Loyola University Maryland

Balitimore, MD 21210

Maryland Northeast

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Joe Mallia

Joe Mallia, the winningest head coach in Loyola University Maryland women's soccer history, returned to the Evergreen campus in December 2018 to lead the Greyhounds' program for a second time, and he has quickly reestablished a winning culture during his first three seasons back at the helm.

Loyola posted its highest-ever finish in the Patriot League standings during the 2021 fall campaign while returning to the conference tournament for a third-straight season. The Greyhounds earned a result in 8 of 9 Patriot League matches, ultimately finishing third out of 10 schools in the conference with a 5-1-3 record. Their 18 points were just two back of first place, and it was five points above the program's previous Patriot League high of 13.

Included in the 2021 season was a milestone victory for Mallia, as Loyola’s 2-0 win at Howard was his 100th victory at Loyola and 150th overall as a head coach. Loyola’s eight wins overall in 2021 were the program’s most in nine seasons.

Seven of the eight victories came via shutout, and junior Paige Sim was honored as the program's first Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year after leading the conference in both goals-against average (0.95) and save percentage (.809). Sim later added United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Region and CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America accolades.

The team also continued to excel in the classroom, as Sim, Sarah Bayer and Chloe Kuminkoski gave the Greyhounds a conference-high three Academic All-Patriot League selections. A total of 17 Greyhounds posted a GPA above 3.60 during the 2021 spring semester, with six managing perfect 4.0’s.

The Greyhounds made a return trip to the Patriot League semifinals during that shortened 2021 spring campaign, placing second in the South division standings and allowing just three goals in six games overall. Loyola had five standouts earn All-Patriot League recognition for a second-straight season, including first team accolades for Claire Beath and Ada Clare Tempert.

Loyola earned results in 12 of 19 games during Mallia’s first season back in 2019, finishing with an overall record of 7-7-5 (3-2-4 Patriot League) and clinching the program’s first Patriot League tournament appearance since 2015. The Greyhounds earned a thrilling double-overtime victory over Lafayette in the quarterfinal round before being edged on penalty kicks at top-seeded Navy in the semifinals.

Loyola’s seven victories were the program’s most since 2012, and its five All-Patriot League honorees were the most since joining the conference prior to the 2013 season. Hannah Hoefs, honored as the conference’s Midfielder of the Year, led the Patriot League in both goals (9) and points (21).

The Greyhounds showed marked improvement as the season progressed, going 5-2-5 over their final 12 contests and surrendering only seven goals during that stretch. Academically, 19 student-athletes posted a 3.50 GPA or higher during the Fall 2019 semester.

Mallia, who spent time at UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Tennessee and Navy prior to returning to Baltimore, guided the Greyhounds to an 87-45-8 record over seven seasons from 1998-2004. During that stretch, Loyola compiled a 54-4-5 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), winning MAAC Championships and earning NCAA College Cup bids in each of his last five seasons.

In his first seven seasons as head coach at Loyola, Mallia's teams won a minimum of nine total games and at least six in MAAC play each year. In addition, the Greyhounds posted 12-or-more wins in five of those seasons, while his 2004 team posted a school-record 16 wins and set marks for most goals (59) and points (160) in a season that stand today. Mallia mentored 29 All-MAAC honorees, eight MAAC players of the year and nine regional All-Americans.

Prior to taking the lead as Loyola's head coach, Mallia was an assistant at Loyola from 1994-97 to the Greyhounds' inaugural head coach, and current associate athletic director, Dave Gerrity. In those four seasons, the Greyhounds went 47-27-7 with three MAAC titles.

After leading Loyola to a school-record 16 wins in 2004, along with an unblemished 9-0-0 MAAC record, Mallia moved to the West Coast as the assistant head coach at UCLA.

There, Mallia helped the Bruins win 86.2 percent (43-6-2) of their games in 2005 and 2006. UCLA earned berths in the NCAA College Cup Championship Match in his first season in Westwood and a semifinal appearance the following year. On the recruiting trail, he was key in bringing in classes ranked first and second nationally, inducing Lauren (Cheney) Holiday, a U.S. National Team member.

After his time at UCLA, Mallia moved back to the head-coaching chair at nearby Loyola Marymount University. From 2007-11, he helped the Lions amass a 50-34-11 record and reach the verge of three NCAA College Cups.

