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University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Soccer
Mitchell, Sam
Sam Mitchell
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- sjpmitchell@umass.edu
Sam Mitchell joined the Massachusetts women's soccer program in 2018, and finished his seventh season as an assistant coach in 2024.
In just seven years with the program, Mitchell has helped lead UMass to 65 victories, hosted an Atlantic 10 quarterfinal match for the first time since 2011, reached the conference semifinal in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000 and appeared in two A-10 Finals (2021; 2024).
In addition, 13 Minutewomen have earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference selections in Dowiak’s time, 10 All-Rookie Team nods, the program’s first- and second-ever A-10 Midfielder of the Year award winner (Jenny Hipp in 2018; Bella Recinos in 2023), including the program's first ever back-to-back winner of the accolade in Recinos (2023-24) and UMass’ first A-10 Offensive Player of the Year since 1999 and first A-10 Rookie of the Year since 1996 (Melissa Kössler in 2019).
The 2024 season saw the Minutewomen achieve the most wins since the 2011 season (14) after finishing the year with a 13-5-3 overall record. After earning a 6-2-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference, UMass was seeded No. 3 in the A-10 Championships, hosting the quarterfinals round for the second consecutive year and 21st appearance in the A-10 Tournament. The Minutewomen defeated No. 6 Loyola Chicago to advance to the A-10 Semifinals, reaching for the first time since the 2021 season. A late goal by Emma Pedolzky aided Massachusetts to the A-10 Championship Finals with the last time being in 2021, when the Minutewomen were also A-10 Runner-Ups. Massachusetts also finished the 2024 regular season ranked No. 42 in the RPI rankings.
Additionally, senior Bella Recinos tabbed as the A-10 Midfielder of the Year honor for the second straight year, becoming the first Minutewomen in program history achieve the feat in back-to-back years, while also becoming the first A-10 player to collect the award in consecutive seasons since Dayton's Nicole Waters (2014-15). In Mithcell's time with the program, it marked the third time a player acheived the accolade. He helped coach the 11th, 12th and 13th Minutewomen in Recinos (First Team), graduate student Ella Curry (Third Team) and senior Ashley Lamond (Third Team) to A-10 All-Conference honors. Recinos and Curry landed on the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First and Third Team, respectively, while six members of the program tabbed spots on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
In 2023, UMass held a 9-5-4 overall record, including a 6-2-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Seeded No. 4 in the A-10 Championships, the Minutewomen hosted the quarterfinals round, marking the second time with Mitchell on staff. UMass completed its regular season home slate with an undefeated 6-0-1 record. The Minutewomen's undefeated home record marked the first time for the program since the 1993 season, when the team went 8-0-2. It also marked the first time in program history UMass went undefeated at Rudd Field since its opening in 2002.
Additionally, junior Bella Recinos garnered A-10 Midfielder of the Year, marking the second Minutewomen in Mitchell's time to achieve the accolade. Mitchell helped coach the ninth and 10th Minutewomen in Recinos and graduate student Fiona Kane to A-10 All-Conference First Team nods on the year.
UMass completed the 2022 season 5-9-5 overall and 4-4-2 in the conference play, reaching the Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals. Graduate Student Lauren Bonavita tabbed Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team and All-ECAC Second Team honors, while earning an invite to the 2022 NEWISA Division I Senior Bowl. Nia Hislop was selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, as Ella Curry landed on the Atlantic All-Academic Team to cap off the year.
In the 2021 season, UMass held an 11-6-4 overall record, including a 5-3-2 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference, marking the first time since 1997 the program finished above .500 in four consecutive seasons. The Minutewomen finished fourth in the A-10, and were the A-10 Tournament Runner-Ups, while Ava Jouvenel, Fiona Kane, Ashley Lamond and Bella Recinos were tabbed to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team. Kane and Lamond also earned placement on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team, and Lamond and Chandler Pedolzky garnered Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors. The season marked the first time since 2000 that the Minutewomen reached the A-10 semifinals in three straight years.
During a COVID-19 shortened season in 2020-21, the Minutewomen went 6-5-1 overall and 5-2-1 in conference, marking the first time since 2001 that UMass has finished above .500 in three consecutive seasons. Paced by the play of Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team selection Jenny Hipp and Second Team honoree and co-captain Dani Sclafani, Massachusetts secured a spot in the conference semifinals for the second straight season, marking the first time since 2000 that UMass has reached the A-10 semifinals in back-to-back seasons. Massachusetts finished the year 50th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.72) and 44th in shutout percentage (.500) backed by the goalkeeping tandem of Bella Mendoza and Alyssa Chase.
