Coaching Staff

Head Coach Shawn Griffin

Assistant Coach Jeff Oliver

Head Coach Shawn Griffin

Just the fifth man to guide the Hobart soccer program, Shawn Griffin is entering his eighth season at the helm. Prior to joining the Statesmen in 2001, Griffin served nine seasons on the soccer staff at Plymouth State (N.H.) University, including eight seasons as head coach.

Griffin guided the 2006 Statesmen to their most successful season since 1992. Hobart recorded a 12-4-3 overall mark and posted an unbeaten 5-0-2 record in the Liberty League. The Statesmen were nationally ranked all season long, climbing as high as seventh, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, finishing the year as the 19th-ranked team in the country.

An outstanding motivator and recruiter, Griffin was named the Liberty League Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2003, and has mentored 32 All-Liberty League selections, including the 2003 Liberty League Player and Rookie of the Year. Making a conscience effort to build Hobart soccer into a Division III national power, Griffin's recruiting efforts and contacts have attracted players from all parts of the U.S. and international countries such as Germany, Scotland, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Griffin holds a national advanced coaching diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and was selected as the NSCAA’s New England Region Coach of the Year in 1998. During his tenure at Plymouth, Griffin was named the Little East Conference Coach of the Year four times.

A 1988 graduate of Plymouth State, Griffin played on three NCAA Tournament teams, helping the Panthers amass a 52-14-16 (.732) record. As head coach, he led Plymouth State to the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1995, 1997, and 1998, and to the ECAC Tournament in 1993, 1994, and 1999. He coached six national All-Americans and seven Little East Conference Player of the Year recipients while at PSU.

Overall, Griffin has compiled a career record of 153-104-22 (.588) in 15 years as a head coach. He has mentored 33 NSCAA All-Region and 79 all-conference selections.

Griffin lives in Geneva with his wife, Carol, and their three children, Olivia, Connor, and Emily.

Assistant Coach Jeff Oliver

Jeff Oliver is in his first year as the assistant soccer coach.

Oliver’s extensive coaching experience includes stints at Vassar College, Nazareth College, Fairport High School, and with the Rochester Junior Rhinos Soccer Club.

While on the staff at Vassar last season, Oliver assisted with all aspects of the soccer program, including planning and implementing training sessions, recruiting, scouting opponents, game analysis, scheduling, and coordinating travel plans. He also served as the Brewers’ equipment and assistant facilities manager.

At Nazareth, Oliver helped lead the Golden Flyers to an Empire 8 Conference Championship and a berth into the 2005 NCAA Division III Tournament.

Oliver also saw success while coaching the Junior Rhinos. He led the boy’s under-17 elite team to the 2005 New York State West Boy’s Finals, as well as the 2005 US Club Soccer regional semifinals. As a boy’s varsity assistant coach at Fairport, he helped lead the team to division championships in 2002 and 2004, and the Section V Tournament finals (2004) and semifinals (2002, 2003).

Oliver earned a bachelor’s degree from Fredonia in elementary education, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at St. John Fisher. While at Fredonia, he was a three-year member of the nationally-ranked Blue Devil’s varsity soccer team that won three SUNYAC Championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. After graduating, Oliver taught high school mathematics for six years.