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Gary Kagiavas
Gary Kagiavas was appointed Edinboro University's first head coach of the Fighting Scot women's soccer program in August of 1996. The former Gannon University standout started the Edinboro program that year, and since that time it has become one of the stronger teams in the Atlantic Region.
Kagiavas enters his 28th season with a 231-184-40 record, all as Edinboro's ONLY head coach. The Fighting Scots have qualified for the PSAC Playoffs 12 times, with eight of those in the last ten years. During that ten-year period, Edinboro is an impressive 114-66-16, even taking into account a young team that finished at 6-11-0 in 2018. That ended a string of nine straight seasons with a .500-or-better record. Edinboro also had a string of five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances in six years from 2011-16. The 2018 campaign featured three losses to nationally-ranked teams and seven by one goal.
With 231 wins, Kagiavas entered the 2020 season ranked in the top 25 among active Division II coaches in victories. In addition, he ranks second in wins among PSAC women’s soccer coaches, exceeded only by West Chester’s Betsy Anne Kempf-Townsley with 332 wins. He has been selected the PSAC Coach of the Year four times (2001, ’05, ’07, ‘19).
The fourth PSAC Coach of the Year award came after an Edinboro team picked to finish sixth in the PSAC in the 2019 preseason poll went on to reach the PSAC championship game for the second time. Edinboro defeated Mercyhurst and West Chester in the PSAC Tournament before falling to Slippery Rock in the finals.
He guided the program to new heights in 2015, as the Fighting Scots reached the PSAC Championship match for the first time in program history, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the first time. Edinboro ended the year with a 15-8-1 record, tying the school record for wins, and ended the year ranked 20th in the final NSCAA Division II poll. For his efforts, Kagiavas was selected as Edinboro’s Co-Coach of the Year, the second time he had received the honor.
While reaching the PSAC title game for the first time, the Fighting Scots were making their sixth straight appearance in the conference tournament. They would post wins over Kutztown (1-0) and fifth-ranked Gannon (3-1) before falling to East Stroudsburg in overtime, 2-1, in the finals.
Edinboro then made its fourth appearance in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. The fourth seed, the Fighting Scots won their first-ever NCAA playoff game on penalty kicks after finishing in a 0-0 tie with Charleston(WV). That was followed by an upset of top-seeded Gannon, 2-1 in overtime, to reach the Sweet 16. Edinboro would drop a 2-0 decision to East Stroudsburg in the Atlantic Regional final.
The 2016 team, followed with a 13-5-1 record, The Fighting Scots would register eight shutouts, but suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in overtime to Gannon in the quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament, then fell by a 3-1 score to Charleston(WV) in the first round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. Kagiavas’s 2017 edition finished at 7-7-3.
Beginning with the 2010 season, Edinboro ran off seven straight seasons with 10-or-more wins. The 2010 team finished with an 11-6-1 record, qualifying for the PSAC Playoffs. In fact, had it not been for the NCAA’s “earned access” policy Edinboro would have made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Playoffs, as the Fighting Scots ranked sixth in the final Atlantic Region poll. Edinboro lost to Kutztown in the first round of the PSAC Tournament.
In 2011, Kagiavas guided Edinboro to its best season in school history, prior to 2015, with a 15-6-0 record. The Fighting Scots qualified for the PSAC Playoffs for the second straight year and won its first-ever postseason game with a 2-0 victory over Indiana (Pa.). The Fighting Scots reached the PSAC semifinals for the first time, losing to California (Pa.).
Edinboro qualified as the fourth seed for the NCAA Division II Playoffs, its first-ever NCAA playoff bid. The Fighting Scots would suffer a tough 2-0 loss to West Chester, as the Golden Rams scored both goals in the final 15 minutes.
Kagiavas was recognized as Edinboro's 2012-13 Coach of the Year after guiding the Fighting Scots to a 13-4-3 finish in 2012. They would reach the PSAC semifinals thanks to a 2-1 victory over Kutztown before suffering a 2-1 loss to 16th-ranked California(Pa.). Making their second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Scots battled Slippery Rock to a 1-1 tie in double overtime before The Rock moved on thanks to penalty kicks.
In 2013, Kagiavas guided the Fighting Scots to their third straight berth in the NCAA Playoffs and fourth consecutive PSAC playoff appearance. In the PSAC quarterfinals, Edinboro and Shippensburg battled to a scoreless tie through 110 minutes. The Raiders would prevail on penalty kicks 4-3. The two faced each other again in the Atlantic Region quarterfinals, with 24th-ranked Shippensburg edging the Fighting Scots 1-0.
Edinboro would finish with a 12-6-2 record. After splitting their first six games, the Fighting Scots would catch fire after that, running off six straight wins and going 9-1-1 over an 11-game stretch.
After opening 2014 with a 0-4-1 record, Edinboro ran off seven straight wins to tie the school record. The Fighting Scots would drop a 2-0 decision at Kutztown in the PSAC Tournament quarterfinals to end the year at 10-7-2. Three of the defeats were 1-0 and five of the seven losses were by a goal.
In 2007, Edinboro finished with a 13-5-3 record. That represented the most wins in school history up until that point, and the Fighting Scots capped it with their first-ever postseason victory. Hosting Indiana (Pa.) in the first round of the PSAC Tournament, Edinboro handed the Crimson Hawks a 3-1 defeat. Slippery Rock brought Edinboro’s season to a halt with a 2-0 victory in the semifinals.
