West Virginia University Athletics

Mountaineer alumnus Dan Stratford was named West Virginia University’s 10th men’s soccer head coach in January 2020, and completed his fourth season at the helm in 2023.
 
Stratford, who played for the Mountaineers from 2004-07, and served as an assistant coach at WVU from 2011-13, returned to Morgantown after a three-year stint as the head coach at the University of Charleston from 2017-19. While at UC, he compiled a record of 61-4-5 and led the Golden Eagles to a pair of Division II National Championships.
 
It hasn’t taken long for him to elevate his alma mater as he has gone 42-16-15 in four seasons in Morgantown.

In 2023, Stratford led the Mountaineers to new heights as WVU went 17-3-4 to set a new program record for wins and advanced to the College Cup for the first time in program history. The Mountaineers finished the season ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and Stratford was named the TopDrawerSoccer National Coach of the Year.

The season saw many highlights including wins over No. 1 Marshall and No. 3 Portland as well as ranked wins in the NCAA Tournament over Louisville, Vermont, and Loyola Marymount. West Virginia reached as high as No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 while going to No. 1 in both the TopDrawerSoccer and College Soccer News polls at various points throughout the season, the first time the Mountaineers have been in the top spot in any poll in program history.

Marcus Caldeira and Yutaro Tsukada each earned All-America status under Stratford's leadership while Jackson Lee, Frederik Jorgensen, and Luke McCormick joined the high-scoring duo on the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region team as well as the All-Sun Belt team.

Off the field, Caldeira was named a First-Team Academic All-America by College Sports Communicators while Tsukada and Lee earned Scholar All-America status from United Soccer Coaches. Additionally, Ryan Baer, Max Broughton, Carlos Hernando, Kyle Lehnert, and Lee all earned spots on the Academic All-District squad.

In 2022, Stratford and the Mountaineers ushered in a new era as they moved to the Sun Belt Conference after 10 years in the MAC, going 7-7-4 overall record and 3-1-4 in conference play.

Two players, Luke McCormick and Bjarne Thiesen, earned spots on the All-Sun Belt Second Team while Thiesen also earned second-team All-Southeast Region honors from United Soccer Coaches.

In the classroom, Aaron Denk Gracia and Dyon Dromers earned Academic All-America honors. Additionally, Ryan Baer and Adam Burchell earned spots on the Academic All-District squad.
 
The Mountaineers enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in program history in 2021. The squad finished 12-3-6 on the year and appeared in the NCAA Quarterfinal for the first time since 1981. WVU reached as high as No. 3 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches poll, good for its highest mark in program history. The team finished at No. 8 in the poll, its highest final ranking ever.
 
WVU earned the No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament, its highest national seed since 2007. A big reason why was the Mountaineers’ dominance at home. In all, West Virginia held an 8-0-3 record in Morgantown, marking its first unbeaten, home campaign in 14 years.
 
Individually, defender Bjarne Thiesen was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team, while defender Kevin Morris and midfielder Ryan Baer were all-region selections. Thiesen also was featured on TopDrawerSoccer’s Best XI Third Team, joining defender Frederik Jorgensen, who was named to the Freshman Best XI Second Team by TDS.
 
For the second consecutive season, Morris was placed on the Academic All-America First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Defender Aaron Denk Gracia was selected to the third team. Along with that duo, midfielder Pau Jimenez Albelda earned Academic All-District honors.
 
A total of 14 players scored at least one goal in 2021, a program record. In the classroom, nine members of the year earned Academic All-MAC honors, and the club earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 14th straight campaign.
 
Stratford’s first season at the helm in 2020-21 proved to be one of great adversity and uncertainty. The Mountaineers’ tradition fall campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a 10-game, spring-only slate from February to April. West Virginia finished 6-3-1 on the year, including 4-3-1 in Mid-American Conference play, while battling through multiple postponements and cancelations throughout the process. Stratford led the Mountaineers to a 3-0 win in his debut on Feb. 26, at Charlotte, before WVU took down the eventual National Champions, Marshall, 1-0, on March 24, in Morgantown.
 
West Virginia outscored its opponents, 14-6, and tallied six shutouts on the year. The squad finished No. 7 nationally in shot accuracy (.532), No. 8 in shutout percentage (.600) and No. 9 in team goals against average (.576).
 
Five Mountaineers earned a spot on the All-MAC Team following the season, as goalkeeper Steven Tekesky and midfielders Ike Swiger and Luke McCormick earned first-team honors, while Jimenez Albelda and Morris were awarded second-team distinction. In the classroom, nine players were featured on the Academic All-MAC Team, including Morris, who went on to become a CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team selection, the program’s first 2016.
 
Prior to his return to West Virginia, the London, England, native was named the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Coach of the Year for all sports in 2017 and 2019, and was a two-time United Soccer Coaches Division II Coaching Staff of the Year (2017, 2019) winner. Under Stratford’s tutelage, UC won three conference regular-season championships and two conference tournament titles in his three years in charge.
 
Charleston finished 22-2-1 in 2019, culminating with its second National Championship in three years. The Golden Eagles outscored their opponents, 87-8, and earned 17 shutouts. In all, the squad finished the campaign on a 12-match win streak.
 
In 2018, UC conceded just four total goals, an all-time goals-against average record in Division II men’s soccer history. The team went undefeated in the regular season before finishing with an 18-1-2 mark.
 
Stratford’s first season as a head coach in 2017 was capped off with UC’s first men’s soccer National Championship. On the heels of a 15-match win streak, the Golden Eagles allowed just eight goals all year while tallying 19 shutouts. The squad finished 21-1-2 on the year, as Stratford mentored his first collection of student-athletes as a head coach, including Thomas Vancaeyezeele, the Division II National Player of the Year.
 
From 2014-16, Stratford served as an assistant coach at UC, helping the Golden Eagles to three trips to the Division II Final Four with two National Runner-Up finishes.
 
Prior to his time at Charleston, Stratford was an assistant coach for three seasons at WVU from 2011-13. The Mountaineers reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 2011, before joining the MAC in 2012.
 
One of the most decorated players in program history, Stratford played for the Mountaineers from 2004-07, finishing No. 1 in WVU history in matches played in a season (23) and career (85), as well as No. 1 in career game-winning assists (13) and game-winning points (31). Additionally, Stratford, an All-Big East and all-region selection as a senior, currently sits No. 2 in school history in career assists (27), shots on goal (86) and multi-assist games (4), No. 4 in matches started (79), No. 4 in game-winning goals (9) and No. 9 in career points (67).
 
Stratford led the Mountaineers to a four-year mark of 54-24-8 with three NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2006 Big East regular-season championship as a player. WVU reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history during Stratford’s senior season in 2007.
 
Drafted by D.C. United in 2008, Stratford played one season in Major League Soccer (MLS) before joining Scottish club Inverness Caledonian Thistle from 2009-10. He finished his professional career at Hereford United (England) from 2010-11.
 
Stratford owns a UEFA ‘B’ coaching license and graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s degree in physical education teacher education in 2009. He also earned a master’s degree at WVU in 2015.

Career Record

Current Professional Players

Tam Dimairo
Bruno's Magpies (Gibraltar National League)

Jack Elliott
Philadelphia Union (MLS)

Thomas Vancaeyezeele
Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship)