Cougar Men's Soccer

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Head Coach Jamie Nash

Caldwell College '97

10th season

After starring on the field for the Caldwell College men’s soccer team during its early years, Jamie Nash has built the Cougars into one of the most successful programs in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and the New England Region as the team’s head coach. Under Nash, who begins his 10th season, the Cougars have appeared regularly in the New England Region rankings over the past five years while compiling a record of 58-32-9 during that span. In 2005, the program earned its first national ranking in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas Coaches Poll.

“Having been a part of Caldwell soccer for over 10 years, both as a player and a coach, it is exciting to see Caldwell College in the regional and national rankings. It makes me proud to be an alum as well as the coach,” Nash said. “I’m pleased with where the program stands now, but I think there is still more room for improvement. All the pieces are in place to continue our success and take the program to the next level.”

After finishing 10-6-4 in 2007, the Cougars went 11-7-1 last season, including an 8-1-1 mark in the conference to capture the CACC regular-season title for the first time since 1993. The campaign earned Nash his first CACC Coach of the Year award of his career. Additionally, forward Chad Bennett became the first Cougar to be named CACC Player of the Year in the program’s history.

Last season punctuated an outstanding five-year run in which the Cougars have won at least 10 games and advanced to the semifinals of the CACC Tournament each year. The 2006 squad finished 12-6-1 for the program’s third consecutive campaign with 12 or more wins. In 2005, Nash led his team to a 12-5-1 record, including a program-best 7-1 mark in the CACC, and a final regional ranking of fourth while making the CACC Tournament finals. That year, the Cougars earned the program’s first national ranking and were ranked among the top 10 in the New England Region all season.

In 2004, Nash guided the Cougars to a record of 13-8-2 for the most wins in the 18-year history of the program. His team appeared in the New England Region rankings virtually all season, and finished the year ranked seventh after taking second in the ECAC Tournament.

After three seasons of shaping the Cougars into the type of team he envisioned when he took control of the program in 2000, Nash led Caldwell into the finals of the CACC Tournament in 2003. And he did this with a squad picked to finish 10th by the conference coaches before the season. During the last five seasons the Cougars are 67-40-14, a marked improvement from the previous two seasons which saw the Cougars go a combined 6-29-1. Nash, who is 81-78-16 in nine years at Caldwell, has brought in talented players such all-Region selections Bennett, Uke Dauti, Andrew Fraser, Asgeir Ofstad and Bard Skjelstad.

His players also have succeeded in the classroom. In 2007, Fraser, Nicholas Harriott and Jan Marco Jiras earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District honors, while Harriott became the first Caldwell College student-athlete to be named an Academic All-American. Over the past five years, a total of 15 men’s soccer players have earned a spot on the CACC All-Academic Team for maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

A successful collegiate player himself, Nash wore the Scarlet, White and Gold for four years before graduating in 1997 from the College. Nash, who earned all-CACC honors while a member of the Cougars, holds the school record for career assists with 36. Before coming to Caldwell College, the native of Neptune, N.J., starred for St. Rose High School, where he was named All-State his senior year.

Along with his duties with the men’s soccer program, Nash works in the Department of Institutional Advancement at the College. He was the Associate Director of Admissions at Caldwell for six years prior to joining Institutional Advancement in 2006.

Coaching is a family affair for the Nashes, as all three of Jim and Kathleen Nash’s sons have been successful in the profession. Brendan Nash is the head men’s soccer coach at Bucknell University, while Brian Nash coaches the boys’ junior varsity soccer team as well as the highly-regarded girls’ basketball team at Marlboro (N.J.) High School.

Nash and his wife Kari and their son Colin reside in Montclair, N.J.



Assistant Coach Jesse Corazza
Rowan University '96
Third season

Jesse Corazza begins his third year as an assistant coach for the Cougars. Corazzo came to Caldwell in 2007, bringing over 15 years of soccer coaching and playing experience to the staff. Corazza has been coaching youth travel soccer throughout Essex County for the past 10 years while also serving as the director of soccer operations at The Sports Academy in Millburn, N.J. He is also the president and founder of Soccer for Life, which utilizes soccer training as a tool to build character, confidence and life skills among youth.

A member of the Olympic Development Program State Team as a youth player and an all-Shore midfielder while at Manalapan High School, Corazza attended Rowan University, where he was a three-year starter. The Profs advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament all four of Corazza’s seasons at Rowan, and recorded an undefeated regular season during his senior year.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Corazza holds an Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and a United States Soccer Federation ‘C’ License. He currently lives in Hoboken, N.J.