Rich Nassif returns to the Wildcats after spending the last four seasons as the head coach of the men's soccer program at Benedictine University. He led the Eagles to a 33-38-3 record overall during his tenure, including a 22-6-2 mark in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play from 2013-15.
The Eagles went a combined 16-2-2 in 2013 and 2014 and earned a share of the NACC regular season championship in 2013. He was at the helm when Benedictine defeated NACC power Dominican in 2013, ending Dominican's NCAA record 104 match conference unbeaten streak. Benedictine would go on to top Dominican for three consecutive seasons.
He was named the NACC Coach of the Year in 2013 after the Eagles went 8-1-1 in conference play to earn a share of the NACC regular season title.
Nassif developed Benedictine into one of the nation's best attacking teams at Division III, totaling 90 goals scored in the 2014 and 2015 seasons combined. In 2014, his Benedictine team ranked sixth nationally in assists and 32nd in goals per game. Nassif coached Nick Kapetanos, who finished the 2014 season ranked 13th nationally in goals and Edgar Reyes, who was ninth nationally in assists.
In 2015-16, Nassif guided his program to a NSCAA Team Academic Award - given to teams with a 3.00 grade point average or better. It was the first time in program history that a team has earned the award.
Under his tutelage, two players earned NSCAA All-Region honors, 17 were All-NACC and 21 were named NACC Scholar-Athlete performers.
Nassif began his Northwestern career as a walk-on student-athlete and was ultimately named a captain prior to his senior campaign. He began his professional tenure as the program's Director of Operations in 2007 and went on to spend three seasons as an assistant coach from 2009-2011. He was a member of the staff that saw the team earn a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. The Wildcats won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles for the first time in school history in 2011 and finished the season ranked No. 22 in the country before Nassif took the head coaching job at Benedictine prior to the 2012 season.
He worked with the goalkeepers daily and mentored Misha Rosenthal as well as 2011 First Team All-Big Ten and Freshman All-American selection Tyler Miller.
Nassif graduated from Northwestern University in 2007 with a double major in history and political sciences. He is married to the former Sara Harrington, who was a standout athlete at Northwestern and a three-time national champion for women's lacrosse program.
The Eagles went a combined 16-2-2 in 2013 and 2014 and earned a share of the NACC regular season championship in 2013. He was at the helm when Benedictine defeated NACC power Dominican in 2013, ending Dominican's NCAA record 104 match conference unbeaten streak. Benedictine would go on to top Dominican for three consecutive seasons.
He was named the NACC Coach of the Year in 2013 after the Eagles went 8-1-1 in conference play to earn a share of the NACC regular season title.
Nassif developed Benedictine into one of the nation's best attacking teams at Division III, totaling 90 goals scored in the 2014 and 2015 seasons combined. In 2014, his Benedictine team ranked sixth nationally in assists and 32nd in goals per game. Nassif coached Nick Kapetanos, who finished the 2014 season ranked 13th nationally in goals and Edgar Reyes, who was ninth nationally in assists.
In 2015-16, Nassif guided his program to a NSCAA Team Academic Award - given to teams with a 3.00 grade point average or better. It was the first time in program history that a team has earned the award.
Under his tutelage, two players earned NSCAA All-Region honors, 17 were All-NACC and 21 were named NACC Scholar-Athlete performers.
Nassif began his Northwestern career as a walk-on student-athlete and was ultimately named a captain prior to his senior campaign. He began his professional tenure as the program's Director of Operations in 2007 and went on to spend three seasons as an assistant coach from 2009-2011. He was a member of the staff that saw the team earn a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. The Wildcats won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles for the first time in school history in 2011 and finished the season ranked No. 22 in the country before Nassif took the head coaching job at Benedictine prior to the 2012 season.
He worked with the goalkeepers daily and mentored Misha Rosenthal as well as 2011 First Team All-Big Ten and Freshman All-American selection Tyler Miller.
Nassif graduated from Northwestern University in 2007 with a double major in history and political sciences. He is married to the former Sara Harrington, who was a standout athlete at Northwestern and a three-time national champion for women's lacrosse program.