Jeff Cook is an American soccer coach. He is currently the head men's soccer coach at Pennsylvania State University.

Coaching career

Cook started his coaching career as an assistant at the

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...

. In 1991, he earned his first head coaching gig, becoming the head coach at Division III school, Wheaton College. While at Wheaton, he compiled a 31–22–4 record for three seasons. In May 1994, he took an assistant coaching job at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

, under head coach

Fran O'Leary Fran O'Leary is an Irish soccer coach. He is currently the men's head coach for the UMass Minutemen. Playing career O'Leary played on the youth team of League of Ireland Club, St. Patrick's Athletic." Coaching career He started his coaching c ...

. He held that position until February 1996, when he became head coach at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...

. From 1996 to 2000, he led the Bearcats to a 44–42–8 record. He earned Conference USA Coach of the Year honors in 1997, after leading the Bearcats to a 7–8–3 record. In 1998, he led the Bearcats to the school's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, going 12–5–3. In 1999, he led the Bearcats to its highest ever national ranking at 15th. In 2001, he was named head men's soccer coach at

, compiling a 106–74–31 record with the Big Green. He led Dartmouth to five Ivy League championships, and to the NCAA tournament seven times, including two Sweet Sixteen berths. He resigned in April 2013, to take a position in the youth academy system of the Philadelphia Union. In April 2013 he was named the head coach for the Philadelphia Union's U-16 Academy team. The Union are joining the

U.S. Soccer Development Academy The U.S. Soccer Development Academy (DA) was an American soccer league. Formed in 2007, the league features youth academies and youth clubs from various organizations, including Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League. The DA's mission ...

starting in the 2013–14 season. On January 2, 2018, Cook was named the 12th coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions' men's soccer program. He led the team to a 6–9–2 record, but posted a six-win improvement in 2019, his second season at the helm, going 12–4–3 and leading Penn State to its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014. Cook was named the Big Ten Conference Soccer Coach of the Year after his successful 2021 season with Penn State seeing the team win the regular season championship for the first time in his tenure.

References

External links

Penn State bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Jeff Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people American soccer coaches Men's association football midfielders Bates Bobcats men's soccer players Philadelphia Union II coaches Boston College Eagles men's soccer players Cincinnati Bearcats men's soccer coaches Dartmouth Big Green men's soccer coaches Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer coaches Philadelphia Union non-playing staff UMass Minutemen soccer coaches Wheaton Thunder men's soccer coaches Sportspeople from Springfield, Massachusetts Soccer players from Massachusetts USL Championship coaches American men's soccer players