Alfred Appoints New Men’s Soccer Coach
ALFRED, NY —
Paul Vecchio, director of athletics at Alfred University, announces the appointment of
Tracy Blake as the Saxons' new head men's soccer coach.
Blake replaces Matt Smith, who resigned from AU after three seasons following the 2016 season. He comes to AU from SUNY Cortland, where he was an assistant and goalkeepers coach for the Red Dragons women's team in 2016.
Prior to taking the assistant's job at Cortland, Blake served three seasons (2013-15) as an assistant and goalkeepers coach for the SUNY Oswego women's team and one season (2012) as assistant coach for the Cayuga County Community College men's team.
Blake takes over a team that, under Smith's tutelage, earned postseason berths each of the last three seasons. The Saxons made the Empire 8 Conference championship tournament field in 2014 and played in ECAC championship tournaments in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
"I am thrilled to welcome Tracy as our new head men's soccer coach and to our Saxon Athletics family," Vecchio commented. "Recognizing the excitement that he has in getting this opportunity has truly been a joy, and I know that he is ready and able to continue to take our men's soccer program forward from their three straight postseason appearances."
"I wish to thank the search committee and
Paul Vecchio for placing their trust in me to be the head coach of the men's soccer team," Blake added. "It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to continue the team's development and their presence in the Empire 8 Conference. To be a part of the University's future athletic and academic goals is a trust that I will hold with great honor. I am very excited about the challenge ahead especially given the immense strides the team has taken over the last three years."
Blake, a native of Bolton, England, is a veteran of the United States Air Force, and was an all-military player and assistant coach and captain for the U.S. Air Force all-military team and for six years (1983-89). He brings with him coaching experience at the collegiate, high school and club levels.
From 2007-12, Blake was head girls coach at Keystone Oaks High School in Pittsburgh, PA, and since 1985 he has coached various youth club teams in Nevada, Pennsylvania and New York. While serving as a collegiate assistant, he has also been a head coach at New York West, an Olympic Development Program (since 2014), and since 2015 has been head coach for Lakefront Soccer Club, a premier youth developmental club in Webster, NY. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sports management recreation from Ashford University in 2012.
Vecchio is confident Blake can continue building on the success the Saxons have achieved in recent years. "Our goal remains to win the Empire 8 championship and Coach Blake has the interpersonal skills, soccer knowledge and drive to put us in position to do so. I look forward to continued success and am excited about the culture that has been built in our men's soccer program," Vecchio said.
Blake looks forward to meeting with the team and working with them in training this spring, while also focusing on recruiting in the spring and summer. His goals include competing for a conference title and making a return to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Saxons last played in the NCAA championship tournament in 2003.
"As we move forward I would challenge the team to increase their level of play and understanding of the game whenever possible," he said. "This would enable the Saxons to challenge for the Empire 8 playoffs and championships and gain a NCAA berth."