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John Robertson
John Robertson is in his first season back with UAB as full-time assistant after returning to the program he worked with in 2018.
Robertson spent the past year as assistant coach in an historic, championship-winning campaign with NCAA DII University of Montevallo. The Falcons won the Gulf South Conference Tournament and went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007 after posting a 14-4-4 record. Beyond the regular duties of an assistant, he worked with defensive standouts, Mel Stevens, an All-Region defender, and All-Conference selection Hannah Waki, as well as leading a goalkeeping unit featuring Sophomore keeper Annie Mason, who would go on to become the first ‘Purple-and-Gold’ GK in a decade to secure a Gulf South Conference All-Tournament Team award, as well as leading the league in overall save percentage (0.894) at the close of GSC play, with a 0.74 goals against average (third in he GSC). She was named Gulf South Defender of the Week two times while posting five shutouts to double her career tally (10). Mason saved her best performance of the year for the Conference Tournament semifinal, with a career-high 12 saves and forced three penalty misses in a dramatic shootout that secured the Falcons' place in the GSC Championship game. Montevallo’s success was built on a dynamic attacking philosophy that recorded a program-high 10 regular season conference wins, scoring 50 goals, with 18 different players producing either a goal or an assist and 14 different goal scorers. The success of the first year for Robertson and head coach Jake Wyman saw the staff secure United Soccer Coaches' South Region Staff of the Year.
Robertson arrived in Montevallo after serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Blazers where he worked primarily with the goalkeepers and defenders. The Blazers secured the third seed in Conference USA regular season play and made it to the tournament quarterfinal round. In that 2018 season in the Magic City, he worked alongside Coach Ben Munger with Blazers' keeper Kelsey Daugherty, who would go on to become Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year as well as being named First Team All-Conference, United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First Team and Conference USA All-Academic First Team. She was named Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Week two times while posting six shutouts.
The Fyvie, Scotland, native joined the Blazers after serving as the men and women’s assistant coach at his alma-mater Maryville College (TN) in 2016. In another historic campaign, Robertson helped guide the Maryville men to both USA South Conference Regular Season and Conference Tournament glory for the first time in program history since moving to the conference four years prior. The two trophies and 18 wins secured the Fighting Scots’ first DIII NCAA National Tournament appearance since 2005. During that storied year, Robertson saw All-American forward Caleb Lucas score 21 goals and tally 10 assists in just 21 games. Lucas led the conference in goals (14) and points (52) in the league campaign. Fellow senior Timmy Baker also broke the Maryville All-Time record for assists in a single season (16). Robertson also worked with a young Lady Scots side who led the conference in clean sheets, with 9 in 14 league games on their way to a double-digit win season and a Conference Tournament semi-final run.
A former four-year lettermen with the Fighting Scots himself, Robertson played in defense for a team that was rated as high as 14th in the nation. During his collegiate career, he won three Great South Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament championships. In 2011, he was named to the Great South Atlantic All-Conference team and voted Team Defensive MVP, and, in his 2012 senior year, Robertson captained his side as the Scots transitioned to the USA South, and he was again an All-Conference selection, the Overall Team MVP, as well as an All-Conference Academic Team and All-Region Team scholar.
Robertson earned a bachelor's degree from Maryville in english literature with a minor in writing communications in 2013.
After his collegiate career ended, Robertson returned home for two years to play for Maud Juniors in the Scottish minor leagues, and completed his Masters in Journalism from Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University.
In addition to playing, Robertson worked as a leading news reporter for daily newspaper, The Press & Journal — serving a readership of 70,000 per day, covering two thirds of Scotland.
At the end of 2015, Robertson spent a year traveling in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, where he continued his soccer career in Perth, WA, until coaching brought him back to East Tennessee.
In 2017, Robertson began his coaching education with The FA Level 1 & Level 2 badges in Manchester, England, as well as his FA Goalkeeping Level 1, before transitioning back to the USA to move to Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Rachel. There, he has had spells leading youth teams locally for Vestavia Hills Soccer Club and Alabama Soccer Association’s ODP program, where he still coaches the 07 Girls.
He also holds his U.S. Soccer C & D Licenses, and a United Soccer Coaches Level 1 in Goalkeeper coaching.
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