Head Coach Thavisak Mounsithiraj

Thavisak Mounsithiraj begins his seventh season as head coach of the Maple Leafs in 2007, and his sixth on a permanent basis. Mounsithiraj earned the job after holding an interim title during the 2001 campaign, and since then his teams have begun to flourish: Following a 3-16 record in his first year at the helm and marks around the .500 mark in his second and third seasons, Mounsithiraj’s 2004 club finished with a remarkable 14-4-4 record, finishing runners-up in the ultra-competitive Mid-Central Conference and reaching NAIA Regional competition for the first time since the 2000 season. That was followed by a 14-1-3, MCC Co-Championship in 2006 and last year's breakthrough: Mounsithiraj led his team to its first appearance in the NAIA National Championships since the 1976 season via an NAIA Region VIII Championship and yet another MC Co-Championship. The league title was the program's 19th overall, while the back-to-back MCC Championships were the first since the 1990 season. Mounsithiraj is just the program's eighth coach in its 47-year history.

“Over the three two years we began to have the success that I thought was possible when I took this job in 2001,” Mounsithiraj said. “Last year, winning the conference, regionals and making it to the NAIA nationals was certainly where we want to be. We still can get better, and we still can do more things, though. I think with the players we have returning along with some solid newcomers, we will be very exciting to watch again this year.”

Mounsithiraj, who graduated from Goshen College in 1994, was an assistant coach since 1995 for the Maple Leafs. He earned an advanced national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, an organization committed to training future soccer coaches in team management, recruiting and overall soccer knowledge.

“I’m an educator, more than anything," said Mounsithiraj of his soccer philosophy. "I love working with player development. When players reach the college level, the fun part of working with student-athletes is getting to know them on personal levels. It’s important to talk not only about soccer, but about other things too.”

Mounsithiraj has directed the Goshen Youth Soccer Organization and GoLeaf Advanced Soccer Training since 1999. He has coached various youth and travel teams for more than 10 years and instructed at the Goshen College Soccer Camp since 1991 and at the University of Notre Dame Soccer Camp since 1996. The new head coach will continue running the GYSO and will also lead the Goshen Adult Soccer League.

Mounsithiraj did not play organized soccer until 1986, but played frequent pickup games in his native Laos while growing up. When he arrived as a refugee in Centreville, Mich., in 1980, he chose basketball, football and track as his sports, graduating from Centreville High School in 1986.

Mounsithiraj and his wife Anita live in Goshen. Anita is a science teacher at Heritage Middle School in Middlebury.

Assistant Coach Jon Hartzler

Assistant Coach Ben Metcalf

Technical and Tactical Adviser Gustavo Ramirez