Tommies hire Hamline coach
| Jon Lowery was 16-34-3 in his three seasons at Hamline. |
St. Thomas has hired Jon Lowery as its new head coach of
men’s soccer.
Lowery brings an excellent soccer resume as a player and coach,
including the last three seasons as head men’s coach at
nearby Hamline, and six years as a Division I assistant.
“Jon Lowery is an impressive individual and has a strong
resume in the sport of soccer,” said St. Thomas athletics
director Steve Fritz. “His Twin Cities roots and experience
in coaching and recruiting while at Hamline will be a nice plus
during his transition.”
An Apple Valley, Minn., native, Lowery was named the 1994 Gatorade
Minnesota High School Player of the Year. He playing collegiately
at Ohio State and was twice named first-team All-Big Ten. He later
enjoyed a four-year professional playing career in both the United
Soccer League and Major League Soccer.
Lowery began his coaching career as an assistant coach at
UMass-Amherst for two seasons before returning to his alma mater in
2005 and 2006 as an assistant to help the Buckeyes reach the Big
Ten Championship match and NCAA Tournament. In 2007, Lowery moved
on to Division I powerhouse Wake Forest as an assistant coach and
was a part one of the most successful soccer programs in collegiate
history. Wake Forest had a record of 43-4-3; spent two seasons as
the nation’s top-ranked team; produced nine major league
soccer draft picks; and won the institution’s first NCAA
national championship, in 2007, with a 2-1 win over Ohio State.
In 2009, Lowery moved back to Minnesota and worked to build the
Hamline soccer program as the head coach for the past three
seasons.
Lowery also currently works within the United States Soccer
Federation's Development Academy as the director of the Minnesota
Thunder (MTA) Development Academy and is head coach for the
U17/18's.
"I feel very fortunate and excited to be joining the University of
St. Thomas as the head men's soccer coach,” Lowery said.
“I want to thank the search committee, athletic director
Steve Fritz and vice president Jane Canney for the opportunity to
lead the program into a new era. It's with bold ambition and
appreciation to the wonderful mentors and players I have worked
with to prepare me for this opportunity.
"The values driving this great university will also guide our
soccer program, enriching each member’s experience as we
provide a challenging and rewarding environment focused on success
both on and off the field."
Lowery replaces Aaron Macke, who retired after 10
seasons to spend more time with his family and his full-time role
as St. Thomas’ director of residence life. Macke guided the
Tommies to a 102-57-21 record (53-31-16 in conference
regular-season play), with MIAC playoff berths in 2007, 2008 and
2009.