Kagiavas was honored as the 2007 PSAC West Coach of the Year. It marked the third time he had received the honor, along with 2001 and 2005. The season included a record seven consecutive victories.
The 2003 Fighting Scots had registered the previous school record for wins while finishing with a 12-7-1 record. Edinboro made its second appearance in the PSAC Playoffs. The Fighting Scots climbed as high as fourth in the Northeast Region rankings during the year. In 2002, Edinboro fell one point shy of qualifying for postseason action, compiling a 9-5-4 record.
Kagiavas' teams accomplished a rarity in his first six seasons, finishing with a better record each year. The 2001 Fighting Scots went out and posted an 11-5-1 record, including a then school-record six-game winning streak. The Fighting Scots advanced to the PSAC Playoffs for the first time. Edinboro dropped a 1-0 decision to Bloomsburg in its first postseason venture, but that could not diminish a season which saw the Scots climb as high as 14th in the NSCAA Division II rankings. Along the way, the Scots defeated 13th-ranked Slippery Rock 3-0, while suffering four of its five losses to nationally-ranked opponents.
Thanks to five wins in its final seven contests, Edinboro posted its first winning season in 2000, going 10-8-1. The Fighting Scots had a four-game win streak in which it held opponents scoreless for 500 minutes.
The Fighting Scots weren't without their growing pains, as Edinboro's first-ever women's soccer edition finished with a 2-14-0 record in 1996. The ledger improved slightly in 1997, as Kagiavas' second team posted a 5-10-1 finish. The Fighting Scots improved to 9-10-0 in 1998. That included a 2-1 overtime win over West Virginia Wesleyan, an outfit ranked second in Division II at the time.
In 1999 the Fighting Scots posted a 9-9-1 finish to post their first non-losing season. Edinboro debuted in the regional rankings during the season, a first for Kagiavas's squad. Included in the victories was another triumph over a nationally-ranked foe, as the Fighting Scots posted a 2-1 win at 14th-ranked Slippery Rock.
Edinboro saw a run of five straight winning seasons come to an end in 2004 following a 6-9-3 finish, and his Fighting Scots suffered a second straight losing campaign in 2005, finishing at 7-9-3. However, thanks to a 5-3-2 ledger in the PSAC West, Edinboro made its third-ever appearance in the PSAC Playoffs.
Kagiavas brought a wealth of coaching experience to Edinboro, both locally and at the international level. He joined the Edinboro staff after serving as assistant manager of the Family First Sports Park in Erie for two years. At Family First, he was responsible for organizing all phases of the facility's indoor and outdoor soccer leagues.
Kagiavas has served as the coaching director of the Edinboro Regional Soccer Club. Under his direction, the organization grew from four to 14 teams. In the 1997-98 season, he took the 15-under team to the state finals. In recent years he has taken the Erie Admirals U17 Girls team to the state championship and to the Final Four of Region 1. The team has finished in the top 16 in the country in their age group. He is the girls coaching director at the Erie Admirals. In 2004 Kagiavas had two more state champions with the Erie Admirals in the Under-17 and Under-18 girls teams. That marked four state champions in four years.
Kagiavas was a standout defender at Gannon from 1987-91, and played professionally in his native South Africa, along with Greece and Canada, after earning his bachelor's degree in 1991. He has held a variety of coaching positions in many levels of competition since 1989, highlighted by a successful stint as a professional coach in South Africa.
At Gannon, Kagiavas was a four-year starter at midfield and defender for a Golden Knight team which advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1989 and 1990. Gannon was 58-14-8 during his four seasons, with three NCAA playoff appearances.
Kagiavas played professionally for a St. Catherines team that won the Canadian Cup in the National Soccer League. He was a player/coach for the Springs Old Boys and Boksburg 'Two for Joy,' as well as for the Eastern Transvaal all-select indoor team.
In 1994, Kagiavas served as the head coach of Gannon's men's junior varsity soccer program, also assisting with the varsity squad as the Golden Knight men posted a 15-2-0 record and advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
Kagiavas began his coaching career with the Erie Strikers while also directing the Villa Maria Elementary School team. In the spring of 1992, Kagiavas was assistant coach of the Boksburg "Two for Joy" Division I team that competed in the National Soccer League of South Africa. In the summer of 1991, he was the head coach of the Springs (South Africa) Old Boys of the Division II men's semiprofessional league, earning Coach of the Year honors.
Kagiavas has earned a South African coaching license, a previously had a professional referee license. In addition, has a United States Soccer Federation National B License and has his NSCAA National License. He has become heavily involved in the administrative side of the sport. He serves as the NCAA Atlantic Region chair as well as being on the NCAA National Championships committee. He also serves as the United Soccer Coaches National Division 2 women's soccer National and Atlantic Region chairs. He also serves as the PSAC representative for the Coaches Connection for Division 2 women's soccer.
He has become heavily involved in the administrative side of soccer and the University. He is on the Legislative Assembly of APSCUF as well as on the APSCUF Meet and Discuss team. In addition, he is the national chair for the NCAA women's soccer championships committee; the national chair for the United Soccer Coaches women's soccer ranking committee; the regional chair for the RAC for women's soccer for the Atlantic Region; the regional chair for the United Soccer Coaches women's soccer Atlantic Region ranking committee; and the PSAC representative for the Coaches Connection in women's soccer.
He and his wife, Dawn, reside in Fairview, Pa. with their daughter, Kaylee, who earned her bachelor’s degree from Edinboro and is currently working on her master’s degree from the University of Florida.
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