Athletics > Men's Soccer > Coach
Wheaton Ranked Seventh in NSCAA New England Poll
Meet the Coach
Matt Cushing
Head Coach
Entering his 16th season at the helm of the Wheaton men's soccer program, head coach Matt Cushing has compiled one of the highest winning percentages among active NCAA Division III coaches in the country at .755 (224-63-29).
Under Cushing's leadership, Wheaton has qualified for postseason play in all 15 of his seasons, including an NCAA Tournament national semifinal finish in 2003, a national quarterfinal placement in 2001 and an additional six NCAA bids. The Lyons also captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) title in 1998 and New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championships seven times.
Cushing was named regional coach of the year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 2001, and coach of the year by the Eastern Massachusetts Soccer Coaches Association (EMSCA) in 2000, NEWMAC in 1998 and 2001, and New England Intercollegiate Soccer League (NEISL) in 1997 and 2001. He is the coaching director at the Crusaders United Soccer Club in Plymouth and has also coached the U17 Olympic Development team in Massachusetts.
A scout for the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer (MLS), Cushing has groomed five professional players at Wheaton. James Greenslit '06 played for the reserve squad of the MLS's New England Revolution and in the United Soccer Leagues (USL), and Dan Antoniuk '03 is with the Charleston Battery of the USL First Division. Oscar Medina '97 and Jim Manganello '99 spent time with the Cape Cod Crusaders of the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL), while Jeremy Long '99 played for the A-League's Boston Bulldogs. Cushing's players have also earned 10 All-America honors, 33 All-New England selections and seven NEWMAC Player-of-the-Year accolades.
In addition to coaching, Cushing is the national chair for the NSCAA Division III rankings committee. He has served as the regional chair of the rankings committee and as the vice president of the NEISL, an organization that recognized him with the NEISL Service Award in 2002. Cushing also handled regional chair duties for the Division III ratings board for three years while serving on the NCAA Tournament selection committee for four years.
In 1994, Cushing earned a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) national "B" license. He received a national diploma from the NSCAA in 1992, followed by an advanced national diploma in 1993.
Prior to coming to Wheaton, Cushing was the assistant coach at Division I power Rutgers University, which advanced to the 1993 NCAA Tournament after capturing the Atlantic 10 Conference title. He also spent the previous two years on the coaching staff at Lafayette College.
A 1988 University of Massachusetts-Amherst graduate with a bachelor's degree in sport management, Cushing was a captain on the 1986 and 1987 Minutemen teams.
This former Parade Magazine high school All-America honoree and 2008 Duxbury (Mass.) High School Hall of Fame inductee led his team to four consecutive state championships.
The Cushing File
| Year | Overall | League | Highlight(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 14-4-3 | n/a | ECAC Tournament |
| 1995 | 13-4-2 | n/a | ECAC Tournament |
| 1996 | 15-3-3 | n/a | ECAC Tournament |
| 1997 | 14-4-1 | n/a | NCAA Tournament |
| 1998 | 18-4-1 | 5-0-1 | ECAC Champs, NEWMAC Champs |
| 1999 | 12-6-1 | 4-2-0 | ECAC Tournament |
| 2000 | 17-3-1 | 4-2-0 | NCAA Tournament, NEWMAC Champs |
| 2001 | 21-2-0 | 6-0-0 | NCAA Tournament, NEWMAC Champs |
| 2002 | 15-5-0 | 5-1-0 | NEWMAC Tournament |
| 2003 | 19-3-2 | 5-1-0 | NCAA Tournament, NEWMAC Champs |
| 2004 | 17-4-2 | 5-1-0 | NCAA Tournament |
| 2005 | 13-5-2 | 5-0-1 | NCAA Tournament, NEWMAC Champs |
| 2006 | 12-5-4 | 5-1-0 | NCAA Tournament, NEWMAC Champs |
| 2007 | 14-6-3 | 4-1-1 | NCAA Tournament, NEWMAC Champs |
| 2008 | 10-5-4 | 1-3-2 | NEWMAC Tournament |
| Totals | 224-63-29 | 49-12-5 | 15 Seasons |
James Greenslit
Assistant Coach
James Greenslit '06, the only three-time All-American in Wheaton College men's soccer history, returns to the program for his first season as an assistant coach this fall. He served as an assistant the past two years at Division I Northeastern University.
During Greenslit's tenure at Northeastern, the former standout defender's Huskies posted 16 shutouts. In 2008, Northeastern advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament final, as the squad yielded one goal during its three-game postseason run. He has also coached with the F.C. Greater Boston Bolts the last two years, beginning in 2008 with a U11 team that now competes in a U12 division.
Following his Wheaton career, Greenslit played for the New England Revolution's reserve squad in 2006 before suiting up for the New Hampshire Phantoms and the Western Mass. Pioneers of the United Soccer Leagues' (USL) Second Division in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
As a standout back, Greenslit earned All-America honors each year from 2003-05, also landing on all-region and New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference first teams every year during that stretch. As a junior and senior, he was named NEWMAC Player of the Year and served as a captain during his senior year.
The Lyons were 64-17-6 during Greenslit's four years, including 20-3-1 in league action, as he helped the team win three regular season conference crowns and a pair of NEWMAC Tournament titles. Wheaton qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times with Greenslit on the team, advancing to the Final Four in 2003 and the Sweet 16 in 2004. With Greenslit anchoring the backfield, the Lyons yielded one goal or fewer 68 times in 87 contests during his career, posting 38 shutouts and a 0.90 goals against average.
Greenslit, who earned the Wheaton Department of Athletics' Outstanding Male Athlete Award each of his final three years, also played three years of basketball, leading the Lyons to Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament titles as a junior and senior. He graduated with a degree in economics in May 2006.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 11/10/09.
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