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Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 14853
New York Northeast
Private Large Developing team
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Rob Ferguson

Coaching Experience


• Head Coach, Cornell women's soccer (2020-present)


• Assistant Coach, Cornell women's soccer (2019-2020)


• Director of Coaching, WNY Flash Academy (2016-2019)


• Head Coach, Huston-Tillotson men's soccer (2014-16)


• Head Coach, Huston-Tillotson women's soccer (2015-16)


• Director of Business, Lonestar Soccer Club (2008-15)


• Head Coach, Albion Hurricanes FC


• Head Coach, FC Arsenal


• Regional Manager, Brittania Soccer/ProExcel


Coaching Credentials


• USSF ‘A’ Coaching License


• USSF National Youth License


• NSCAA GK Diploma


Education


• B.A., Sports Studies and Business Management, University of Manchester (England).


At Cornell


Ferguson, who enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Cornell women's soccer team, was hired as the sixth head coach in program history in February 2020. Prior to his appointment as head coach, Ferguson served as an assistant coach for the Big Red for the 2019 campaign under previous head coach Dwight Hornibrook.


His most recent season featured Cornell going 4-7-5 overall and 2-3-2 in Ivy League play. Both of Cornell's conference victories came in its final two matches of the season, marking the first time the Big Red won consecutive Ivy League matches since the last match in 2014 and the first fixture in 2015. Cornell also had an impressive 3-1-3 home record at Berman Field, which included going unbeaten in its final six matches (3-0-3). The Big Red also had a trio of All-Ivy award winners, including Second Team All-Ivy selections Reagan Pauwels and Cecily Pokigo. It was the most All-Ivy players for Cornell women's soccer since having four players — including a pair of First Team All-Ivy players — in 2015.


Ferguson's first year as head coach was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ferguson guided Cornell to a 3-11-2 mark in 2021, including a 1-6-0 Ivy League record — which featured the Big Red posting its first conference win since 2016.


In his first overall season on East Hill in 2019, Ferguson guided the Big Red to four consecutive victories to start the season – including three straight clean sheets over Siena, Bucknell, and St. Bonaventure. Cornell ultimately finished the season with a 4-10-1 record after the rigors of one some of the strongest Ivy League competition seen in recent years. Ferguson helped get the Big Red’s impact freshman class acclimated to collegiate competition, a group that included 2019 All-Ivy League honorable mention selection Ashley Durik.


Prior to Cornell


Ferguson first joined the Big Red after a very successful stint as the Director of Coaching with the WNY Flash Academy. He helped turn the program into a player development leader in Western New York, expanding the program's footprint from 15 teams to 34 teams and moving them into national recognition in Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Under Ferguson’s leadership at the Flash their 03G ECNL and Flash 02G ECNL advanced into the Elite 8 in June 2018, and the club had their first US Youth National Team Camp call-up.


Before joining the WNY Flash Academy, Ferguson was the head coach of both the men's and women's soccer programs at NAIA Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. Prior to that, he served as the Executive Director of Business for Lonestar Soccer Club from 2008 until 2015. One of the largest and most successful youth soccer clubs in the country, Ferguson coached the Lonestar 96B Red, 93G Red, 94G Red and 95G Red, and he helped advance the 95G Red to the USYSNC Region III Championships in June 2013 and 2014.


Previous stops for Ferguson included a stint as the head coach with Albion Hurricanes FC in Houston, where he guided the AHFC 94G Blue to the USYSNC Regionals for the first time in their history. Before that, he was the Director of Coaching for FC Arsenal for three years in Bastrop, Texas, and he was a Regional Manager for Brittania Soccer/ProExcel, based in Seattle.


Personal


Ferguson lives with his wife, Kelsey, their two children, Maxwell and Mirann, and their two dogs, Bonsai and Charlie.

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Danielle Reid-Espinal

Coaching Experience


• Assistant Coach, Cornell women's soccer (2021-present)


• Assistant Coach, Hartford women's soccer (2019-21)


• Graduate Assistant Coach, Smith women's soccer (2017-2019)


• Assistant Coach, RIT women's soccer (2016-17)


Coaching Credentials


• USSF ‘D’ Coaching License


Education


• B.A., History and Sociology, University of Albany (2015)


• M.S., Exercise and Sports Studies, Smith College (2019)


Prior to Cornell


Reid-Espinal joined the Big Red in advance of the 2021 season after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Hartford, where she helped the Hawks advance to the 2019 America East Championship finals. A former four-year starting America East goalkeeper herself at UAlbany, Reid-Espinal helped develop Hartford’s Maria Perez into a Second Team All-America East and Third Team All-Region honoree. The Hawks ranked second in the league in team defense (1.00 goal per game) despite leading the circuit in saves (136).


