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Bates College

Bates College Athletics
 130 Central Ave Lewiston, ME 04240
Division 3 Maine Northeast
Private Small Competitive team
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Joe Vari

In 2019, Bates Director of Athletics Jason Fein announced the appointment of University of Puget Sound head coach Joe Vari as the eighth head women's soccer coach in the program's 39-year history.


"I feel that Bates is a sleeping giant with great potential," Vari said. "I think this is one of the best jobs in Division III and I know the challenges that are ahead to build a successful program in this conference."


Vari led Puget Sound to a 39-14-8 record in three seasons as the Loggers' head coach, including a conference championship and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2018. He was named the 2018 Northwest Conference Coach of the Year.


"After an extensive national search, we are thrilled that Joe is joining our team as head coach of women's soccer," said Fein. "While he has a stellar record at competitive Division III institutions, he also understands the pressures on today's student-athletes, as well as the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between strong academics, well-being, and peak performance on the field. We look forward to getting him on board this summer."


Vari also won consistently as head coach at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., between 2009 and 2015, leading the Lynx to a 75-43-14 record over seven seasons. He additionally served as assistant athletic director there beginning in 2014.


Before becoming head coach at Rhodes, Vari was assistant coach for the men's and women's soccer teams at Rhodes. He got his coaching start as an assistant at Lynchburg College, where he earned a master's degree in counseling in 2006. Vari received a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2003 from Hiram College, where he was a goalkeeper for four years. Puget Sound, Rhodes, Lynchburg and Hiram are all Division III schools like Bates.


"I love Division III athletes, as they are self-starters, driven, and able to experience the true meaning of being a student-athlete," he said. "I've always enjoyed working at strong academic institutions, and Bates and the NESCAC are in a league of their own for academics and athletics."


Vari took over a Bates program with an all-time record of 301-222-32 since its origin in 1980, including four NCAA tournament appearances and a NESCAC championship in 2005.


"Our goal will always be to play as many games in November as we possibly can," said Vari. "I think that we can build something special here at Bates."

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Devin Bagby

Bates women's soccer head coach, Joe Vari, has announced the addition of Devin Bagby to his staff as an assistant coach. He will join fellow assistant, Morgan Johnson, for the 2023 campaign.


"I think Devin will be a great addition to our coaching staff and program," said Vari. "His energy, enthusiasm, and drive were evident in the interview process. I was really impressed with his desire to be an academic about the game; he's challenged himself with coaching courses, and has found ways to pack in a lot of experience in a short window of time."


Bagby joins the garnet and white from his alma mater, Randolph College (Lynchburg, Va.), where he served as a graduate assistant coach (2021-22) and most recently, as an assistant coach (2022-23) to the Wildcats' women's soccer program. He also served as an adjunct professor in health and physical education at the University of Lynchburg.


"I am thrilled and grateful to be a part of the Bates family," said Bagby. "I am very thankful to Coach Vari for giving me this opportunity to bring my knowledge and experience to this position, and I am looking forward to coaching such a tremendous group of student-athletes. I believe that there are no limits on what this group can accomplish, and I am excited to offer what I can to achieve the goals of such a prestigious program."


Prior to his coaching stint at Randolph, he served as the junior varsity boys head coach at Appomattox County High School. He also gathered experience as the Appomattox County junior varsity girls soccer assistant coach for a season. Other collegiate coaching experience includes a year as a men's soccer volunteer coach at Longwood University (Va.).


Bagby graduated from Randolph with a Bachelor of Arts in Sport and Exercise Studies: Coaching and Sport Performance. He also earned a Master of Arts from the institution in Coaching and Sport Leadership.

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Morgan Johnson

Morgan Johnson joins the Bates women’s soccer staff with local Maine soccer experience. Johnson was previously an assistant coach at Freeport High School and with Seacoast United Soccer Club. With Seacoast, Johnson was responsible for developing individual skills, promoted team development, and helped players with their recruiting process.


Johnson played at Auburn University, where she helped the team win a SEC championship.

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