game. By the time then-coach Jeremy Gunn led Charlotte to within one game of a national title in 2011, they’d already reached a College Cup once in 1996. When Gunn left for Stanford in 2012, his understudy Kevin Langan took over the clipboard, and the 49ers have hardly missed a beat. Entering the 2017 season, Langan’s Charlotte teams are a combined 64-24-12, giving him the program’s highest overall winning percentage in history. In those five years, the stylish 49ers have reached the NCAA tourney all five years and garnered national seeds three times. Langan’s benefitted from a robust local soccer scene and tremendous facilities, and he’s helped build out Charlotte into a machine.
OTHER COACHING EXPERIENCE
In 2012, Langan coached the Charlotte Soccer Academy U-16 team to the United States Soccer Federation Academy Finals Week in Houston (top 8 teams in the country) for the first time in the club’s history. Charlotte was one of only three non-MLS Academies to make finals week.
Before moving to Charlotte, Langan spent four years as the head boys’ coach of the Classics Elite Soccer Academy in San Antonio, Texas (now called the San Antonio Scorpions USSF Academy). He also coached the Classics Elite Soccer Academy’s U-18 USSF Academy team in 2008-2009.
PLAYING CAREER
As a collegiate player, Langan was a standout player for the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas for the 2004-05 seasons. He captained them to a number one national ranking and the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2004. In his two seasons at Incarnate Word, he was named Regional Defensive Player of the Year, Student-Athlete of the Year and the International Graduate Student of the Year.
The Jersey, United Kingdom native also represented Great Britain at two World University Games; in 2001 in Beijing, China and then captaining the team in Daegu, South Korea in 2003. He was also selected to play for the England National Futsal Team on a Tour of Portugal in 2003. In 2001 he helped lead Bath University to become British National Champions, for the first time in school history, scoring in the final.
In England, Langan played professionally with Bristol City FC for six seasons and Forest Green Rovers FC for four years. For Bristol City he made his Cup debut against Swansea City FC and his League debut versus Wigan Athletic as an 18-year old. During his time at Bristol City FC he played in the team that won promotion to the Championship in 1998. He also played against Premier League sides, Liverpool FC, Southampton FC and West Ham United.
EDUCATION AND COACHING LICENSES
Langan graduated with a “First Class Honors” Bachelor’s Degree in Coaching Education and Sports Performance from the University of Bath (England) in 2004 and with a Master’s Degree in Sports Management from the University of the Incarnate Word in 2006. He also holds his USSF Coaching “A” License.
FAMILY
Langan, his wife Sally and sons Ben and James reside in Charlotte.
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