The Minutewomen took major strides in 2019 with a 10-6-3 record, marking the first time since 2000 and 2001 that the Minutewomen recorded double-digit wins in consecutive seasons. Jason Dowiak was also the first UMass head coach since Jim Rudy in 1998 and 1999 to win at least 10 games in each of his first two seasons.
Paced by Melissa Kössler, who became the sixth Minutewoman in team history to be named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year (first since 1999) as well as UMass' third A-10 Rookie of the Year selection in program history (first since 1996), the Minutewomen entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament thanks to a 6-3-1 mark in league play, its best finish since 2000.Kössler was also one of two UMass rookies to be named among the nation’s top 100 freshmen, according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
In Mitchell’s first season at UMass in 2018, the Minutewomen went 11-6-1 to record their most wins since 2011, sparked by a 6-1-1 mark on the road in its best performance away from home since 2006. Massachusetts also had an eight-game winning streak midway through the year, the longest for the program since 1997.
Mitchell joined the Minutewomen following a two-year stint at the University of Central Florida as a volunteer assistant coach. He also served as the Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) Girls Director for its Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) program.
Prior to joining the Knights and OCYS, Mitchell served as the Rollins College women's soccer program's first assistant, helping to guide the Tars to their first Division II National Championship Final in program history and a No. 2 ranking in the NCAA national standings.
In 2012 Mitchell coached in youth development with VSI West Florida Flames Boy's NPL teams and the Girls ECNL program, where he guided the ECNL U-17 team through to the National Finals. ECNL is the nation's top league for young women, ages 14-18. During this time he continued his coaching education gaining the USSF B coaching license as well as receiving a Distinction in his NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.
During his time at VSI, he was also named Head Coach of VSI Tampa Bay FC Super 20's team as well as Assistant coach for the PDL and Professional team from 2012-2013. He led the Super 20's and the U17 ECNL Girls team to National finals in 2012.
Mitchell graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Kent Canterbury in England before playing five seasons of semi-professional soccer in England for London Colney FC & Tring Athletic.
last updated: December 2024
In just seven years with the program, Mitchell has helped lead UMass to 65 victories, hosted an Atlantic 10 quarterfinal match for the first time since 2011, reached the conference semifinal in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000 and appeared in two A-10 Finals (2021; 2024).
In addition, 13 Minutewomen have earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference selections in Dowiak’s time, 10 All-Rookie Team nods, the program’s first- and second-ever A-10 Midfielder of the Year award winner (Jenny Hipp in 2018; Bella Recinos in 2023), including the program's first ever back-to-back winner of the accolade in Recinos (2023-24) and UMass’ first A-10 Offensive Player of the Year since 1999 and first A-10 Rookie of the Year since 1996 (Melissa Kössler in 2019).
The 2024 season saw the Minutewomen achieve the most wins since the 2011 season (14) after finishing the year with a 13-5-3 overall record. After earning a 6-2-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference, UMass was seeded No. 3 in the A-10 Championships, hosting the quarterfinals round for the second consecutive year and 21st appearance in the A-10 Tournament. The Minutewomen defeated No. 6 Loyola Chicago to advance to the A-10 Semifinals, reaching for the first time since the 2021 season. A late goal by Emma Pedolzky aided Massachusetts to the A-10 Championship Finals with the last time being in 2021, when the Minutewomen were also A-10 Runner-Ups. Massachusetts also finished the 2024 regular season ranked No. 42 in the RPI rankings.
Additionally, senior Bella Recinos tabbed as the A-10 Midfielder of the Year honor for the second straight year, becoming the first Minutewomen in program history achieve the feat in back-to-back years, while also becoming the first A-10 player to collect the award in consecutive seasons since Dayton's Nicole Waters (2014-15). In Mithcell's time with the program, it marked the third time a player acheived the accolade. He helped coach the 11th, 12th and 13th Minutewomen in Recinos (First Team), graduate student Ella Curry (Third Team) and senior Ashley Lamond (Third Team) to A-10 All-Conference honors. Recinos and Curry landed on the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First and Third Team, respectively, while six members of the program tabbed spots on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
In 2023, UMass held a 9-5-4 overall record, including a 6-2-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Seeded No. 4 in the A-10 Championships, the Minutewomen hosted the quarterfinals round, marking the second time with Mitchell on staff. UMass completed its regular season home slate with an undefeated 6-0-1 record. The Minutewomen's undefeated home record marked the first time for the program since the 1993 season, when the team went 8-0-2. It also marked the first time in program history UMass went undefeated at Rudd Field since its opening in 2002.
