The Highlanders' current head coach is Dennis Bohn,[3] who is in charge since 2013.[7] The team play their home matches at Gummerson Grounds, named in honor of former Lafayette soccer player Peter Gummeson '80, who gifted the estimated $4 million to build the stadium. Gummerson Grounds hosted its first match in 2023.[8]
Established in 1913[2], the Lafayette soccer program is the most winning team of the Patriot League tournament with eight championships won[9], the last in 2025.[10]
History
First years
An early Lafayette team and coaching staff
The team was established in 1913, when a group of young students of the Lafayette College who were soccer enthusiasts and had played the sport at high school, wanted to form a team. At the time, the college did not have an athletic director, only the main sports (football and athletics) have committees to make decisions. As that group went to the city of Easton with an excellent reception, they were encouraged to start a soccer program, reciving the approval from the college.
The first coach was David Paul, an Irish who had played soccer in high school and had a strong interest in the development of the game. Under Paul's guidance, the team played four games in its first year to end with a 1–3 record. Despite the poor results, the cornerstone for the establishment of soccer at Lafayette had been placed.[1]
The World War I forced soccer to interrupt activities, but it came back in 1920, with Scotty Cuthbertson as coach, while Paul continued as assistant coach. Paul's worked focusing on the "teamwork", a concept of fellowship that emphasized on soccer as a team sport, often ommitted by most of the coaches at the time.[1] Cuthbertson pushed Lafayette to its first winning season, ending with a 8–3 record, although it was the only season he spent with the team.[7]
1920s to 1970s
In the late 1920s, Lafayette was coached by Scottie's two brothers, Alex and A.W. Alex would then come back from 1938 to 1942, achieving 9 wins (the most at the time). In 1947, Lafayette hired coach Jack Trotter, who set a 14–38–4 record during his four years with the team. For the following years, the College decide to go for coaches who were primary focused on basketball, some of them were Bill Van Breda Koff, George Davidson, and Gary Williams. Koff had been a great athlete at Princeton University while Williams took position on both teams, basketball and soccer, during his tenure in Lafayette, where he ended with a 27–37–13 record.[2] Koff had the most successful run, with a 18–15–1 record, the first winning season since Scottie Cuthbertson.[1]
George Davidson had a long time (more than a decade) at Lafayette for a 51–72–6 record, achieving the most wins for the team. When his time as coach ended in 1966, Davidson continued in Lafayette as the athletic director. Lafayette accepted an invitation to join recently formed East Coast Conference (ECC) in order to become a true first class team.[7]
Patriot League's success
Although Lafayette had never been a soccer powerhouse, the coming of coach Steve Reinhardt was a major shift in the history of the program. During his ten years with the team (1980–90), Lafayette got a successful 131–66–19 record, under Reinhardt's premises of "win at any cost" that brought the team so good results. The team won the ECC championships in 1984 (with a 3–0 over Towson), 1986 (5–1 to Drexel), and 1987 (5–0 to Rider).[1]
In the Patriot League tournament, Lafayette lost to Fordham 0–1 in the final. Nevertheless, Lafayette would become the most winning team of the competition, with eight titles won between 1994 and 2025, which earned them the right to play in the NCAA tournament.[1]
Reinhardt was replaced by Jeff Gettler in 1992. Under his coaching, Lafayette achieved a 40–26–8 record, winning also the 1994 Patriot tournaments (defeating Army 1–0 in the championship game). That same year, Gettler was named the "Patriot League Coach of the Year".[11]
Nelson Rodriguez, who had been Gettler's assistant coach, was appointed as head coach in 1995, achieving a 20–13–4 record in two years, also winning the 1995 Patriot tournament, the 2nd. for the program.[1] The second conference title won by Lafayette in 1995 secured them a place in the 1995 NCAA tournament, where the team made their debut defeating Cornell in the first round, then losing to Brown 0–2.[12]
In 1998, Lafayette hired Tim Lehanan as coach, who compiled a 32–23–3 record, including two Patriot tournament titles (1998, 1999). Lafayette also made their second participation in the NCAA tournament, being beated by Clemson 0–5[12]. After those two successful years, Lehanan left the team to follow an offer from Northwestern University of Chicago, where he would have a successful run as well.[1]
Later years
After the tenures of Rodríguez and Lenahan ended, the athletic department hired Dennis Bohn, who was a close friend to Lenahan and had worked as his assistant coach. Bohn was a graduate of Columbia University where he had played soccer (being praised as a "natural leader" on the field)[13] and basketball.[1] Bohn took the team in 2001 to win four Patriot tournament championships (2003, 2005, 2012, and 2025), earning the right to compete in the NCAA championship.
Lafayette had not successful participations in the NCAA tournaments, being eliminated in first round by Rutgers (2003)[14], Creighton (2005)[15], Virginia (2012)[16], and Cornell (2025)[17].
As of 2025, Bohn totalised a record of 197–156–84.[7] His tenure in Lafayette is the longest in the history of the program.[18]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
↑Dennis Bohn: a natural born leader by Kateryna Rakowsky. Published on Columbia Spectator, Volume CXX, Number 122, 13 November 1996 (Columbia University Library)
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