University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Soccer
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- umassmsoccer@umass.edu
- Phone:
- 545-8378
A veteran coach with a history of bringing success to collegiate programs, Fran O'Leary took over as the head coach of the University of Massachusetts men's soccer program prior to the 2015 campaign. O'Leary has experience at multiple levels of collegiate soccer and has spent time coaching at the professional level as well.
Entering his 11th season for the Minutemen, O'Leary led Massachusetts to a 13-4-5 overall record in 2024 including the program's first Elite Eight appearance since 2007. UMass had two athletes named to All-Atlantic 10 teams as forward Alec Hughes earned A-10 Offensive Player of the Year for a conference-record three-straight times and junior Aidan Kelly was named to the second team. Under the tutelage of O'Leary, Hughes broke the UMass All-Time goals record, tallying 51 across his five-year career and climbing to second in program history in career points (110). Hughes earned United Soccer Coaches All-America second team honors and was selected 22nd overall in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft by LAFC. Senior Alex Geczy also tied the single season program record in total shutouts with 10 on the year.
In his ninth season in Amherst, O'Leary coached the Minutemen to a 7-6-6 overall record during the 2023 campaign with a trip to the Atlantic 10 semifinals. UMass landed two athletes on All-Atlantic 10 teams as forward Alec Hughes was named A-10 Offensive Player of the Year and sophomore Aidan Kelly was named to the second team. O’Leary earned his 300th career win while also passing Jeff Gettler for total wins at UMass with 70.
During his nine years at the helm, O’Leary’s teams have found a ton of success playing at home. In 2016 and 2017, UMass set a program record, with a 16 game home unbeaten streak where the team went 14-0-2 with a +24 goal differential. The Minutemen would go on to tie the record in 2023 after going 7-0-9 since October of 2021. Overall, The Minutemen have gone 38-22-14 at home under O’Leary.
In 2017, O’Leary led the Minutemen to both the Atlantic 10 outright regular season title and championship crown as UMass became the first team to accomplish the feat since 1991 on his way to being named the A-10 Coach of the Year. UMass finished the season with a 15-4-3 record, including a 10-2-1 mark at Rudd Field as the Minutemen finished with four all-conference honorees. Along with the all-league honors, O’Leary’s squad picked up multiple individual awards in addition to the all-conference honors, including an United Soccer Coaches All-America Third-Team selection and league rookie of the year.
The native of Dublin, Ireland is the 10th head men's soccer coach in UMass history.
Professionally, O'Leary spent two years with Toronto FC in MLS as the Assistant Coach and Director of Player Recruitment. He served as the top assistant coach and Director of Recruitment for Toronto FC of MLS from January 2013 to August 2014. The staff overhauled the roster and saw the team climb form 10th place to third in the Eastern Division during their tenure.
O'Leary served eight seasons as the head coach at Bowdoin College from 2005-2012. He accumulated a record of 74-39-14 with a .638 winning percentage and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
One of the most distinguished coaches in Bowdoin history, his two best seasons in program annals came in 2009 and 2010. The 2009 squad posted an 11-4-2 mark and an NCAA Tournament berth, before following it up with an outstanding 15-2-4 mark in 2010, which included the team's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory and appearance in the Division III Final Four. That group won the NESCAC regular-season title and lost the tourney title game on penalty kicks before its run to the national semifinals.
The 2010 team collected 12-consecutive victories and 11 shutouts on the year.
O'Leary led the George Mason team from 2001-04, collecting 34 victories and mentoring 10 all-conference selections and a pair of Freshman All-America honorees John O'Hara (2001) and Damian O'Rourke (2002). That duo was a big part in helping the Patriots reach the CAA championship game in 2003 following a third-place regular-season finish that marked the highest in six years.
He guided Dartmouth to a 56-48-14 record and two NCAA College Cup appearances in seven seasons from 1994-2000, including a 12-6 record and Ivy League runner-up finish in 2000. Dartmouth was 10-4-4 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1997 as O'Leary was named Division I Coach of the Year by the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League.