In 2012, Mallia accepted a role as assistant coach at the University of Tennessee where he again established his bona fides as a top-level recruiter. As the Volunteers compiled a 39-27-15 record from 2012-15, Mallia helped bring in recruiting classes touted as No. 3 (2015) and 11 (2014) in the nation. Tennessee's defense had a 0.96 goals-against average in the four seasons Mallia was in Knoxville.

Mallia and his family returned to the East Coast in 2016 when he joined the staff in Annapolis as an assistant coach for the Midshipmen. Over his final two seasons with the program, Mallia helped Navy post a 27-10-4 overall record, win the 2017 Patriot League Regular-Season Championship and post the program's best two-year record in conference action since the Patriot League expanded to 10 teams in 2013, going 15-2-1 in League games.

In 2017, he helped Navy's defense record 13 shutouts and rank 12th in NCAA Division I in shutout percentage. Under his tutelage, Sydney Fortson was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017, and she earned Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's soccer and Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team recognition in 2018.

Mallia has also served as a goalkeeper coach for the U.S. Girls' National Team program. He holds a U.S. Soccer National "B" License and an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.

As a collegiate player, Mallia was a standout goalkeeper at Old Dominion University where he helped the Monarchs to a 33-15-13 record as a starter from 1987-90. He led the Norfolk, Virginia, school to its first NCAA College Cup appearance in 1989. The Syosset, New York, native finished his Old Dominion career as the school's career leader in saves (206) and shutouts (20). He posted a 0.68 goals-against average in 1992.

Mallia and his wife, Amy, currently reside in Severna Park with their three daughters, Kaitlyn, Reagan and Addison.

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Kevin Dempsey

Kevin Dempsey concluded his seventh season as an assistant coach for Loyola's women's soccer program in 2022.

The Greyhounds secured their fourth-straight birth in the Patriot League tournament in the 2022 season. The Greyhounds earned their first win or tie against a ranked team since the 2007 season, when the Greyhounds battled to a 0-0 tie against No. 25 Wake Forest. The Greyhounds started the conference season with two wins and a tie to earn seven points in the first three games.

All six of their wins came via shutout, as Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, senior Pagie Sim, had another strong season in net for the Greyhounds. Sim was also named as the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year, the first Greyhound to earn that honor.

Loyola posted its highest-ever finish in the Patriot League standings during the 2021 fall campaign while returning to the conference tournament for a third-straight season. The Greyhounds earned a result in 8 of 9 Patriot League matches, ultimately finishing third out of 10 schools in the conference with a 5-1-3 record. Their 18 points were just two back of first place, and it was five points above the program's previous Patriot League high of 13.

Seven of the eight victories came via shutout, and junior Paige Sim was honored as the program's first Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year after leading the conference in both goals-against average (0.95) and save percentage (.809). Sim later added United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Region and CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America accolades.

The team also continued to excel in the classroom, as Sim, Sarah Bayer and Chloe Kuminkoski gave the Greyhounds a conference-high three Academic All-Patriot League selections. A total of 17 Greyhounds posted a GPA above 3.60 during the 2021 spring semester, with six managing perfect 4.0’s.

The Greyhounds made a return trip to the Patriot League semifinals during the shortened 2021 spring season, placing second in the South division standings and allowing just three goals in six games overall. Loyola had five standouts earn All-Patriot League recognition for a second-straight season, including first team accolades for Claire Beath and Ada Clare Tempert.

Loyola earned results in 12 of 19 games in 2019, finishing with an overall record of 7-7-5 (3-2-4 Patriot League) and clinching the program’s first Patriot League tournament appearance since 2015. The Greyhounds earned a thrilling double-overtime victory over Lafayette in the quarterfinal round before being edged on penalty kicks at top-seeded Navy in the semifinals.

Loyola’s seven victories were the program’s most since 2012, and its five All-Patriot League honorees were the most since joining the conference prior to the 2013 season. Hannah Hoefs, honored as the conference’s Midfielder of the Year, led the Patriot League in both goals (9) and points (21).

A native of Columbia, Maryland, Dempsey came to Loyola after serving one year as an assistant coach at Maryland and five seasons as the assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at LSU. In 2013 and 2014, Dempsey assembled the top recruiting classes in the SEC, which were ranked among the top-10 nationally.

