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Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY 40205
Kentucky Midwest
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Paul Babba

Paul Babba was announced as the sixth head coach in the history of the Bellarmine University women's soccer program in early January of 2022.


Babba will enter his second season with the Knights in 2023.


In his first season, Bellarmine was one of the top defensive units in the ASUN, ranking second in the conference in goals-against average (0.88) while tying for third in shutouts (eight). Goalkeeper Elyssa Francis earned ASUN All-Conference accolades, and midfielder Alexa Orozco was an ASUN All-Freshman Team selection.


Babba arrived at Bellarmine after serving two seasons as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at the University of Kentucky, where he also assumed the role of interim head coach for the final three games of the fall 2021 campaign. Babba helped guide Kentucky to a berth in the SEC Tournament in 2020. During his time as the interim head coach in 2021, he led the Wildcats to a 2-0 victory over SEC rival Missouri. Jordyn Rhodes earned All-SEC and All-Southeast Region accolades in both of Babba’s seasons at UK, while Maria Olsen was selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2020.


Prior to Kentucky, Babba had a two-year stint as the associate head coach/recruiting coordinator at Division-I Elon University, where he helped engineer a notable turnaround at the North Carolina-based school. After going 3-10-4 overall and 1-7-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association in 2018, the Phoenix delivered a nine-win improvement in 2019, amassing a 12-6-2 overall mark that included a 5-3-1 record in CAA play and first-ever berth in the conference tournament. The program garnered four All-CAA and two All-Freshman Team awards in his two seasons.


In his previous stop before Elon, Babba’s ability to help orchestrate a turnaround became evident. He was the head coach for two seasons at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, and led the NAIA program to unprecedented success. In 2016, Babba guided the Lions to a runner-up finish in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament as a seven-seed. He parlayed that season-ending momentum into a historic 2017, as the Lions captured their first-ever AAC regular-season championship and berth in the NAIA National Tournament while posting the winningest season in program history at 12-7 overall and 9-2 in conference play.


For his efforts, Babba was recognized as the 2017 AAC Coach of the Year. Under his tutelage that season, the Lions also garnered AAC acknowledgements for Offensive Player of the Year (Ruth Rosales), Defensive Player of the Year (Morgana Hardt da Silva) and Freshman of the Year (Makena Giles). In his two seasons, the Lions accumulated nine All-AAC and 13 All-Academic Team honors.


Babba’s first head-coaching job at the collegiate level came at Delta State University, a Division II program in Cleveland, Mississippi, that he shepherded for five seasons from 2011-15. Before that, he broke into the college coaching ranks as an assistant at Mississippi College, a then-Division III program he helped push to a 53-20-5 overall record and 38-11-3 mark in American Southwest Conference action over four seasons from 2007-10. The Choctaws earned 21 All-ASC accolades in his four years, and Carrie Kirk was the 2009 ASC Defensive Player of the Year.


In addition to his college ledger, Babba possesses extensive experience coaching club soccer and currently serves as the technical director for Commonwealth SC. He was an assistant coach with the USL’s Mississippi Brilla FC for two summers (2013-15). Babba was the director of coaching at Brandon Futbol Club (2007-08) and Cleveland, Mississippi Youth Soccer Association (2013-15) and also spent time coaching the Mississippi Brilla FC Juniors (2008-10) and Chattanooga FC (2016-18).


Babba played collegiately from 2003-06 at Belhaven University, where he was a team captain his last two seasons and ranked third all-time at the school in points (92) and tied for third in goals (37) upon his hiring at Bellarmine. After college, he played two summers for Mississippi Brilla FC.


Babba earned a bachelor’s degree in sports administration at Belhaven and a master’s degree in athletic administration at Mississippi College. He possesses a USSF National ‘A’ Senior License, which is the highest qualification for coaches at the university level.


A native of Jos, Nigeria, Babba has a wife, Laura, and three children: Noah, Micah and Hannah.

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Callie McKinney

Callie McKinney joined the Bellarmine University women's soccer coaching staff as a graduate assistant in the summer of 2020 and was promoted to full-time assistant coach prior to the fall 2021 season.


In 2022, Bellarmine was one of the top defensive units in the ASUN, ranking second in the conference in goals-against average (0.88) while tying for third in shutouts (eight). Goalkeeper Elyssa Francis earned ASUN All-Conference accolades, and midfielder Alexa Orozco was an ASUN All-Freshman Team selection.


In 2021, McKinney helped the Knights advance to the ASUN Championship semifinals for the first time in program history. McKinney's first season at Bellarmine coincided with the Knights' first in Division I. In the spring of 2021, Bellarmine captured its first-ever D1 win behind a 1-0 triumph over ASUN counterpart Liberty, an NCAA Tournament team. In their inaugural season in the ASUN, the Knights saw two players recognized with All-Conference laurels while the team had 100-percent inclusion (26 of 26) on the conference's Honor Roll.


