Coaches

Brian Marcantonio

Head Coach Brian Marcantonio recently finished his ninth season as the head coach of the Utica University men’s soccer team, and is set for his tenth campaign in Fall 2024. He has also been the co-head coach of the Utica golf programs since 2016 alongside Dave Clausen.


The Utica men’s soccer program has won 60 matches in Marcantonio’s first ten seasons as head coach, and he has led the team to the Empire 8 Conference Tournament four times during his tenure, including the Fall 2022 season. He has coached 38 All-Conference selections, twelve first team All-Conference selections, ten second team All-Conference selections, two ECAC All-Stars, one Empire 8 Player of the Year, and one ECAC Defensive Player of the Month.


The Fall 2023 season proved to be another successful season for the Pioneers in their conference. Finishing out with an overall record of 5-9-3 and a conference record of 3-3-2, the team clinched a spot to the conference tournament for the third consecutive year. Coming down to the wire, the team needed a win against Keuka on the last day of regular season play and ended up wnning comfortably 2-0. Forward Byamungu Mugushu was named on the all-conference first team, Cody Baker-Green was named on the second team, and Evan Smith was listed on the third team.


The Fall 2022 season was a successful season for the Pioneers ending with an 8-9-2 record and making it all the way to the conference championship. The highly talented Pioneers squad saw over half of there games decided by one goal. This included a close but deserving win against Saint John Fisher College in the playoffs that went to penalty kicks that ultimately led them to the conference championship. The Pioneers also saw four players receive all-conference selections which included two Pioneers, Byamungu Mugushu and Cody Baker-Green, making first team.


The Fall 2021 season was a winning campaign for the Pioneers, with a 9-7-1 overall record. A 6-2 conference record landed a spot in the conference tournament for the second consecutive year. The team wrapped up the season with a program-record seven all-conference selections, including the program's first Empire 8 Conference player of the year, Sory Konate. Joining Konate as a first team All-Conference choice was defender Colin McCarthy.


The Spring 2021 soccer season produced some close battles, as every match the squad played in was a defensive tussle decided by a single goal. The Pioneers were conference tournament qualifiers, and produced four Empire 8 All-Conference selections. Newcomers Ramazani Juma, Sory Konate, and Mohamadou Diallo were all chosen to the first team in their inaugural run with the Pioneers.


Marcantonio's most successful season in charge of the Utica program came in 2019, as he led the Pioneers to a 10-6-2 record while going 2-3-1 in Empire 8 play. This team saw six total all conference selections, with senior Adnan Bakalovic and freshman Jhonny Theze leading the way by earning first-team honors. Juniors Patrick Hynes and Randy Miksch along with senior Tucker Marvin took home second-team honors as well. Ethan Thomas received Sportsman of the Year honors to round out Utica’s E8 awards haul. This marked one of the most successful seasons in program history when it comes to All-Empire 8 honors, as the only other time more UC players were selected was in 2007 when the team showcased seven representatives. Theze was also selected to the All-ECAC team, while Miksch was the ECAC’s Defensive Player of the Month for September.


From 2015 to 2018, Marcantonio had multiple All-Conference honorees in three out of four seasons. In 2015, Shane Ruffing doubled down on his first team All-Conference honors from the year prior, while Jordan Senay was chosen as the Sportsman of the Year. In 2016, Owen Gillam and Bita Gazashvili were picked as All-Conference honorees, with Marcel Dupuis earning Sportsman of the Year honors. In 2017, Julian Fonseca was an All-Conference selection while Garrett Bortiatynski was the team’s Sportsman of the Year honoree. In 2018, Luke Tantillo earned a Sportsman of the Year nod.


