Head Coach Nick Roberts

Nick Roberts, a native of Manchester, England, and a 1994 graduate of Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., was named Urbana University ’s new head men’s soccer coach on April 24, 2008. He has experience playing and coaching soccer at a multitude of levels.

" I am very happy to become the new men's coach at Urbana. I know the area and the school well and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead,” said Roberts. "It's been a fairly quick appointment and thanks to Doug Young and the University I have managed to meet the players and lay the ground work for my expectations to prepare the players for preseason training camp in August."

“Coach Roberts provides a wealth of experiences in recruiting from our area, as well as a lifetime of soccer knowledge,” said Urbana University Director of Athletics Doug Young. “He has the type of exuberance for the game and our program that our athletes need.”

Roberts came to Urbana from Wittenberg University, where he was an assistant coach for the men’s soccer program for two seasons, from 2006-2008. During the 2007 season the Tigers were consistently ranked in the top 25 in the nation in NCAA D III. Roberts has also served as an assistant coach at Kenyon College.

"My expectations are that, first; the players will be excellent students and good people. Secondly, they will work diligently in becoming the best players they can on the soccer field, representing the team and Urbana University well,” said Roberts. “My goal is to develop the soccer program at Urbana over the next number of years into a collegiate program that will be able to compete on a national level."

From 2002-2006, Roberts was the director of coaching and player development for Santa Rosa United, a 40-team youth soccer club in Santa Rosa, Calif. SRU won two national titles under the direction of Roberts, a feat the organization had never accomplished before. He also served on the Santa Rosa board of directors, and the Sonoma Soccer Complex board of directors, which was the driving force in raising $1.5 million to build a new soccer complex for Santa Rosa United.

Roberts has also coached at the highest level of soccer, serving a four-year appointment as an assistant coach and head scout for The Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer (MLS). During his tenure, The Crew was twice East Coast Conference finalists. They were the finalist of the U.S. Open Cup.

From 1994-1997 Roberts was a player/head coach in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) for Columbus USL Professional team posting a 27-15-2 record. He was named to the USL National All-Star team as a coach in 1996.

He has an extensive playing background as well. He played at the youth and senior levels with Witton Albion FC and Knutsford Town in Manchester, England. In 1989 he was awarded an athletic scholarship to Mercyhurst College, an NCAA D II institution. He was a four-year starter, earning all-conference honors. He played professionally in the United Soccer Leagues with Columbus USL from 1994-1997.

Roberts holds the United States Soccer Federation National ‘A’ Coaching License and The English Football Association Preliminary Coaching License. He graduated from Mercyhurst College with a B.A. in business marketing in 1994.

Coach Roberts resides in Columbus with his wife Kori and son Sebastian.