Before joining Hartford, Reid-Espinal served as a graduate assistant at Smith College for two years. As a goalkeeper coach, she guided the Pioneers’ Shelby Hall to a career-best season in 2017 that featured 113 saves and six shutouts, which doubled her total from her previous season. Reid-Espinal also contributed to managing the team’s budget, assisted in development and directed camps and clinics at Smith. She started her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

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Email coach

Rachel Kingston

Coaching Experience

• Assistant Coach, Cornell women's soccer (2023-present)

• Assistant Coach, Clarkson women's soccer (2021-22)

Education

• B.A., Elementary Education, Boston University (2020)

• M.B.A., Human Resources Management, Clarkson University (2023)

At Cornell

Kingston joined the Cornell women's soccer coaching staff in March 2023 as an assistant coach, and will be entering her first season with the Big Red in 2023.

Prior to Cornell

Kingston spent the previous two seasons serving as an assistant coach at Clarkson University, a Division III school located in the North Country of New York State.


While at Clarkson, Kingston helped coach the Golden Knights' offense to score 33 goals last season, which was tied for the program's second-highest offensive output in program history. Clarkson finished the year with a 9-6-4 overall record and a 4-3-1 mark in Liberty League play. The Golden Knights fell to No. 2-seeded Ithaca in the Liberty League semifinals in double overtime.


Prior to Clarkson, Kingston was a four-year member of the women's soccer team at Boston University, Kingston played in 22 games for the Terriers from 2016-19. She was a member of the 2018 squad that claimed the Patriot League championship title and took No. 19-ranked LSU to penalty kicks in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.


Along with being honored on the Patriot League's Academic Honor Roll, Kingston has been active in the community as she has aided various organizations including the Special Olympics, Holiday Reading for Boston Public Schools, and the Travis Roy Foundation.

Personal

Originally from Needham, Mass., Kingston earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Boston University in 2020. She also earned her MBA in human resources management from Clarkson in 2023.

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Email coach

John Smith

Honors & Accomplishments


NSCAA Far West Region Assistant Coach of the Year – 2014


Heartland Conference Coach of the Year – 2006, 2007


Education


B.A., History, Rollins, 1996


M.A., Curriculum and Instruction, Cal State Bakersfield


At Cornell


Entering his his eighth season on East Hill, John Smith has guided Cornell men’s soccer to four consecutive 10-win seasons, a feat never accomplished in program history.


During the four-year window with at least 10 wins, Cornell has posted a combined record of 46-18-5 (.703), including a 16-8-4 mark (.643) in Ivy League action.


The 2022 campaign was Cornell's best under Smith as it registered a .763 win percentage thanks to a 14-4-1 overall record. In Ivy League play, Cornell finished in second place for the second consecutive season after going 5-1-1 in Ancient Eight play. Offense was the Big Red's strong suit as it established program records in assists (40) and points (120). Cornell's 40 goals scored were the fourth time in program history it had reached the 40-goal plateau, joining the 1971, 1995, and 2012 campaigns.


Along with its offensive success, Cornell averaged a shade over one goal allowed per game (1.01), leading to freshman Ryan Friedberg in being named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year — the fourth first-year goalkeeper to be awarded the top newcomer by the Ivy League. Due to the Big Red's stout defense, Cornell made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2012, reaching the Third Round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship where it lost to Syracuse, 1-0. Prior to its setback to the Orange, Cornell defeated Maryland, 2-1, in a second-round match at Berman Field. Then-sophomore Danny Lokko scored twice in the victory for Cornell. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Cornell had seven players receive All-Ivy distinctions, including Connor Drought, Emeka Eneli, and Brandon Morales being named First Team All-Ivy selections.


In 2021, the Big Red posted an 11-3-2 overall record and a 4-2-1 mark in Ivy League play, highlighted by Tyler Bagley's 14 goals and finishing the year as the Division I leader in points per game. Bagley was a unanimous All-Ivy League first team selection. Joining Bagley in earning All-Ivy League first team honors were Emeka Eneli and Wilson Eisner. For the second straight year, Cornell finished unbeaten at Berman Field, posting a 6-0-2 record.


Cornell turned in a strong 2019 campaign despite a number of injuries to key players throughout the year, finishing the season with a 10-5-2 record and a 3-2-2 mark in Ivy League competition. The Big Red went undefeated at home, going 6-0-1 at Berman Field. Cornell placed five members of the All-Ivy teams, including Ryan Bayne (first team), John Scearce (first team), Connor Drought (second team), Emeka Eneli (honorable mention) and Harry Fuller (honorable mention). Scearce earned second team all-region honors before signing a professional contract with Union Omaha of the USL One league.


