| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | FIU Panthers |
| Conference | AAC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | East Lansing, Michigan, U.S. [1] |
| Alma mater | Coastal Carolina University (B.S. Business Management, 2009; MBA, 2014) |
| Playing career | |
| 2005–2008 | Coastal Carolina |
| Position | Defender |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2009 | Coastal Carolina (student volunteer asst.) |
| 2010–2014 | Coastal Carolina (assistant) |
| 2015–2019 | Coastal Carolina (associate) |
| 2020–present | FIU Panthers |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| |
| Awards | |
| |
Kyle Russell is an American college soccer coach. He is the current head coach of the FIU Panthers men's soccer team at Florida International University (FIU), a position he has held since February 2020. [2]
Russell played college soccer as a defender for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers from 2005 to 2008, starting in 74 matches (eighth-most in program history). [2] He participated in the 2009 Major League Soccer Combine and played professionally in the USL with teams including the Charleston Battery, Real Maryland, and Charlotte Eagles before a foot injury ended his playing career. [3]
Russell began his coaching career in 2009 as a student volunteer assistant coach at Coastal Carolina under head coach Shaun Docking. [4] During the 2009 season, the Chanticleers posted a 9–2–7 overall record (5–0–3 in conference) and won the Big South Conference regular-season title. [4] [5]
He was promoted to full assistant coach from 2010 to 2014, serving as recruiting coordinator, scout, and defensive coordinator. [5] In this period, the team contributed to high national win totals, co-leading the NCAA with 85 wins from 2010–2014. [4] The Chanticleers won seven Big South titles (three regular-season in 2011, 2012, 2013; three tournament in 2010, 2013, 2014), made five NCAA Tournament appearances with six victories, and achieved top-25 national rankings in four consecutive seasons (2011–2014), peaking at No. 5 in 2013. [4] [5] Defensively, the team ranked in the top 20% of the NCAA in goals-against average and shutouts each year, recording 48 shutouts from 2010–2014. [5] Russell coached four consecutive Big South Defensive Players of the Year (2010–2014) and 12 All-Big South defensive honorees. [5] He also recruited three All-Americans: Ashton Bennett (2011, 2012), Pedro Ribeiro (2011, 2013), and Shawn McLaws (2014; the first Chanticleer defender All-American since 1992). [6] [5]
Russell was promoted to associate head coach—the first in program history—from 2015 to 2019. [4] During this tenure, the Chanticleers posted a 59–35–18 overall record (18–7–3 in conference), won five Sun Belt Conference titles (two regular-season in 2016 and 2017; three tournament in 2016, 2017, 2019), made four NCAA Tournament appearances with five victories (including a Second Round berth in 2019), and achieved the program's highest national ranking of No. 4 in 2015 (by both College Soccer News and NSCAA). [4] [5] Recruiting successes continued with NSCAA All-Region performers such as Justin Portillo, Uchenna Uzo, Ricky Garbanzo, Matt Risher, and Ridge Robinson. [4]
Over his full 10-year tenure at Coastal Carolina (2009–2019), the team compiled a 147–66–27 overall record (63–11–8 in conference), won 12 total conference championships, and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances. [4] Russell also served as recruiting director during much of this period. [6]
Russell was named head coach of the FIU Panthers men's soccer team on February 21, 2020, becoming the eighth head coach in program history. [7] [6] His first season (2020) was shortened and postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a 4–4–1 record. [4]
In 2021, FIU won the Conference USA regular-season title with an undefeated 7–0–1 conference record (12–2–2 overall), earned the program's 11th NCAA Tournament appearance (Round of 32), and defeated the No. 1-ranked team (Marshall) for the first time in program history. [4] [8] The team rose as high as No. 12 nationally and appeared in the Top 25 for 10 consecutive weeks. [4] Russell was named Conference USA Coach of the Year. [8]
In 2022, FIU's first season in the AAC, the team won both the regular-season and tournament titles (14–5–1 overall), reached the NCAA Sweet 16 (third round), and defeated multiple top-ranked opponents (including No. 10 Tulsa and No. 13 North Carolina). [4] His staff received United Soccer Coaches NCAA D-I East Region Staff of the Year and AAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors. [9]
The team achieved three consecutive 10+ win seasons from 2021–2023, advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round in 2023, and reached the AAC Championship match in 2024 and 2025 (third appearance in four seasons). [4] As of the start of the 2026 season, Russell has a 30–13–4 overall record at FIU through 2025. [4] He is recruiting with TopDrawerSoccer top-30 classes in 2020 and 2021 and produced MLS draft picks (e.g., Stephen Afrifa, 8th overall in 2022; Michael Appiah in 2025). [4] [6]
His contract has been extended through 2027. [10]
Russell was born in East Lansing, Michigan, and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. [1] He earned a B.S. in business management (2009) and an MBA (2014) from Coastal Carolina University. [2] He married Monica in 2013 and has two sons. [2]