NIAGARA UNIV. — Niagara men’s soccer head coach Bill Boyle has announced the hiring of David Hesch as an assistant coach. Hesch brings over a decade of Division I coaching experience to the Purple Eagles’ staff.
“David has a wealth of experience and he makes a great addition to our staff,” Niagara head coach Bill Boyle said. “He is extremely personable, relates to players well, and has helped players at many different stages of development, from the club level all the way to Division I. His knowledge of the Western New York soccer community will also be an asset for our staff.”
Hesch joins Boyle and assistant coach Michael Meyer on the Purple Eagles and will assist the staff with recruiting functions and game-day preparation. Hesch’s ties to the Western New York soccer community run deep as a former coach with high school, club, and college teams throughout the region.
Hesch brings 14 years of experience at the NCAA Division I level to Niagara, including 12 seasons on the coaching staff of the University at Buffalo. Beginning as an assistant at Buffalo in 2001, Hesch was elevated to associate head coach in 2005, and he was named the Bulls’ head coach in August 2011 following the announcement of longtime mentor John Astudillo’s retirement.
With Buffalo, Hesch served as the team’s recruiting coordinator as well as the primary leader in the team’s day-to-day operation. Hesch helped oversee the scouting of opponents, training sessions, and video analysis used by the Bulls in their match preparation.
In his time at Buffalo, Hesch helped the team to over 100 wins in his time as a head coach and associate head coach. The Bulls qualified for the MAC Tournament 10 of those 12 seasons, including two finals appearances against top-seeded Akron. Hesch recruited 31 All-MAC players, 11 NSCAA All-Region players, and 19 MAC All-Academic Team honorees. Hesch assisted in the development of 18 professional players at Buffalo, including goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, a Nichols School graduate and an eight-year veteran of Major League Soccer (MLS) currently with Minnesota United FC.
Prior to Buffalo, Hesch was the head coach of Lake Erie College during the 2000 season where he guided the team to a third-place finish in the National Small College Tournament. Hesch also spent one season as the assistant men’s soccer coach at Cazenovia and has coached the Premier Club Syracuse Blitz to four New York State West Championships.
Hesch is involved in the Western New York soccer scene at numerous levels. Since moving to Buffalo, Hesch has served as the Director of Coaching for Buffalo Blackwatch, a soccer club in WNY where he oversees all player and coach development and progress. In addition, Hesch is the founder and manager of Raise Your Level LLC., a company set up to develop children of all ages into quality soccer players. Hesch guided the Western New York men’s soccer team to consecutive Gold Medals in the Empire State Games with Niagara alumni Matt Stedman, Mark Spooner, Billy Gustafson, and Eric Brodfuehrer highlighting his roster.
As a player, Hesch was the 1998 first overall selection in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) after attending St. Bonaventure and Rowan University. In 1998, he was a member USL Delaware Wizards when they won the Metro Division Championship.
“I am very excited to join the Niagara men’s soccer program,” Hesch said. “This program has a rich tradition of success and I look forward to helping Niagara return to prominence in the MAAC. I would like to extend my thanks to Coach Boyle for this opportunity.”
Hesch is a native of Liverpool, N.Y. and graduated from Liverpool High School. He currently lives in Grand Island with his wife, Kate, and daughters, Natalie and Addison. He holds a USSF “A” Coaching License.
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