- Men's Sports
Coaches
Head Coach Nick Roberts
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Office Phone: (937) 484-1291
Nick Roberts, a native of Manchester, England, and a 1994 graduate of Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., was named Urbana University 's new head men's soccer coach on April 24, 2008. Roberts has experience playing and coaching soccer at a multitude of levels.
"Coach Roberts provides a wealth of experiences in recruiting from our area, as well as a lifetime of soccer knowledge," said Urbana University Director of Athletics Doug Young. "He has the type of exuberance for the game and our program that our student-athletes need."
Roberts’ first season as head coach in 2008 was also the program’s first against exclusively NCAA Division II opponents. Roberts guided the Blue Knights to a respectable 6-10-1 finish against the tougher competition. Under Roberts’ leadership, the Blue Knights showed remarkable improvement during that first season. Urbana finished with 3 wins in their final 5 games, and the team’s 6 wins was the most in the program since the 2006 team finished with 11.
"My expectations are that, first; the players will be excellent students and good people. Secondly, they will work diligently in becoming the best players they can on the soccer field, representing the team and Urbana University well," said Roberts. "My goal is to develop the soccer program at Urbana over the next number of years into a collegiate program that will be able to compete on a national level."
In Roberts' second season at Urbana, he stepped up the Blue Knights' competition with one of the toughest schedules in program history. Urbana opened the season with 6 straight road contests before returning home to face 3 straight nationally ranked opponents. After a difficult start against a brutal schedule, the Blue Knights bounced back to win 4 of their final 5 games. The team hung tough and posted a second straight 6-10-1 season under Roberts.
Roberts came to Urbana from Wittenberg University, where he was an assistant coach for the men's soccer program from 2006-2008. During the 2007 season the Tigers were consistently ranked in the top 25 in the nation in NCAA D-III. Roberts also served as an assistant coach at Kenyon College.
From 2002-2006, Roberts was the director of coaching and player development for Santa Rosa United, a 40-team youth soccer club in Santa Rosa, Calif. SRU won two national titles under the direction of Roberts, a feat the organization had never accomplished before. He also served on the Santa Rosa board of directors, and the Sonoma Soccer Complex board of directors, which was the driving force in raising $1.5 million to build a new soccer complex for Santa Rosa United.
Roberts has also coached at the highest level of soccer, serving a four-year appointment as an assistant coach and head scout for The Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer (MLS). During his tenure, The Crew was twice East Coast Conference finalists. They were the finalist of the U.S. Open Cup.
From 1994-1997 Roberts was a player/head coach in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) for Columbus USL Professional team posting a 27-15-2 record. He was named to the USL National All-Star team as a coach in 1996.
He has an extensive playing background as well. He played at the youth and senior levels with Witton Albion FC and Knutsford Town in Manchester, England. In 1989 he was awarded an athletic scholarship to Mercyhurst College, an NCAA D II institution. He was a four-year starter, earning all-conference honors. He played professionally in the United Soccer Leagues with Columbus USL from 1994-1997.
Roberts holds the United States Soccer Federation National 'A' License (2002), The English Football Association Preliminary License (1987) and the National Soccer Coaches of America Premier Coaching License (2009). He graduated from Mercyhurst College with a BA in Business Marketing in 1994.
Coach Roberts resides in Columbus with his wife Kori and sons Sebastian and Zavier.
Assistant Coach David Wall
David Wall joined the Urbana University coaching staff in 2009 after a coaching stint with Wright State University. In his first season as an assistant, Wall helped guide the Blue Knights to a respectable 6-10-1 record. The Derby, England native also has several years experience coaching at the club level. Prior to coaching, Wall played for several teams in the Tonka United Soccer Association, including Mickleover F.C., Leicester United, Limerick City, Burton Albion, and the Minnesota Thunder.
Graduate Assistant Kyle Bertz
Kyle Bertz joined the Blue Knight coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 2009, just one season after finishing his 4-year playing career at Urbana University. Bertz was a 4-year letterman and 2-year captain at Urbana, earning Honorable Mention All-AMC honors twice. He was named Team MVP in 2008, while also making the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Bertz played club soccer for Ohio Elite F.C. in Cincinnati, Ohio, and he played at Lakota West High School. Bertz is originially from West Chester, Ohio. He is the son of Ken and Karen Bertz.
Graduate Assistant Rick Schnipke
Rick Schnipke came to Urbana University from Kalida, Ohio in 2004. During his time as a student-athlete on campus, he was active in Student Government, Student Activities, and Residence Life. In addition, he played four years on the Urbana University men's soccer team, where he was a 3-time Academic All-American. In his final season as a Blue Knight, Rick was named Sportsman of the Year for his hard work and dedication on and off the field. Rick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in May of 2008 and is presently working on his Masters Degree in Business Administration. Currently, Rick also serves as a Graduate Assistant for Residence Life at Urbana University.