In his third season, Smith led the Big Red to an overall of 11-6, an impressive turnaround from a team that won one game is first season at the helm. Despite a large amount of youth on the Big Red’s 2018 roster, the Big Red managed to win 11 games, the program’s most since 2012. Of the 28 members of the team, 21 were underclassmen. The Big Red navigated through its lack of experience and led the Ivy League in goals per game with an average of 1.77.


After having a 1-14-2 overall record in his first year at the helm of the Cornell men's soccer program in 2016, the team saw a tremendous turnaround in 2017, emerging with a 7-8-2 record and a 2-4-1 showing in Ivy League play. Under Smith’s guidance, the Big Red earned a signature victory over No. 11 Syracuse in overtime, giving Cornell its first win against the Orange since 2001. The squad also saw a massive improvement in its offensive production, netting 22 goals — the third most in the Ivy League — to mark a 10-goal improvement from the previous season. His guidance on the sidelines was also crucial to the team’s success in tight overtime games, as the Big Red went undefeated in five of the six overtime contests they played in.


In his seven years on East Hill, Smith has coached 19 players who have combined for 27 All-Ivy honors, including Emeka Eneli and Ryan Friedberg being named Ivy League Rookies of the Year in 2018 and 2022, respecetively. Along with All-Ivy honors, Charles Touche (2018 All-Northeast Region Third Team), John Scearce (2019 Second Team All-Northeast Region), and Eneli (First Team All-Northeast Region) are the lone Big Red players to garner regional awards under Smith.

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Email coach

Drew Hutchins

Coaching Experience


Associate Head Coach, Cornell University (2016-present)


Education


B.S., Science, Technology and Society, Stanford University (2014)


At Cornell


Entering his eighth season on John Smith's coaching staff at Cornell, Drew Hutchins joined the Cornell men's soccer program in April 2016. During his time with the Big Red, Hutchins has aided the team in incrementally improving each year while also posting four consecutive 10-win seasons, a feat never accomplished previously in program history.


During the four-year window with at least 10 wins, Cornell has posted a combined record of 46-18-5 (.703), including a 16-8-4 mark (.643) in Ivy League action.


The 2022 campaign was Cornell's best with Hutchins on staff as it registered a .763 win percentage thanks to a 14-4-1 overall record. In Ivy League play, Cornell finished in second place for the second consecutive season after going 5-1-1 in Ancient Eight play. Offense was the Big Red's strong suit as it established program records in assists (40) and points (120). Cornell's 40 goals scored were the fourth time in program history it had reached the 40-goal plateau, joining the 1971, 1995, and 2012 campaigns.


Along with its offensive success, Cornell averaged exactly one goal allowed per game, leading to freshman Ryan Friedberg in being named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year — the fourth first-year goalkeeper to be awarded the top newcomer by the Ivy League. Due to the Big Red's stout defense, Cornell made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2012, reaching the Third Round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship where it lost to Syracuse, 1-0. Prior to its setback to the Orange, Cornell defeated Maryland, 2-1, in a second-round match at Berman Field. Then-sophomore Danny Lokko scored twice in the victory for Cornell. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Cornell had seven players receive All-Ivy distinctions, including Connor Drought, Emeka Eneli, and Brandon Morales being named First Team All-Ivy selections.


In 2021, the Big Red posted an 11-3-2 overall record and a 4-2-1 mark in Ivy League play, highlighted by Tyler Bagley's 14 goals and finishing the year as the Division I leader in points per game. Bagley was a unanimous All-Ivy League first team selection. Joining Bagley in earning All-Ivy League first team honors were Emeka Eneli and Wilson Eisner. For the second straight year, Cornell finished unbeaten at Berman Field, posting a 6-0-2 record.


Cornell turned in a strong 2019 campaign despite a number of injuries to key players throughout the year, finishing the season with a 10-5-2 record and a 3-2-2 mark in Ivy League competition. The Big Red went undefeated at home, going 6-0-1 at Berman Field. Cornell placed five members of the All-Ivy teams, including Ryan Bayne (first team), John Scearce (first team), Connor Drought (second team), Emeka Eneli (honorable mention) and Harry Fuller (honorable mention). Scearce earned second team all-region honors before signing a professional contract with Union Omaha of the USL One league.


Despite 21 of the 28 members on the 2018 roster being underclassmen, the Big Red posted an overall mark of 11-6 and went 4-3 in Ivy League play. For just the 11th time in program history, Cornell posted double-digit win numbers. Cornell placed four members on the All-Ivy teams, in addition to Emeka Eneli taking home Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors and Charles Touche earning all-region accolades. The team also led the Ivy League in goals with 30 goals.


In 2017, Hutchins helped the squad improve to a 7-8-2 overall record and a 2-4-1 showing in Ivy League play – an impressive turnaround from its one-win season the year before. Hutchins’ presence on the sidelines proved to be valuable as the team’s offensive productivity nearly doubled from the previous season. Cornell’s 22 goals were the third most in the league that year.