In his first season in charge in 2014, Marcantonio guided Utica College to a 7-9-3 overall record and a trip to the Empire 8 Conference Tournament, marking the first back-to-back postseason appearances in program history. He led the Pioneers to a 4-3 record in the highly competitive Empire 8 and entered the tournament as the fourth seed only to lose, 1-0, to Ithaca in the semifinals. Seven of the Pioneers nine losses came by two goals or less including four one-goal defeats. He led four Pioneers to All-Conference accolades including Bita Gazashvilli to Empire 8 Rookie of the Year honors. Since then he went on to mentor Shane Ruffing, who finished as the program's all-time leading point scorer (78) and all-time leading goal scorer (33).


The Utica College golf programs have also enjoyed significant success under Marcantonio’s guidance, with two Empire 8 men’s team titles. Along with co-coach Dave Clausen and assistant coaches Jane Pagano and Patrick Coughlin, the Utica golf staff has been named the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year twice.


Highlighting the 2021-22 academic year was a third place finish for the men's program at the Empire 8 Championships. Adam Woodmansee was chosen as a first team all-conference pick, and Joe Miga made the all-conference third team based off his performance at the championship. Also notable was Josh Kienz, who tied for the 36 hole lead from the E8 Fall Championships, but was unable to defend his 2020-21 overall title in the Spring as a December graduate.


The golf program’s greatest success yet came in the Spring of 2021 when the Utica College men’s golf team won the Empire 8 Spring Championship, and went on to compete in the NCAA Championships held in Wheeling, West Virginia. The men’s team produced five All-Conference selections, with Josh Kienz earning his second Empire 8 Player of the Year award. Kienz was also the 2021 Empire 8 tournament individual champion. The women’s squad was led by a third place finish by sophomore Abby Ainsworth at the NWGC Championships.


The men’s program was also the 2019 Empire 8 Conference Fall champion, while the women’s program enjoyed their best conference finish yet by finishing 2nd at the NWGC championships.


In all, Marcantonio has coached eleven men’s All-Conference selections and one women’s All-Conference pick in the sport of golf. He has also coached one Player of the Year choice.


Marcantonio came back to UC after a brief stint at Hamilton College where he was an assistant for the men’s soccer program. In the fall of 2014, he helped guide the Continentals to their first NESCAC Conference Tournament appearance since they joined the conference in 2011. He also helped legendary Head Coach Perry Nizzi direct the program's first All-NESCAC selection, Buck Reynolds. The Continentals season was highlighted by the program's first win over Williams College (2012 & 2013 NCAA Final Four Participant) in 86 years. The NESCAC is considered by many to be one of the most competitive conferences in all of Division III men's soccer.


Prior to Hamilton, he spent three seasons as an assistant coach here at Utica College where he helped guide the Pioneers to 31 victories and an Empire 8 Conference Tournament appearance back in 2010. He played a part in the two highest win totals in program-history, guiding the Pioneers to 12 wins in 2010 and 11 wins in 2011. He helped coach 11 All-Conference selections, including four Empire 8 All-Conference First Team selections, and three All-Region picks. His teams at UC also excelled in the classroom, producing ten scholar All-Region selections, and as a group Utica was rewarded by being named an Empire 8 All-Academic Team in 2013, posting a grade point average of 3.22.


During his playing days as an undergraduate at Hamilton, Marcantonio was a three-year starter, team captain, and an All-Northeast Region D3Kicks.com selection. He led Hamilton to one Liberty League regular season championship, two Liberty League tournament championships, and three NCAA tournament appearances. Hamilton posted an impressive 41-18-7 record during Marcantonio's four-year career. Following his collegiate playing career he spent one Summer as a player on the Western Mass Pioneers of the USL PDL, where he helped the team qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, while finishing third in the PDL's Northeast Division.


A local high school player from Frankfort-Schuyler, Marcantonio was a four-year starter and two-time team captain. He guided Frankfort-Schuyler to three conference championships and a New York State Section III Class C championship. He garnered numerous individual accolades, including being named a three-time All-CSC selection.


He is a 2010 Cum Laude graduate of Utica, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He later pursued a master's degree in liberal studies.


He also currently holds an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and has intentions of pursuing further coaching licenses. Brian currently resides in Utica, NY.