Mel Mahler Position: Head Coach Experience: Fourth Season EMail: mmahler@sbu.edu

Mel Mahler enters his fourth season in charge of the St. Bonaventure men's soccer program.

With a track record of great success and 29 years of coaching experience, including 13 at the top level of collegiate soccer, Mahler has put together a foundation for success on-and-off the field for Bona soccer.

Mahler continued the program's positive progression during the 2007 campaign. Following the leadership of their coach, the Bonnies doubled their win total of a season ago with six victories. The Brown and White's six triumphs were the schools most since 2004. St. Bonaventure concluded the season with a 6-7-3 (3-4-2) mark with postseason aspirations heading into the final weekend of regular season action. Following a slow start to the season, the Bonnies regrouped nicely down the stretch by picking up points in seven of the final 11 matches highlighted by a 3-2 victory over A-10 Championship finalist Charlotte.

Thanks to tactical adjustments and the influx of young talent in the back, Mahler directed one of the A-10's best defensive units. St. Bonaventure conceded the league's second fewest goals with 15 and ranked third in the conference with a 0.88 goals against average mark. Then freshman keeper David Flynn played a vital role in the backline's resurgence as the rookie goalie logged every minute in net en route to A-10 All-Rookie honors. Flynn became the second straight Bonnie to garner All-Rookie mention.

In his second season as the leader of the Brown and White, Mahler directed his club to a 3-4-2 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team finished the 2006 season with consecutive wins over league foes Temple and Saint Joseph's and went into the final weekend of play with a chance to qualify for the A-10 tournament. Furthermore, the Bonnies picked up points in four of their final six contests to place eighth in the conference.

Under the guidance of Mahler, the improvement in the Bonnies was evident throughout the 2006 campaign. The team improved in nearly every statistical category and moved up two spots in the A-10 standings. Six of the squad's 12 losses were by only one goal, including a double-overtime defeat to nationally ranked Akron, and the side never suffered a defeat by more than two scores.

In addition, three members of the team earned all-conference honors following the season. Senior forward Kevin Omokhua was named to the All-Conference first team, freshman forward Samuel Maheu was selected to the All-Rookie team and senior midfielder Phil Amahazion was named to the Academic All-Conference team.

Mahler has signed another highly-touted recruiting class to join a talented group of returning players for 2007. The mix of experience and exciting new flair is expected to be the right ingredients for the up-and-coming Bonnies.

Before coming to St. Bonaventure in the summer of 2005, Mahler enjoyed a highly successful career at Bowling Green. He served as interim head coach there in 1993 and head coach from 1995-2003. Mahler led the Falcons to three NCAA Tournament appearances (1995-96-97), three regular season Mid-American Conference championships (1996, 2000, 2002) and three MAC tournament titles (1995-96-97). Mahler's career record at Bowling Green was 111-76-13 (.586). He was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional Coach of the Year in 1996, the MAC Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2002 and the Ohio Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1997.

Prior to becoming head coach, Mahler was an assistant coach at Bowling Green from 1987-92 and in 1994.

From 1984-87, Mahler was head soccer and lacrosse coach at Pfeiffer (N.C.) University. He was a graduate assistant soccer coach at the University of Akron from 1981-84 and assistant soccer coach at High Point University from 1978-81.

A native of Smithtown, N.Y., Mahler earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and health from High Point in 1978 and a master's degree in physical education from Akron in 1984.

In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Mahler has been active as a member of the NSCAA. He has served as a regional chair of the NSCAA/Adidas All-America committee and a member of the NSCAA Great Lakes regional ranking committee. Mahler also has been a site administrator for the U.S. Soccer Federation National Coaching School and a director for the U.S. Youth Soccer Association's Olympic development camps.

Mahler and his wife, Karin, have two children, Zoe (12) and Nash (9).