McKinney completed a four-year playing career at the University of Louisville, where she was a starting midfielder from 2016-19. She appeared in 72 games with 67 starts over her four-year tenure at Louisville. The midfielder started in every game she appeared her freshman, junior and senior seasons and was a two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection. McKinney helped the Cardinals earn NCAA Tournament berths her final two years in the program, which included a 13-5-2 senior campaign in 2019 where she delivered the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Clemson. Playing for the Nashville Rhythm, she earned 2019 Southeast All-Conference Team accolades from the Women's Premier Soccer League.


McKinney is a native of Franklin, Tennessee, who played three years for Franklin High School. In 2014, she was named Class 3A All-State and All-District 11. McKinney played eight years of travel soccer with Impact, the Tennessee Futbol Club and the Tennessee Soccer Club, winning regional and national championships in the summer of 2016 just prior to her arrival at Louisville in addition to seven straight D1 state championships. Her TSC squads piled up five regional titles.


McKinney was named team MVP of her U15 squad and, while participating in the Olympic Development Program since age 12, was recognized as one of The Best 11 at U16, making her the first girl from Tennessee to receive the acknowledgement. She played with Gwinnett Soccer Academy ECNL from U16-U18 as a discovery player.


McKinney earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science at Louisville. She is pursuing a master's degree in health science at Bellarmine.

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Tim Chastonay

Tim Chastonay has been the head coach of the Bellarmine University men’s soccer team since 1998 and is the winningest coach in program history along with being the longest-tenured coach in all of Bellarmine athletics.


Chastonay will enter his 26th season in 2023.


After coming close its first two seasons in the NCAA's highest level, Bellarmine in 2022 achieved a winning record (6-4-8) for the first time in the Division-I era. The Knights earned a berth in the ASUN Championship semifinals for the third consecutive season after defeating Stetson in PKs in the quarterfinals. Four players garnered ASUN All-Conference laurels.


The fall 2021 campaign saw Bellarmine win its first-ever game in the ASUN Championship as the Knights rallied to defeat FGCU 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Bellarmine spent five weeks in the Atlantic Region rankings. Three Knights were honored with ASUN All-Conference awards.


The spring of 2021 marked Bellarmine's first season in Division I and the ASUN Conference, and Chastonay and his squad wasted no time in making their mark. The Knights secured the top seed from the North Division in the ASUN Championship after going 3-1 in league play. Bellarmine finished the season ranked No. 9 in the Atlantic Region by the United Soccer Coaches. Chastonay was voted ASUN Coach of the Year after guiding his team to a memorable inaugural D1 campaign that included four All-Conference acknowledgements and an All-Region laurel (Jonas Skulstad).


Prior to Bellarmine's arrival in DI, Chastonay built a 208-164-41 record over 22 seasons in Division II. He amassed over 120 victories more than the program's next winningest coach. Chastonay led Bellarmine to a Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament berth in 12 of the last 13 years in D2, the final one of which ended with the Knights hoisting the championship trophy and sealing a bid in the NCAA II Tournament. All five of Bellarmine's D2 All-Americans (Ross Hopkins, Brad Barraclough, Tomas Bernedo, Micah Linscott, Eddie Williamson) have been produced during Chastonay's tenure.


The 2019 campaign, the last in D2, marked the most successful in program history for Bellarmine, which did not lose a match until the Sweet 16 of the NCAA II Tournament. The Knights went 16-1-5 overall and 10-0-4 in the GLVC. Both win totals set new program records. Along with an undefeated regular season, Bellarmine captured the GLVC Tournament title following a 3-2 victory over McKendree and secured its first-ever NCAA II Tournament berth. The Knights built a 30-game unbeaten streak bridging the 2018 and 2019 seasons and finished the year with a No. 13 national ranking. Bernedo, Linscott and Williamson earned All-America accolades from the D2CCA, and Bernedo became the program's first GLVC Offensive Player of the Year.


Bellarmine finished 12-5-2 in 2018. At the time, the Knights tied both the most overall wins and the most conference victories (nine) in program history. Bellarmine finished second in the league and earned the No. 2 seed in the GLVC Tournament, where the Knights advanced to the finals. Skulstad became the program's first GLVC Defensive Player of the Year honoree.


In 2017, Chastonay's Knights tied a then-program record with nine GLVC wins. Bellarmine's 11 overall victories were one shy of the program record at the time. The biggest highlight of the season came when Bellarmine defeated second-ranked and Final Four-bound Rockhurst, 2-1. Williamson was named GLVC co-Freshman of the Year.