In addition, in 2014, Dempsey's freshmen earned two spots on the All-SEC Freshmen Team, making LSU the only school to have more than one player on the league team. The previous year, three freshmen were honored with All-SEC Second Team honors, marking the first time in conference history that three freshmen from the same school made an All-SEC team. That year, the trio went on to be selected to the Freshman All-American Team by TopDrawerSoccer.com.

On the field, Dempsey's defensive unit was pivotal in LSU winnings its fourth SEC Western Division championships in five years and earning a trip to the 2011 NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history. They finished the season with a 13-8-1 overall record and an 8-3 mark in SEC play.

In his first year with the Tigers, Dempsey worked closely with the defensive unit, helping the team match a program record for the fewest goals allowed in a season, with 16, and nearly set a school record with a 0.72 goals-against average in 21 games. LSU finished the season tied for first in the SEC in goals allowed and second for GAA.

Prior to working at LSU, Dempsey spent nine years as the head coach at the College of Charleston, where he led the Cougars to a 99-78-22 overall record and a 54-32-8 mark in the Southern Conference.

For nine-straight seasons, Dempsey and the Cougars made an appearance in the SoCon Tournament, including making runner-up finishes in 2002 and 2009. College of Charleston earned 28 All-SoCon and All-SoCon Tournament selections under Dempsey, and had six NSCAA All-Region Scholar Athletes in 2009 and 2010.

Dempsey started his head coaching tenure at his alma mater, Catawba College, in 1994. For seven seasons, he compiled an overall record of 80-45-7, including a 47-13-3 mark in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference.

In all, Dempsey coached 10 NCAA Division II All-Americans, 17 All-South Region selections, four SAC Players of the Year and four SAC Freshmen of the Year.

Dempsey graduated from Catawba in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in history. He and his wife, Krista, have a son, Jack.

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Steve Nichols

Steve Nichols quickly elevated Loyola men’s soccer back to national prominence after returning to lead his alma mater in 2014. The Greyhounds have been regulars at the top of the Patriot League standings in each of the past six seasons, and the fall 2021 campaign saw the program make its return to the NCAA tournament after topping American in the Patriot League Championship game.

Nichols, who completed his ninth season as head coach in 2022, guided the Greyhounds to a conference record of four-consecutive Patriot League fall regular season championships from 2017-21. Loyola added a Patriot League South division title during the COVID-impacted spring season in 2020-21, and the program has an overall record of 58-36-20 (39-11-9 PL) over the last seven years.

During the 2022 season, the Greyhounds earned at least a point in all but two games during the conference schedule, as they set a program record with eight ties on the season. Loyola's offense once again led the Patriot League in total shots (227) during the season.

The Greyhounds went 6-1-2 during the last nine games of their memorable 2021 campaign. An 83rd minute free kick goal by Patriot League Midfielder of the Year Justin Ingram, along with a last-second diving save by Goalkeeper of the Year Chase Vosvick, clinched a 2-1 victory over American in the conference final. That gave Loyola its first Patriot League Championship since joining the conference in 2013, and it clinched the Greyhounds’ ninth appearance in the Division I tournament (first since 2009).

Loyola then proved it belonged on the national stage, out-shooting perennial College Cup contenders North Carolina in the second half of a scoreless draw in the first round before ultimately falling on penalty kicks.

Nichols was honored as the Patriot League’s Coach of the Year for a fourth time since 2016, and Loyola has now earned 18 major awards from the conference during that span. Ingram (first team) and Vosvick (second team) added United Soccer Coaches All-Region accolades during a season which included a 0-0 draw at then-No. 5 West Virginia in September. Ingram repeated as Midfielder of the Year, while Vosvick leaves the program as a four-time Goalkeeper of the Year and a five-time All-Patriot League performer.

The Greyhounds were recognized in the United Soccer Coaches national poll in each of the first three seasons (2017-19) of their current run atop the Patriot League standings. The 2019 campaign was highlighted by an 8-1-1 finish to the regular season, with the lone draw in that stretch a 1-1 result at No. 2 Wake Forest. Loyola held the Demon Deacons, who would ultimately advance to the Final Four, without a shot over the final 77 minutes of game action, and Josh Fawole’s last-second equalizer was featured on Sports Center’s Top 10 plays for the evening.

Fawole (2nd round, DC United) and Barry Sharifi (3rd round, New York Red Bulls) were both chosen in the MLS SuperDraft following the season, giving Loyola multiple selections in the draft for the first time in program history.

