Geneseo Sports Information Department
GENESEO, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Mike Mooney named Mark Howlett head men's soccer coach, Friday. Howlett joins the Knights after serving as head coach at Buffalo State for the past five seasons.
Howlett becomes the program's 10th head coach as the team enters its 70th season.
"We have seen first-hand the type of impact that Mark can have on a soccer program," said Mooney. "His coaching experience, familiarity with the conference and passion for the game made him the perfect choice to take the reins of our team and we are all excited to see where he can lead us."
Howlett coached at State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) rival Buffalo State for five seasons, leading the Bengals to a combined 50-36-9 mark. In 2017, he led the team to a 14-3-3 record, a berth in the SUNYAC Tournament and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. He was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year and United Soccer Coaches East Region Coaching Staff of the Year and coached the program's first All-American since 1984.
"I would like to thank Dr. Robert Bonfiglio and Mike Mooney for the wonderful opportunity to lead the men's soccer program," said Howlett. "My wife and I are excited to start a new chapter in our lives and we look forward to bringing our family to Geneseo. We are honored to join the Knights' family and I can't wait to start working with our current and future student-athletes, alumni and our supporters as we look to build an elite program here at Geneseo."
Prior to his time at Buffalo State, Howlett coached for four seasons at SUNY Canton where he helped the Kangaroos transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III membership.
Howlett established his coaching roots in nearby Rochester, serving as the men's soccer assistant coach at Nazareth from 2008 to 2010 while also serving as the Director of Coaching for local youth soccer organization Doug Miller Soccer and head coach of the Rochester Ravens, a professional women's soccer team that participated in the USL W-League.
Howlett starred for two years at Roberts Wesleyan before transferring to Judson (Ill.) for his final two years of competition. A three-time NAIA All-American, he led Judson to a pair of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and two NAIA Tournament appearances.
A native of Portsmouth, England, he was also a member of the AFC Bournemouth development program, playing for two years under scholarship with the English professional team's development club, and was named AFC Bournemouth Player of the Year in 2004.
Howlett resides in Caledonia, N.Y. with his wife, Regan, and daughters, Lillian and Willow.
