GUELPH, Ont. – The University of Guelph Department of Athletics has named Alan Koch head coach of the Guelph Gryphons men's soccer program. Koch, a native of Durban, South Africa, arrives at the University of Guelph with an extensive coaching background at both the professional and collegiate levels, including having previously held a head coaching position in Major League Soccer (MLS) with FC Cincinnati.
Koch takes over the Gryphons men's soccer program from long-time head coach,
Keith Mason, who announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
"I am incredibly excited to join the Gryphons men's soccer team and build on prior successes," says Koch, who has made a lasting impact at each of his previous nine coaching tenures, with his managerial career dating back to 2003. Included in his list of previous stops was a stint as head coach of Whitecaps FC 2, where he coached a young Alphonso Davies, including giving him his first-ever minutes as a professional in April of 2016 when Davies made his pro debut against Portland Timbers 2. "Helping players develop and enhancing team performances are what I enjoy most about coaching," adds Koch. "I look forward to collaborating with the athletics department to give our players the best possible student-athlete experience. It's been a while since I worked with Canadian university players and I am excited to have an impact in a segment of the Canadian soccer landscape that means a lot to me personally. We will put plans in place to help our student-athletes maximize their abilities."
Koch currently works in New Zealand, where he oversees the Olé Football Academy and Western Suburbs Football Club. Despite the international resumé, Koch has roots in Canada, having spent nearly two decades in Canada. As a student-athlete, Koch attended post-secondary school in British Columbia at Simon Fraser University.
He would later return to his alma mater to spend seven successful seasons as head coach of the SFU men's soccer program, where he twice led SFU to Final Four appearances in the NCAA Division II national championship tournament, while boasting a win-loss-draw record of 126-21-7 during his tenure at Simon Fraser.
"We are very excited to welcome Alan and his wife, Amy, to the Gryphon family," says
Skye Angus, intercollegiate manager at the University of Guelph's Department of Athletics. "We feel fortunate that we have been able to attract a coach with his pedigree who has experience and success at all levels of soccer. Our student-athletes will be positively impacted by his experience and knowledge. But more important than what he will bring on the soccer pitch are his personal values that align with what it means to be a Gryphon."
In February of 2017, Koch was named head coach of FC Cincinnati, who were then in the United Soccer League. During his first year in charge, Koch helped guide FC Cincinnati to the semifinal round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, including earning victories over MLS sides Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire. In 2018, Koch was named USL Coach of the Year and remained with the club in 2019 when they moved up to Major League Soccer, serving as head coach of FC Cincinnati for the first 11 matches of the 2019 MLS season.
Koch now joins a Gryphons men's soccer program that has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, with the Gryphons establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the conference each year. The Gryphons have yet to win a national title, but have claimed three OUA titles in program history, two of which have come within the last 10 years (2021, 2016 & 1990). This past season, the Gryphons reached the OUA quarterfinal stage where they fell in penalties to the York Lions. Koch's first season in charge of the Gryphons will officially kick off in late August of 2025, with the 2025 schedule yet to be announced by the OUA.
Alan Koch Coaching Career
| 2025-present |
Guelph Gryphons Men's Soccer (OUA / U SPORTS) |
| 2023-present |
Western Suburbs Football Club (New Zealand Central League) |
| 2020-22 |
FC Edmonton (Canadian Premier League) |
| 2019-20 |
Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL Championship) |
| 2017-19 |
FC Cincinnati (USL / Major League Soccer) |
| 2015-16 |
Whitecaps FC 2 (reserve team – Vancouver Whitecaps, MLS) |
| 2009 |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Women) |
| 2008-15 |
Simon Fraser University (NCAA Division II) |
| 2006-08 |
Baker Wildcats (NAIA) |
| 2003-05 |
Midwestern State Mustangs – assistant (NCAA Division II) |