Sharifi became the first men’s soccer player in Patriot League history to receive three major postseason awards, as he received his third Midfielder of the Year honor in 2019. Loyola received eight All-Patriot League selections, with Fawole, Sharifi and Brian Saramago named to the first team, and five United Soccer Coaches All-Region honorees.

The team has achieved in the classroom as well, with 23 student-athletes named to the Patriot League Academic Honor roll last season. Ten Greyhounds have combined for 15 Academic All-Patriot League honors since Nichols was hired in 2014, and Gabriel Carlsson was recognized as the conference’s Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year following the 2018 season.

Inheriting a team that went 7-8-2 in 2013 and won just two games in its inaugural season of Patriot League play, Nichols’ first two squads combined for an overall record of 7-21-6 and a 2-13-3 mark in conference games during the rebuilding process.

The 2016 season saw the start of the men’s soccer program’s turnaround, as Nichols and his staff brought in the program’s first-ever nationally ranked recruiting class, a group ranked No. 13 by College Soccer News. Highlighted by prized recruits Saramago and Sharifi from the NY Red Bull Academy, Nico Brown and Jonathan Sousa from DC United and Fawole from Baltimore Celtic, Loyola posted its first winning season since 2012 that year, going 8-7-3 overall.

Nichols was voted the Patriot League Coach of the Year for guiding his team to its first Patriot League Tournament appearance and a quarterfinal round bye after finishing runner-up in the League with a 6-1-2 overall record, despite being picked to finish tied for eighth. Loyola placed five Greyhounds on an all-conference team that year, while Saramago was voted the Patriot League Rookie of the Year and Matt Sanchez became Loyola’s first goalkeeper to earn a major conference award since Reb Beatty was the MAAC Defender of the Year in 2002.

Despite facing multiple injuries throughout the early part of the 2017 season, Loyola continued its hot streak by outscoring conference opponents 18-9, en route to winning its first-ever Patriot League Regular Season Championship - and hosting duties for the 2017 Patriot League Tournament – with a 7-2 record in conference play. With an 11-5-1 overall record, the Greyhounds turned in their first 10-win season since 2012 and rose to No. 1 in the Northeast Region rankings for the first time since 2008.

Nichols was once again named the Patriot League Coach of the Year and Loyola placed a League-best seven Greyhounds on the All-Patriot League Teams. Sharifi was named the Patriot League Midfielder of the Year and Vosvick picked up both Goalkeeper and Rookie of the Year accolades.

A remarkable 10 players earned All-Patriot League status in 2018, as Loyola went 12-4-1 (7-1-1) and once again topped the conference standings. Saramago and Sharifi became the first Greyhounds to earn United Soccer Coaches All-America status in a decade, with each landing on the third team, while Vosvick repeated as Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year and Nichols was named Patriot League Coach of the Year for a third-straight season.

Nichols was named the ninth head coach in Loyola men's soccer history on February 6, 2014, and just the third in the program's NCAA Division I history since 1982. He took over the reins of a program that advanced to the MAAC Tournaments each year it was a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, winning a league-best 12 titles, before joining the Patriot League for the 2013 season.

Prior to returning to Loyola, Nichols coached Baltimore's top talent for over 22 years. In addition to serving as head coach of the Baltimore Bohemians professional team and director of coaching for the Baltimore Celtic Soccer Club youth organization, he spent 17 years building McDonogh School into a perennial national prep power. He led the program to a No. 1 national high school ranking on two occasions, including 2013, when the Eagles posted an unprecedented unbeaten record of 21-0-1, en route to winning the national championship. McDonogh won eight MIAA Championships under Nichols and were MIAA runners-up on six occasions.

Nichols was named the 2013 NSCAA Boys Private/Parochial School National Coach of the Year and has garnered honors such as NSCAA/MACS Coach of the Year, NSCAA/Adidas Regional and State Coach of the Year and Baltimore Sun Metro Coach of the Year. He was also named the Maryland State High School Terry Colaw Service Award winner in 2007 and the Richard Bartos Memorial Coach of the Year in 2000.

Outside of McDonogh, Nichols is the only coach in the nation to win nine National Youth Soccer Championships and was appointed the national coach for the U-17 Chelsea Tour in England in both 2009 and 2011. He served as the head coach for the Maryland Olympic Development Program from 1995-99, being awarded as the Maryland Olympic Development Coach of the Year in 1996 and was an MLS player combine coach in 2007.

