MIAMI – Following American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2022, FIU head men's soccer coach Kyle Russell has signed a contract extension that will have him leading the Panthers through the 2027 season, FIU athletics director Scott Carr announced on Tuesday.
 
"I couldn't be more excited to have Kyle continue to lead our men's soccer program!" Carr said. "Through his coaching and his character, Kyle has built one of the best men's soccer programs in the country here at FIU. He has set a high standard and we look forward to watching him and our Panthers continue to compete at the highest level."
 
Over the last two seasons, Russell has led the Panthers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, a regular season conference championship, a conference tournament championship, a win over the top-ranked team in the nation, a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16, and a record of 26-9-3.
 
"I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to continue leading the men's soccer program here at FIU," Russell said. "It has been an absolute pleasure to serve this university and community.  Many hands have contributed behind the scenes to help bring our program this recent success. I am very thankful to God for bringing me here and for the leadership and support of President Jessell, Director of Athletics Scott Carr, our entire administration, & our support staff. The support of my wife and family has been instrumental along the way and it has been a huge blessing working alongside our coaching staff and these ambitious young men. I am very excited about the future! Paws Up!"
 
Russell's squad has garnered eight wins over top-25 opponents in the last two years and was ranked as high as 12^th in the nation in 2021 and as high as ninth in the nation in 2022. He and his staff were named American Athletic Conference Coaching Staff of the Year in 2022 following FIU's first season in the league.
 
Under Russell's supervision, the Panthers have also excelled in the classroom, putting up an overall average team GPA of 3.41 for the fall semester.
 
This past December, Panther star Stephen Afrifa was selected eighth overall in the Major League Soccer Super Draft by Sporting Kansas City. It marked the second highest draft pick in FIU program history.
 
Russell and the Panthers are training this spring to prepare to defend their American Athletic Conference title and make another run in the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
 
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