Additionally, junior Bella Recinos garnered A-10 Midfielder of the Year, marking the second Minutewomen in Mitchell's time to achieve the accolade. Mitchell helped coach the ninth and 10th Minutewomen in Recinos and graduate student Fiona Kane to A-10 All-Conference First Team nods on the year.
UMass completed the 2022 season 5-9-5 overall and 4-4-2 in the conference play, reaching the Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals. Graduate Student Lauren Bonavita tabbed Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team and All-ECAC Second Team honors, while earning an invite to the 2022 NEWISA Division I Senior Bowl. Nia Hislop was selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, as Ella Curry landed on the Atlantic All-Academic Team to cap off the year.
In the 2021 season, UMass held an 11-6-4 overall record, including a 5-3-2 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference, marking the first time since 1997 the program finished above .500 in four consecutive seasons. The Minutewomen finished fourth in the A-10, and were the A-10 Tournament Runner-Ups, while Ava Jouvenel, Fiona Kane, Ashley Lamond and Bella Recinos were tabbed to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team. Kane and Lamond also earned placement on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team, and Lamond and Chandler Pedolzky garnered Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors. The season marked the first time since 2000 that the Minutewomen reached the A-10 semifinals in three straight years.
During a COVID-19 shortened season in 2020-21, the Minutewomen went 6-5-1 overall and 5-2-1 in conference, marking the first time since 2001 that UMass has finished above .500 in three consecutive seasons. Paced by the play of Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team selection Jenny Hipp and Second Team honoree and co-captain Dani Sclafani, Massachusetts secured a spot in the conference semifinals for the second straight season, marking the first time since 2000 that UMass has reached the A-10 semifinals in back-to-back seasons. Massachusetts finished the year 50th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.72) and 44th in shutout percentage (.500) backed by the goalkeeping tandem of Bella Mendoza and Alyssa Chase.
The Minutewomen took major strides in 2019 with a 10-6-3 record, marking the first time since 2000 and 2001 that the Minutewomen recorded double-digit wins in consecutive seasons. Jason Dowiak was also the first UMass head coach since Jim Rudy in 1998 and 1999 to win at least 10 games in each of his first two seasons.
Paced by Melissa Kössler, who became the sixth Minutewoman in team history to be named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year (first since 1999) as well as UMass' third A-10 Rookie of the Year selection in program history (first since 1996), the Minutewomen entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament thanks to a 6-3-1 mark in league play, its best finish since 2000.Kössler was also one of two UMass rookies to be named among the nation’s top 100 freshmen, according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
In Mitchell’s first season at UMass in 2018, the Minutewomen went 11-6-1 to record their most wins since 2011, sparked by a 6-1-1 mark on the road in its best performance away from home since 2006. Massachusetts also had an eight-game winning streak midway through the year, the longest for the program since 1997.
Mitchell joined the Minutewomen following a two-year stint at the University of Central Florida as a volunteer assistant coach. He also served as the Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) Girls Director for its Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) program.
Prior to joining the Knights and OCYS, Mitchell served as the Rollins College women's soccer program's first assistant, helping to guide the Tars to their first Division II National Championship Final in program history and a No. 2 ranking in the NCAA national standings.
In 2012 Mitchell coached in youth development with VSI West Florida Flames Boy's NPL teams and the Girls ECNL program, where he guided the ECNL U-17 team through to the National Finals. ECNL is the nation's top league for young women, ages 14-18. During this time he continued his coaching education gaining the USSF B coaching license as well as receiving a Distinction in his NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.
During his time at VSI, he was also named Head Coach of VSI Tampa Bay FC Super 20's team as well as Assistant coach for the PDL and Professional team from 2012-2013. He led the Super 20's and the U17 ECNL Girls team to National finals in 2012.
Mitchell graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Kent Canterbury in England before playing five seasons of semi-professional soccer in England for London Colney FC & Tring Athletic.
last updated: December 2024
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