NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Men's Soccer Head Coach Adam Pfeifer is stepping down and retiring from college coaching. He has been named the new Athletic Director at Kimball Union Academy and will continue to coach the Vermont Green Football Club based in Burlington.  Staige Davis, the top assistant the last two years, has been named the Interim Head Coach.
 
"I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to coach and work with the men's soccer team for the past seven years.  I want to thank all the families that have supported our program through the years.  Thank you especially to former Director of Athletics Tony Mariano, Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury, and President Anarumo for their belief, trust, support, and mentorship.  Most importantly, I want to thank all the men's soccer student-athletes for their sacrifice and hard work as we chased success together," said Coach Pfeifer.
 
"We of course are sad to see Adam go, and I want to sincerely thank him for all he has done here at Norwich. He has not only been a great coach in terms of the competitive success of his teams, but he has been an outstanding mentor and role model to many student-athletes, along with being a valued colleague and member of the campus community.  While we hate to see him leave us, this is an exciting opportunity for Adam, and a great move for him and his family.  We wish him all the best," said Norwich University Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury.
 
Coach Pfeifer leaves Norwich with an impressive 73-21-18 record over seven years, including twice tying the school record for 14 wins in a season.  His tenure also included a 26-game conference unbeaten streak in the regular season.  The Cadets made three appearances in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship game under Coach Pfeifer.  There were numerous post-season accolades including 45 All-Conference players, 9 All-Region players, 6 various GNAC Player of the Year award winners, and 1 All-American.
 
"Coach Staige Davis, the top assistant for Coach Pfeifer and a former two-time Norwich soccer captain, will assume the interim Head Coach role, and will lead the Men's Soccer program through the season," announced Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury.  "It was important to us, given the timing of the coaching change and the level of success we have had as a program, to provide as much stability as possible for our current and incoming players, and to stay consistent.  Coach Davis is best suited to continue the current direction of the program. He is a passionate, talented and knowledgeable coach who loves Norwich University and cares deeply about our soccer program. He has already built relationships with our current players, and has been in communication with our recruits. I am confident Staige will do an outstanding job during this transition, and that our team will continue to excel on and off the field."
 
During the last two seasons, Coach Davis has been a key component in the development of several players and the success of the team.  This past season saw Joey Thongsythavong (Salem, Mass.) be named GNAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year while also becoming the first Cadet to earn All-American honors from the United Soccer Coaches.  Kam Jorgenson (Titusville, Fla.) was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 as well.  In 2021, Mamadi Jiana (Chicopee, Mass.) was the GNAC Rookie of the Year.  The past two seasons have seen six Cadets named All-Region with Thongsythavong and Amerle Nemeye (Burlington, Vt.) making the list twice while being joined by 2022 honorees Jorgenson and Jiana.  The Cadets have posted a combined 25-6-4 record, an overall 71.4% winning percentage.  In GNAC play, the Cadets have been even better with a two-year record of 20-3 for an 86.9% winning percentage.
 
"First, I would like to thank President Anarumo, Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury, and Coach Pfeifer for this opportunity," said Coach Davis. "Congratulations to Adam on his new role and I know he will be equally successful at Kimball Union Academy. I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the Norwich Men's Soccer program.  As both a Norwich soccer alum and coach, I have been fortunate to help Coach Pfeifer grow the program in a variety of ways, and I look forward to helping continue our success in this new role.  I can't wait till all the players report this August and we are able to get on the pitch again."