Harvard men’s soccer selects Josh Shapiro as new head coach

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Josh Shapiro has been named The Virginia B. and James O. Welch Jr. ’52 Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Soccer, Bob Scalise, The John D. Nichols ’53 Family Director of Athletics, announced.

After a national search, which included input from student-athletes, alumni and campus partners, Shapiro becomes the 16th head coach in program history.

“We are excited to announce the hiring of Josh Shapiro as our new head coach of men’s soccer,” Scalise said. “Josh has been tremendously successful at very strong academic institutions where his teams and players have competed at the highest levels of collegiate soccer.  He will be an outstanding leader for our student-athletes and program.”

Shapiro most recently served as head coach of the Tufts men’s soccer program for 10 seasons, leading the team to four DIII National Championships (2014, 2016, 2018, 2019).

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to become the next head coach of the Harvard men’s soccer program,” said Shapiro. “I feel the position represents a wonderful, new challenge and I look forward to leading the student-athletes of Harvard soccer moving forward on the field, in the classroom and in the community.  I want to thank the members of the search committee, Erin West, Chris Hamblin, Duane Reeves and Athletic Director Bob Scalise, for giving me the opportunity to lead the program into the future.”

In addition to four national titles, Shapiro led Tufts to seven NCAA tournaments and two NESCAC Tournament crowns. Shapiro and his assistants were named the Division III Coaching Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches in 2016, 2018 and 2019 and Shapiro won the individual United Soccer Coaches’ Division III Coach of the Year award in 2014. He is also a two-time D3soccer.com National Coach of the Year (2014, 2018) and three-time NESCAC Coach of the Year (2014, 2017, 2019). Tufts completed the 2019 season with a 20-2-2 overall record, the most single-season wins in program history, and Shapiro posted a 126-37-28 (.733) career record, making him the winningest coach in program history.

“I want to thank John Morris and Bill Gehling and the other members of the Tufts Athletics community for their contributions during the past 10 seasons,” added Shapiro. “Most importantly, I want to thank the student-athletes, their families and the alumni of Tufts Soccer, who put their hearts into building the program with me. It was a terrific journey and I will always be grateful for their support.”

In addition to developing his players on the field, Shapiro has guided them to contribute in the classroom and in the community. In the last three years, Tufts has placed four athletes on the United Soccer Coaches’ Scholar All-America First Team. The Tufts team has also held annual free clinics for youth players, participated in games supporting Grassroot Soccer and worked with Team IMPACT.

Prior to his time at Tufts, Shapiro served as an assistant coach at Georgetown from 2006-09 and helped build the foundation for its current national success. He also had coaching stints at American University, George Mason University and Lafayette from 2003 through 2005. During his time at American, the team won the 2005 Patriot League regular season championship, and at Lafayette, the program won the 2003 Patriot League championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Shapiro graduated from Middlebury College in 1997, where he was a four-year member of the men’s soccer program and served as captain during his senior season. He played on three NCAA Tournament teams, including two that advanced to the round of 16.

Originally from Leonia, N.J., Shapiro now resides in Winchester, Mass. with his wife Amy and three children, Ben, Sophie and Evan.