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Drayson Hounsome
Drayson Hounsome M’13 begins his 16th season as the head coach of the Rider women’s soccer team in 2023, having led the Broncs to 10-consecutive appearances in the MAAC playoffs, a MAAC Championship, MAAC Coach of the Year honors and the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA national tournament. Since 2010, Hounsome has developed five Academic All-Americans, 37 All-MAAC players, including the 2014 and 2020-21 MAAC Players of the Year, 19 All-Rookie selections, 10 MAAC All-Tournament players, 13 CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District honorees, three NSCAA All-Region players, two Goalkeepers of the Year and the 2012 Rookie of the Year.
In 2022, the Broncs earned their 10th-straight MAAC Tournament berth on the strength of a 5-5 league record. Ellie Sciancalepore became the Broncs' second MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year, newly renamed the Golden Glove, under Hounsome's guidance. In addition to Sciancalepore's All-MAAC First Team recognition, Anna Barkey and Lindsey Maslow took Second Team and Genevieve Ryan was named to the Third Team. On Oct. 26, 2022, Hounsome collected his 200th collegiate coaching victory.
In 2021, Chloe Fisher and Niamh Cashin earned All-MAAC Second Team honors as the Broncs clinched their ninth-straight MAAC Tournament appearance. Fisher led the Broncs with six goals and 16 points, while Cashin once again spearheaded the Broncs' back line. Fisher scored back-to-back golden goals on Oct. 9 and 13 to defeat Manhattan and Marist and help secure six points and a playoff berth.
In a COVID-19-abbreviated Spring 2021 season, the Broncs posted a 4-2-2 mark overall and advanced to the MAAC Semifinals for the first time since 2015. Makenzie Rodrigues became Rider's second MAAC Player of the Year, leading the league in goals (six) and points (14) by a two-goal goal and four-point margin, despite playing in just six games, fewer than next-closest competitors on the list. Hounsome posted his 100th win at Rider on April 3 against Manhattan.
In 2019, Valeria Pascuet repeated as an All-MAAC First Team pick and was joined by Niamh Cashin on the team as the Broncs posted an 8-6-4 record for the second-straight year, including a 5-3-2 mark in league play, good for third place in the regular-season standings. Carmen Carbonell took Second Team honors, while Makenzie Rodrigues was honored on the All-Rookie Team.
In 2018, Kourtney Cunningham and Valeria Pascuet headlined five Rider All-MAAC selections, earning First Team recognition. Meghan McCabe and Sam Picinich garnered Second Team honors, while Niamh Cashin was selected to the All-Rookie Team. Cunningham was honored for the second-straight year with Academic All-District First Team honors.
In 2017, Hounsome guided the Broncs to a 4-3-3 record in league play and a first-round MAAC Tournament victory. Michelle Iacono and Emily Schmitt both earned All-MAAC First Team honors, Valeria Pascuet garnered Second Team honors, while Carmen Carbonell also earned All-Rookie Team recognition. Kourtney Cunningham was honored for academic and athletic achievement with her selection to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 First Team.
In 2016, Hounsome led the Broncs to their best regular season finish (3rd) with a 6-3-1 record and into MAAC Tournament for the fourth season in a row and the sixth time in eight seasons. Under Hounsome's tutelage, Bethany-May Howard earned MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year and Ellie Smith earned All-ECAC Honorable Mention. Smith, Howard and Heather Maierle all earned All-MAAC First Team honors, while Caroline Healy and Pascuet garnered Second Team honors. Named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team were freshman Pascuet and Sofia Soares.
In 2015, Rider was a perfect 7-0 on Ben Cohen Field without conceding a goal at home during the regular season. With a 6-3-1 record the Broncs finished fourth in the regular season, advancing to the MAAC tournament for the third consecutive season and fourth time in six seasons. Smith and Cunningham both received MAAC All-Tournament Team honors. Hollie Kelsh earned All-MAAC First Team honors while Smith, Howard and McCabe all garnered Second Team honors. MAAC All-Rookie Team selections were Cunningham and McCabe. Tara Ballay was honored as a CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American for the second-consecutive year, while Howard received NSCAA All-Northeast Region accolades for her outstanding season.