A graduate of Boys' Latin School of Maryland, Nichols began his career at James Madison before coming to Loyola to help the men's soccer program to a 28-7-8 record, including an unblemished 13-0-0 mark in MAAC play, through the 1989 and 1990 seasons. Nichols, an all-region performer and two-time team most valuable player, remained with the program for the 1991 season while finishing his coursework, helping the squad to a third-straight MAAC regular season and tournament title.

Following his time in the Green and Grey, Nichols went on to play professionally for the Baltimore Spirit of the NPS Land the Baltimore Bays of the USISL, before taking over at McDonogh School.

Nichols earned his bachelor of arts in communications and public relations from Loyola in 1992.

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Jamie Darvill

Head coach Steve Nichols announced the elevation of Jamie Darvill to an assistant coach for the men's soccer program in April, 2020.

One of the top offensive performers in Loyola history, Darvill helped the Greyhounds advance to the NCAA tournament in each of his final three seasons as a student-athlete from 2007-09. He spent the 2019 season as the program’s Director of Soccer Operations while also working as the Director of Player Development for Liverpool FC’s International Academy.

“Jamie is one of the best to ever play for Loyola, and he’s going to do an incredible job for us,” Nichols said. “His experience working with some of the Premier League’s top clubs speaks for itself, and it says a lot about both him and our program that he wants to take on this new role while continuing in his position at Liverpool. He has supported my direction for the program since day one, and I’m excited to see what we can continue to accomplish together.”

In his position with Liverpool, Darvill oversees scouting, player and coaching development initiatives. He manages a staff of over 50 people to ensure the effective and authentic delivery of the LFC development methodology in the United States. Prior to joining Liverpool, Darvill was a Development Academy Coach for Chelsea FC, designing and delivering training sessions to develop some of the world’s top young players.

A four-year starter, Darvill totaled 99 points (36 G, 27 A) across 73 appearances as a player for the Greyhounds. He ranks tied for ninth all-time at Loyola in points, 12th in goals and sixth in assists. Darvill was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year in both 2008 and 2009, he was a third team Top Drawer Soccer All-America selection in 2008 and he was recognized on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List prior to the start of his senior season.

Darvill was Loyola’s leading scorer during a 2008 campaign which saw the Greyhounds ranked as high as No. 6 nationally during an undefeated, 17-0 regular season. He tallied 14 goals and 11 assists that fall, and added a team-high 29 points (10 G, 9 A) while leading Loyola to its 12th MAAC championship as a senior in 2009. Darvill was the first men’s soccer player in MAAC history to receive back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year accolades.

“I would like to thank Steve Nichols, Donna Woodruff and Bill Wnek for the faith they showed in me throughout this process,” Darville said. “I hope to repay them through my tireless dedication to assisting Steve as he guides our program towards its goal of winning championships and returning to the NCAA tournament. I look forward to engaging with our staff, players and alumni over the coming years to find ways to build on our program’s already proud tradition and capitalize on our exciting potential.”

After graduation, Darvill had a seven-year professional playing career with teams in both the United States and Europe. He finished his career with the Baltimore Blast and was part of that squad’s 2013 MISL Championship team. Darvill has also represented Great Britain on the international level at a U23 event in Sweden.

Darvill graduated from Loyola in December, 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

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Jesse Haislip

Jesse Haislip was hired as an assistant coach for Loyola’s men’s soccer program during the summer of 2021. A Baltimore native and a standout goalkeeper as a player, he brings several years of championship-level experience at the club level to the Greyhounds.

Haislip most-recently coached with FC Baltimore Christos in the National Premier Soccer League, where he helped the team earn an NPSL Mid Atlantic Conference title in 2019. Prior to that, he was part of a pair of national championship-winning teams during a five-year stint at club powerhouse Baltimore Celtic.

Haislip began his club career at Baltimore Bays, working under current Loyola head coach Steve Nichols in his first role. He also previously served as a volunteer goalkeeper coach at Mount Saint Joseph High School from 2014-17.

As a player, Haislip was the goalkeeper for Andover High School during its run to a Maryland state championship in 1989, and he went on to play collegiate soccer at UMBC. After graduation, Haislip and his two brothers founded Christos FC, an amateur club which made news nationally in 2017 after advancing to face DC United in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. He continues to play and coach at Christos FC and was part of three national championships with the club’s over-30 squad.

Haislip graduated from UMBC with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology.