Photo courtesy of Will Costello, Middlebury College Athletic Communications

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Norwich University Director of Athletics, Ed Hockenbury, announced on Thursday the hiring of Robert Emmett as the new head men's soccer coach.

Emmett becomes the 12^th head coach in program history, taking the helm from interim head coach Staige Davis, who filled the role over the 2023 season after the departure of seven-year head coach Adam Pfeifer last summer.

Emmett comes to Northfield after serving as the lead assistant and recruiting coordinator at Middlebury College for the past three seasons.  Prior to that, he spent three years at Div. I Binghamton University, with previous stops at Lake Erie College and SUNY Cortland, his alma mater.

"I would like to thank Ed Hockenbury, the hiring committee, and the players for this opportunity," Emmett said.  "I have strived to become a head coach throughout my career and couldn't be more excited to start this chapter at a place so rich with tradition and history.  I am eager to take the reins and continue the storied success of the Norwich men's soccer program."

Emmett helped guide Middlebury to a 38-10-10 record over three seasons.  He helped instruct 11 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference selections during his tenure, including Ryan Grady, the reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year.

In 2023, the Panthers qualified for their third-straight NCAA Tournament with Emmett on the sidelines, advancing to their second NCAA Elite Eight in three seasons.  Middlebury finished the season ranked fifth in the final United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, finishing with a 15-2-4 overall record and an unbeaten 7-0-3 mark in NESCAC play.  The Panthers boasted the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year.

"We have a proud tradition of success in men's soccer at Norwich, and we are very pleased to have Rob Emmett take over the leadership of our program," Hockenbury said.  "From a deep and talented candidate pool, Rob emerged as the ideal choice as our next head coach due to his combination of coaching and recruiting experience, his education-centered philosophy, and his strong reputation as a person of the highest character and integrity."

A goalkeeper in college at SUNY Cortland, Emmett has specialized in the daily training of the Panthers' defense in net.  His tutelage helped Middlebury maintain the second-best top goals against average mark (0.411) in Div. III soccer in 2021, with Grady earning D3soccer.com Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-American nods.  The Panthers surrendered just nine goals that year, tied for the top spot in Div. III.

At Binghamton, Emmett tutored six America East All-Conference and All-Rookie recipients, including the Rookie of the Year in 2017.  He has over a decade of camps and club coaching experience, holding positions with BC United, the University of Akron, and OnePlus Soccer Academy.  He most recently joined the Far Post Soccer Club in February.

Emmett takes over a Norwich program that made a run to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship game this past fall, upsetting top-seeded Saint Joseph's College, 1-0, on the road in the semifinals.  Davis guided Norwich to a 9-3-7 record in his interim stint, after serving as Pfeifer's assistant for two seasons.

"Rob is determined to help lead us to a GNAC Championship, and to recruit quality young men to our program," Hockenbury said.  "He has the utmost respect for the storied military history of our university, and for what we stand for.  Under Rob's leadership, I am confident Norwich men's soccer has a bright future."

The Cadets have advanced to the GNAC semifinals in 18 of the last 19 seasons, winning it all in 2008.  Last year saw Kam Jorgenson (Titusville, Fla.), Cullen Swett (Williston, Vt.), and Hunter Lortie (Manchester, N.H.) earn All-Conference First Team, Second Team, and Third Team honors, respectively, while Diego Fuentes (Valencia, Spain) landed on the All-Rookie Team.