He was also instrumental in guiding the team to a monumental overtime victory over No. 11 Syracuse, marking the first time that the Big Red had defeated the Orange since 2001.


In his seven years on East Hill, Hutchins has helped coach 19 players combine for 27 All-Ivy honors, including Emeka Eneli and Ryan Friedberg being named Ivy League Rookies of the Year in 2018 and 2022, respectively. Along with All-Ivy honors, Charles Touche (2018 All-Northeast Region Third Team), John Scearce (2019 Second Team All-Northeast Region), and Eneli (First Team All-Northeast Region) are the lone Big Red players to garner regional awards in the timeframe.


Playing Career


Hutchins was a goalkeeper for the Cardinal from 2010 to 2013, playing under Smith, who was serving as associate head coach at Stanford. In 2013, Hutchins was named an All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention and earned his second consecutive Pac 12 All-Academic Second Team nod, while also being honored as a member of the Capital One Academic All-District 8 Team. Hutchins appeared in every game his senior season, posting a 1.13 goals-against average and recording five shutouts, including one in a win over Cal State Northridge the second round of the NCAA Tournament.


Personal


Since graduating from Stanford in 2014, Hutchins has been working alongside Smith, coaching Under-17 and Under-18 boys teams for the Palo Alto Soccer Club. Hutchins is a native of Morrisville, Pa.


Updated June 2023

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Email coach

Luke Staats

Coaching Experience


Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2022-present)


Associate Head Coach, Chowan University (2021)


Assistant Coach, Chowan University (2018-20)


Education


B.A., Criminal Justice, Lees-McRae (2012)


M.S., Organizational Leadership, Chowan University (2022)


At Cornell


Luke Staats enters his second season as an assistant coach with the Cornell men's soccer program.


His first season at Cornell was a successful one as the Big Red posted its fourth consecutive 10-win season, registering a .763 win percentage thanks to a 14-4-1 overall record. In Ivy League play, Cornell finished in second place for the second consecutive season after going 5-1-1 in Ancient Eight play. Offense was the Big Red's strong suit as it established program records in assists (40) and points (120). Cornell's 40 goals scored were the fourth time in program history it had reached the 40-goal plateau, joining the 1971, 1995, and 2012 campaigns.


Along with its offensive success, Cornell averaged a shade over one goal allowed per game (1.01), leading to freshman Ryan Friedberg in being named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year — the fourth first-year goalkeeper to be awarded the top newcomer by the Ivy League. Due to the Big Red's stout defense, Cornell made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2012, reaching the Third Round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship where it lost to Syracuse, 1-0. Prior to its setback to the Orange, Cornell defeated Maryland, 2-1, in a second-round match at Berman Field. Then-sophomore Danny Lokko scored twice in the victory for Cornell. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Cornell had seven players receive All-Ivy distinctions, including Connor Drought, Emeka Eneli, and Brandon Morales being named First Team All-Ivy selections.


Prior to Cornell


Staats arrives on East Hill after a four-year tenure at Chowan University, serving as an assistant and associate head coach.


In 2021, his first season as associate head coach, Staats helped lead the Hawks to a historic season. The program posted its most wins in Division II history (13-4-2), along with a number of firsts: a Conference Carolinas Tournament championship, NCAA Tournament bid, NCAA tournament win and NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, as well as its highest final national ranking (No. 14).


Chowan went 7-2-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the conference en route to a fourth straight Conference Carolinas semifinals appearance during the COVID-rescheduled spring 2021 season. Staats would assist in the development of five Conference Carolinas all-conference selections. In 2019, he helped lead the program to an 11-5-1 overall record and 8-1-1 to help earn the conference's regular season title, the first in program history. During his first season with the Hawks, Staats helped the program to an 11-4-2 overall record and 7-3-0 mark in Conference Carolinas play and the program's first-ever appearance in the Conference Carolinas Championship Final.


In four seasons in Murfreesboro, N.C., Staats helped Chowan to a 42-15-6 overall record, including a 28-6-3 league mark.


Prior to beginning his coaching career, Staats played professionally in the Netherlands for SV Spakenburg and FC Volendam as a defender. He is still active as a player within a USL League Two summer league at Lionsbridge FC in Newport News, Va.


Staats played four seasons of soccer at Lees-McRae (2008-12). He guided the team to three conference regular season and tournament titles, four straight NCAA Appearances, two trips to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 and a national championship finalist appearance. His efforts named him an All-America and all-region nod, as well as three-time all-conference accolades.


Personal


A native of Almere, the Netherlands, Staats earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Lees-McRae in 2012 and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Chowan in 2022.

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