In 2014, Hounsome led the Broncs to a 12-win season, the program’s first MAAC Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth against the University of Washington in Seattle. Howard, Priscilla Santos, Becca Kape and Maeirle were all named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team with Howard being honored as the MAAC Tournament MVP. Ballay earned MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, College Sports Madness MAAC Player of the Year and ECAC All-Star honors while leading the conference in goals (11) and points (24). Both Ballay and Iacono earned All-MAAC First Team honors while Kape, Santos and Howard garnered Second Team honors.
Smith, Madison Lipton, Schmitt and Carissa Sanchez were named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Ballay was also honored as a CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American.
In 2013, the Broncs, with a 5-4-1 conference record and unbeaten season at home (6-0-1) defeated Marist in the MAAC Quarterfinals to make a second semifinal appearance in four seasons. Kape and Maeirle were both named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team while Jen Meier and Kelsh both garnered Second Team All-MAAC honors, Freshmen Howard, Santos and Kelsh were all named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
In 2012, Hounsome led the Broncs to the winningest season in program history with a 10-4-3 record (.676 winning percentage) and a fourth-place finish in the MAAC. Defensively, the Broncs conceded just 16 goals all year, setting a program record 0.89 goals-against average. Ballay was named MAAC Rookie of the Year, while both Meier and Abi Cottam garnered First Team All-MAAC honors. Cottam earned CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors for the second-consecutive year, while Meier was named an NSCAA Academic All-American. Meier was also honored by the NSCAA, receiving Third Team All-Northeast Region honors.
In 2011, the Broncs finished with a 9-6-4 record, their best record since 2004. Cottam led the MAAC in goals (14), assists (11) and points (39) and ranked eighth in the nation in assists per game, ninth in points per game and 17th in goals per game. She was named First Team All-MAAC and became the first player in program history to receive NSCAA All Region honors. Cottam also became the first Rider athlete since 1995 to be named an Academic All-American. Freshman Amber Mello was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
In just his third season at Rider, Hounsome was named the 2010 MAAC Coach of the Year, leading the Broncs to a MAAC semifinal appearance after being picked to finish ninth. At 9-8-2 record (5-4 MAAC), it was the program’s first winning season since 2004. Cottam received Second Team All-MAAC accolades, while freshmen Kape, Meier and Bridgette Bartkowski were each named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Hounsome joined Rider in 2008 after serving seven years as the head coach at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, where he was the winningest coach in program history with 85 wins (85-34-17) in just seven seasons. On the announcement of his hiring, Rider Athletic Director Don Harnum said, "He is a proven winner as a head coach and has strong recruiting ties in the Northeast. After receiving over 100 applications for the position, Hounsome emerged as a great fit for Rider.” Taking over a program that won just two games in 2008, Hounsome led the Broncs to 90 victories in his first 11 years, including a 43-20-12 home record.
In 2007 with a 17-1-3 record, Hounsome led the Pioneers to an ECC Championship, and advanced into the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. Hounsome was named the 2007 NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year as the Pioneers ended the regular season with a No. 7 national ranking in the NSCAA/adidas Division II Poll. In 2005, Hounsome led his C.W. Post team to the program’s first-ever NYCAC Tournament Championship, advancing to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship tournament for the first time since 1999. C.W. Post finished the 2005 regular season with a No. 20 national ranking in the NSCAA/adidas Division II Poll. As head coach of the C.W. Post Pioneers from 2001 to 2007, Hounsome produced four Academic All-Americans, 15 All-Region selections, two Conference Players of the Year, 39 All-Conference Team selections and 36 Academic All-Conference honorees.
Hailing from the Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands, Hounsome earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Science, Physical Education and Management from Loughborough University in England, before moving to the USA in 1995 to begin his coaching career with NOGA Soccer, a full-service soccer coaching company based in New York. As the regional coaching director from 1995 to 2005, Hounsome has been involved in the coaching and development of hundreds of youth soccer players and coaches in the Tri-State area.
Hounsome completed an MA in Organizational Leadership from Rider University in 2013, holds coaching licenses from the English FA and the United States Soccer Federation, and most recently was awarded the United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma in 2018. Hounsome’s coaching book, "The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Girls' Soccer" was published by McGraw-Hill in 2005 and is currently available Amazon.com. Hounsome and his wife Gina reside in Lambertville, New Jersey.
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