From 2009-12, the Knights posted double-digit wins in every season. Bellarmine had one of its best seasons ever in 2012 as Chastonay's Knights went 10-5-3 overall and 9-3-3 in the GLVC. In 2010, Bellarmine finished 10-5-2 and the Knights achieved a No. 18 national ranking. That season came on the heels of an 11-win campaign in 2009 and, two years before that, the Knights tied a then-program record with 12 wins. Hopkins became the program's first All-American in 2009 after garnering second-team honors from Daktronics. Hopkins and Barraclough both reaped All-America recognition in 2010.


Chastonay, who was voted GLVC Coach of the Year in 2005, also led Bellarmine’s women’s program as the head coach (1998-09) for 12 seasons, guiding the program to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA II Tournament in 2009.


Prior to coming to Bellarmine, Chastonay was a successful high school coach in Louisville at Eastern High School. He spent four seasons at the lead of the Eagles soccer team, where he compiled a 71-19-2 record including winning the 1996 Kentucky state championship and finishing the season ranked nationally in the top 25. For his accomplishments that season, he was named the KHSAA Soccer Coach of the Year.


A 1993 Bellarmine graduate, Chastonay was a four-year member of the soccer team, where he helped lead the Knights to a GLVC runner-up finish three times. As a senior, he was named to the All-GLVC team and also received Bellarmine’s Silver Knight award for athletic achievement and sportsmanship. After his collegiate career, Chastonay spent one season playing semi-pro soccer for the Louisville Thoroughbreds of the USISL.


Chastonay in 2017 was inducted into the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association's Hall of Fame as part of the Javanon '81 team that he coached to the 1997 USYSA National Championships title. He was recognized as the KYSA's Boys Select Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2017.


Chastonay lives in Louisville with his wife, Kelli, and they have two children, AJ and Ryan.

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Matt Cannady

Former player and staff member Matt Cannady returned to the Bellarmine University men’s soccer team as a full-time assistant prior to the 2021 fall season.


After coming close its first two seasons in the NCAA's highest level, Bellarmine in 2022 achieved a winning record (6-4-8) for the first time in the Division-I era. The Knights earned a berth in the ASUN Championship semifinals after defeating Stetson in PKs in the quarterfinals. Four players garnered ASUN All-Conference laurels.


With Cannady back on the Bellarmine sideline, the fall 2021 campaign saw the Knights win their first-ever game in the ASUN Championship as they rallied to defeat FGCU 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Bellarmine spent five weeks in the Atlantic Region rankings. Three Knights were honored with ASUN All-Conference awards.


Cannady was a starting midfielder at Bellarmine from 2006-09 and was an assistant coach under Tim Chastonay in 2013 and 2014 before embarking on successful stints as an assistant at Virginia Commonwealth University (2015-19) and SIU Edwardsville (spring 2021).


Prior to his return to Bellarmine, Cannady helped SIU Edwardsville crack the top 25 for the first time since 2016 as the Cougars raced out to a 4-0 start. Before that, he started his five-year tenure at VCU by helping guide the Rams to three consecutive appearances in the Atlantic 10 Tournament title game. In the latter season, 2017, VCU earned the No. 16 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.


Cannady helped push VCU to an A10 regular-season championship in 2018 after the Rams posted a 6-1-1 conference record for the second consecutive season. Over his five years with the program, VCU built a 27-9-7 record in conference play. The Rams also reached double digits in total wins in 2017 and 2018 with 12 and 10 victories, respectively.


At VCU, Cannady helped mentor two All-Americans (Rafael Andrade Santos, Ulrik Edvardsen), seven All-Region performers, two conference Players of the Year (Santos, Siad Haji) and 29 All-Conference recipients. Starting in 2016, his teams earned five straight Team Academic Awards from the United Soccer Coaches.


In Cannady’s previous two seasons at Bellarmine (2013 and 2014), the Knights won eight games each year and earned berths in the GLVC Tournament. They collected three All-GLVC accolades in that time, and Dan Schiavi garnered All-Region laurels each season. Cannady preceded that by beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at VCU in 2010 before being elevated to a volunteer assistant with the Rams in 2011 and 2012.


Cannady was a four-year starter for Bellarmine while appearing in 73 games from 2006-09. The Knights won a minimum of nine matches in all four of his seasons, including 12 victories his sophomore year and 11 his senior season.


Before his college career, Cannady played at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville and for Metro United, which is now St. Louis Scott Gallagher Illinois.


Cannady earned his bachelor’s degree from Bellarmine in 2010 and a master’s degree from VCU in 2011. He and his wife Jamie have two daughters, Morgan and Madison.

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