He then took over the Kenyon program in 1992 and compiled a .800 winning percentage with a 32-4-4 mark. He led the Lords to the North Coast Athletic Conference regular-season crowns each season and was named the Co-Coach of the Year in 1992. O’Leary was named the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year after leading Kenyon to its first ever No. 1 national ranking and the 1993 NCAA Semifinals. Mark Phillips set the league points (59) and goals (25) records that season on his way to the Player of the Year accolades.
He got his first head coaching job in 1989 at Division III Elmira College in southern New York. He led the Eagles to a 38-11-2 record over three seasons. He inherited a team with a 3-14 record and turned it around into a 13-4 record his first year.
A graduate of Thomas Edison State University with a Liberal Arts degree, O'Leary began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Boston College form 1986-89 and holds a NSCAA Advanced National Diploma in addition to his UEFA "A" Level License.
| Fran O'Leary's Year-By-Year Head Coaching Record | |||||
| Year | Program | W-L | Conf. | Place | Postseason |
| 1989 | Elmira | 13-3-1 | |||
| 1990 | Elmira | 12-4-1 | |||
| 1991 | Elmira | 13-4-0 | |||
| 1992 | Kenyon | 16-3-0 | 7-1-0 | 1st | NCAA Second Round |
| 1993 | Kenyon | 16-1-4 | 6-0-2 | 1st | NCAA Final Four |
| 1994 | Dartmouth | 8-4-3 | 3-2-2 | t-4th | |
| 1995 | Dartmouth | 6-11-0 | 3-4-0 | t-4th | |
| 1996 | Dartmouth | 7-8-2 | 2-3-2 | 5th | |
| 1997 | Dartmouth | 10-4-4 | 4-1-2 | 2nd | NCAA Second Round |
| 1998 | Dartmouth | 10-6-1 | 4-3-0 | 3rd | |
| 1999 | Dartmouth | 3-9-4 | 1-4-2 | 7th | |
| 2000 | Dartmouth | 12-6-0 | 5-2-0 | 2nd | NCAA First Round |
| 2001 | George Mason | 8-9-1 | 2-3-0 | 5th | |
| 2002 | George Mason | 8-7-4 | 3-4-2 | 7th | |
| 2003 | George Mason | 11-6-6 | 4-2-3 | 3rd | |
| 2004 | George Mason | 7-11-1 | 3-6-0 | 8th | |
| 2005 | Bowdoin | 11-3-1 | 7-2-0 | 2nd | |
| 2006 | Bowdoin | 10-4-1 | 6-3-0 | 4th | |
| 2007 | Bowdoin | 9-6-1 | 4-4-1 | 5th | |
| 2008 | Bowdoin | 6-8-0 | 4-5-0 | t-5th | |
| 2009 | Bowdoin | 11-4-2 | 5-3-1 | t-4th | NCAA First Round |
| 2010 | Bowdoin | 15-2-4 | 6-1-2 | t-1st | NCAA Final Four |
| 2011 | Bowdoin | 4-7-3 | 1-7-2 | 10th | |
| 2012 | Bowdoin | 8-5-2 | 4-4-2 | 5th | |
| 2015 | Massachusetts | 5-13-1 | 4-3-1 | t-4th | |
| 2016 | Massachusetts | 7-9-3 | 4-2-2 | 4th | |
| 2017 | Massachusetts | 15-4-3 | 6-1-1 | 1st | NCAA First Round |
| 2018 | Massachusetts | 7-8-3 | 3-5-0 | 8th | |
| 2019 | Massachusetts | 7-10-0 | 3-5-0 | t-8th | |
| 2020 | Massachusetts | 7-2-3 | 3-1-2 | t-3rd | NCAA Second Round |
| 2021 | Massachusetts | 8-4-5 | 2-2-4 | 8th | |
| 2022 | Massachusetts | 7-4-7 | 2-1-5 | t-7th | |
| 2023 | Massachusetts | 7-6-6 | 4-3-1 | 7th | |
| Totals | 33 Seasons | 304-195-77 (.595) | - | 8 NCAA Tournament Berths 21 Winning Seasons |
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