By Kyle LoJacono
Saint Leo University’s newest coach is no stranger to winning in Division II men’s soccer.
Keith Fulk was picked to lead the Lions earlier in June. He comes with a trio of NCAA Division II national championships, one as a head coach, another as an assistant and a third as a player. All three titles came while he was at the University of Tampa (UT), a member of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) with Saint Leo.
“We are very excited to have a coach who is a proven winner in the Sunshine State Conference and with the Division II NCAA championship title on his resume,” said Saint Leo athletic director Francis Reidy. He then added, “We had many very experienced and talented coaches involved in this search, but Keith’s success, contacts within U.S. soccer and name recognition in Tampa Bay as well as Florida, brought him to the top of the list.”
Fulk was equally as excited after learning he was picked as the man for the job.
“It’s really exciting to have this opportunity,” Fulk said. “It’s a conference I know and a sport I love. I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Fulk spent the last eight years coaching outside the collegiate ranks, choosing to lead various soccer academies. He comes to Saint Leo after spending a year with the IMG Academy in Sarasota, and has also spent time as an assistant for the under-17 U.S. men’s national team. Fulk is an A licensed coach with the U.S. Soccer Federation.
As UT’s coach he amassed an 81-24-7 record in six seasons, including three SSC championships, three NCAA Division II tournament appearances and the 2001 national title.
The Spartans went 19-0-2 in the 2001 championship season and were ranked the No. 1 Division II team for much of the year. Fulk was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Coach of the Year that season.
Fulk was the Spartans top assistant coach in 1994 when they claimed another Division II national crown and conference titles in 1994 and 1995. He was also inducted into the SSC Hall of Fame in 2008.
As a player in high school, Fulk was a Parade All-American at Elco High in his hometown of Myerstown, Pa.
Fulk won the 1981 Division II national championship while playing at UT. He played for four years with the Spartans before graduating in 1985, making the All-Conference and All-South Region teams all four years.
Fulk played professional indoor soccer after college until 1992. He was also a player in the World University Games in 1985.
Fulk is the third new Lions coach named this year, following Nikki Jessee and Lance Randall taking over the women’s and men’s basketball teams respectively.
“Our goal for all of our programs is to be competitive in the league every year, and qualify for NCAA post-season play,” Reidy said. “Keith Fulk has done this multiple times as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He knows the path and formula to achieve this type of success, and we are thrilled to have him on our staff.”
Fulk replaces Joel Harrison, who resigned on May 6, citing “exciting changes taking place in (his) personal life.” Harrison was 69-40-6 in seven years with the Lions, including a 9-6 record last season.
