Bloomfield College has announced John Velasco as the new Assistant Coach for the men’s soccer team. He comes to the College after spending the 2016 season as Head Coach of the Kean University Men’s Soccer Program.
Under Coach Velasco, the Kean University men's soccer team earned its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2010 and first at-large bid to the event since 2001. Overall, the squad posted a 14-6-1 record. Under his coaching, the Cougars had six players named to All-NJAC teams, a player sent to and MLS private combine, and Kean say it’s first player ever earn First-Team Academic All-District honors. Prior to his appointment as Head Coach of the cougars, Coach Velasco was an assistant coach at Kean in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, before becoming an Academy staff coach as well as part of the First Team support staff with the Columbus Crew SC of Major League Soccer. Coach Velasco, previously founded and was the Director of Training of Training TPM in New Jersey.
With the Columbus Crew, Velasco assisted in the tactical, technical and developmental strategy of academy players in addition to overseeing the MLS first team's budgeting for apparel-related products. Velasco also served as the player to coach translator for the first team while assisting the Crew SC with their College ID clinics and summer college programs. During his last year with the Columbus Crew SC, Velasco was an assistant at Capital University.
A former four-time New Jersey All-State, All-Middlesex County, and All-Conference selection in high school, Coach Velasco was part of the New Jersey State and Region 1 Olympic Development Program team while also selected as part of the Youth National Team player pool. Velasco played at both East Stroudsburg University and Montclair State University where he was part of multiple conference championships. Velasco also played in the USL/PDL and the NPSL.
After graduating from Montclair University, he coached with various New Jersey institutions including Bloomfield High School, Torpedoes Soccer Club, and Manalapan Soccer Club, all while staying involved with his Alma matter.
Velasco has also worked under Nike Soccer, providing training sessions throughout the East Coast as the Regional Tour Manager. In addition, he’s worked with Nike’s The Chance Academy soccer program (North America) as a scout on the east coast, identifying players from both academy and non-academy teams such as NY Red Bulls, Players Development Academy (N.J.), Bronx United (N.Y.), NY Kosmos FC (N.Y.), BW Gottschee Academy (N.Y.), Bethesda SC (Md.), Charlotte Soccer Academy (N.C.) , Concord Fire (Ga.), Georgia United, and more. Coach Velasco also worked in conjunction with the Youth U.S Soccer Training Centers and Combines through the Nike Soccer Programs.
Velasco earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and Adult Fitness from Montclair State University and is trilingual in English, Spanish and Portuguese. He currently holds his State and USSF Licenses.
