SUNY Buffalo State College

Buffalo State College Athletics
Buckham Hall - 1300 Elmwood Ave Buffalo, NY 14222

Division 3 New York Northeast

Public Medium National competitor

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Coaches

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Francesco Cardillo

Francesco Cardillo has led the Bengals to a record of 54-28-11 in six seasons at the helm. His teams have earned SUNYAC playoff berths in four of his five seasons (excluding the COVID-19 season), including back-to-back trips to the semifinals in 2019 and 2021, and a return to the semifinals in 2023. His 2019 team matched a school record for wins in a season with a final mark of 15-4.

Cardillo has coached 21 All-SUNYAC selections in his six years, including two SUNYAC Rookie of the Year winners in Theo Pencic (2018) and Abdi Salim (2019). Salim was also named the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.

Prior to being promoted to the program's head coach, Cardillo spent the previous three seasons at Buffalo State, including the two years as the lead assistant on the men’s staff after one year as the top assistant on the women’s staff. Cardillo was part of the staff that earned United Soccer Coaches East Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2017 after pacing the Bengals to a 14-3-3 overall record, just one win shy of matching a school record for wins in a season. Buffalo State was ranked as high as 13th in the nation. Buffalo State also qualified for the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 1984. In two seasons with the Bengals staff, his teams combined to post a record of 25-10-4 and in his one season with the women’s team, the Bengals were 15-4-1.

Cardillo was also a key part of the men’s program’s turnaround during his playing days. A tough midfielder, he transferred from SUNY Canton in 2013 and was named All-SUNYAC in both seasons at Buffalo State, leading the Bengals to 15 wins in two years, a marked improvement for a team that won just one game in 2012.

A native of Oakville, Ont., the dual citizen completed his bachelor’s degree from Buffalo State in business administration.

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August Finn

August Finn joins the Bengals as an assistant coach in 2020 after spending 2019 as an assistant coach with Geneseo. Finn is very familiar with Buffalo State, having played four seasons for the Bengals from 2015-18, earning All-SUNYAC honors as a junior and senior. A two-year team captain, the midfielder finished with 10 goals and 30 points in 71 career games.

Finn went on to play professionally in Australia with Geelong Rangers and also with the Rochester Lancers of the Major Arena Soccer League. He also had trials with the NY Cosmos.

A native of High Falls, N.Y., Finn has a U.S Soccer Grassroots Coach License and served as the director of coaching with Brighton FC. He completed his bachelor's degree in sociology from Buffalo State.