John O'Connor enters his sixth season as the head men's soccer coach at Rhode Island in 2011-12.  In four seasons with the Rams, O'Connor has compiled a 38-30-13 record while coaching four MLS draft picks, three adidas/MLS Player Combine invitees, an All-American, eight NSCAA All-Region selections, two A-10 Players of the Year, 15 All-Conference picks and two Academic All-Conference honorees.

In his first year with the program, URI captured the Atlantic 10 championship title, was ranked as high as 19th in the nation and advanced to the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Jeffrey Gonsalves finished the season ranked second in the nation in total points (41pts, 18g/5a) and tied for second-best in the country in goals scored. He also earned a spot on two different All-America teams and was the 40th overall pick (by Toronto FC) in the MLS SuperDraft.

Rhody carried its national prominence into the following season, reaching a No. 22 national ranking and seeing three players taken in the MLS draft. Senior Geoff Cameron was selected 42nd overall in the SuperDraft - by two-time defending MLS Champion Houston Dynamo - while classmates Danleigh Borman (7th overall, New York Red Bulls) and Lukasz Tumicz (34th overall, Columbus Crew) were picked up a week later in the Supplemental Draft. Cameron went on to be a finalist for the 2008 MLS Rookie of the Year award and was a member of the First XI at the 2009 MLS All-Star game. He also made his first appearance with US Men's National Team vs. El Salvador on Feb. 24, 2010.

O'Connor came to Kingston after leaving the University of Chicago as the program's all-time winningest soccer coach. He also spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Dartmouth under current Notre Dame head coach and Scottish international Bobby Clark.

"John is a great coach because of his mastery of the x's and o's of the game, but what sets him apart is the way he deals with student-athletes," said his mentor Clark. "I've seen the way his positive energy impacts a soccer program, an athletic department and a community. I have no doubt he will be very successful in this position."

O'Connor was named the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1996, after leading Chicago to the NCAA Tournament semifinals and earning the program's highest-ever ranking (No. 5) in just his second season with the Maroons. Prior to that, Chicago had posted just three winning seasons in the previous 20 years.

A native of Wayland, Mass., O'Connor guided the Maroons to a 14-5-1 record in 2005 as well as the team's second-straight appearance in the NCAA semifinals and a No. 18 ranking in the final national poll.

In 2001, O'Connor led Chicago to its first-ever University Athletic Association (UAA) men's soccer championship while the Maroons finished the season ranked No. 2 in the South Central region and No. 14 nationally.

With a 113-74-17 (.596) record in 11 seasons at Chicago, O'Connor tops all Chicago men's soccer coaches in winning percentage (.596) and winning seasons (nine). While there, he developed 46 All-UAA performers, 12 All-Region selections, an All-American, an Academic All-American and an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient.

Prior to his arrival at Chicago, O'Connor spent five seasons at Dartmouth College under Clark. During their tenure together, the Big Green posted an overall record of 40-19-7, including a 17-10-1 mark in the Ivy League with two conference titles (1990, 1992) and two appearances in the NCAA Division I quarterfinals (1990, 1992).

While at Dartmouth, O'Connor also served as Director of Coaching for the Upper Valley Lightning Youth Soccer Association and was a Region I Olympic Development Program staff member.

O'Connor also coached at Orono (Maine) High School and served as an assistant at his alma mater, the University of Maine, from 1984-86. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education ('84) and a master's in education ('86).

He also holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "A" License as well as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Premier Diploma.

O'Connor resides in Wyoming, R.I. with his wife Sheila, who is an Aquatics Specialist at URI as well as a former swimming coach at the University of Chicago.  The couple has two childrenn - Megan and Michael.

Updated Sept. 22, 2011