Damian Houlden
Damian Houlden

Bio


Damian Houlden enters his seventh season as head coach of the men's soccer program in 2021-22, as well as his 16th year at Mitchell College.  

The men's soccer program has flourished under Houlden's direction. In 2017 he led the Mariners to their first-ever New England Collegiate Conference title and NCAA Championship appearance. Mitchell posted a 6-1 record in league play to earn the top seed in the conference tournament, and 1-0 win over Elms College in the title game earned an automatic NCAA berth. For his efforts, Houlden was selected as NECC Coach of the Year. 

The Mariners have remained competitive in the league since earning their first championship in the NCAA Division III era. In 2018, Mitchell finished second in the conference standings and made a return trip to the NECC title game. In 2019 the Mariners qualified for the postseason but were eliminated in penalty kicks in the first round of the tournament.

Since taking over the men's program in 2015, Houlden has kept the Mariners atop the NECC standings. Mitchell has posted a 53-30-3 record in league action over the past 13 years and has qualified for the NECC Championship in each season. The Mariners have produced a total of 52 all-conference selections during that time span, including 19 during Houlden's tenure.

Houlden previously served as head coach of the Mitchell women's program for nine seasons. He built the program into a NECC contender, leading his teams to the NECC Championship five times as well as back-to-back finals appearances in 2009 and 2010. The Mariners captured the title in 2010 with a 2-1 victory over Lesley University and earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship for the first time in school history. Over the course of his final seven years he produced a total of 20 all-conference selections, including a NECC Player, Rookie and Goalkeeper of the Year.

Houlden hails from Louth, England and has a wealth of experience coaching at the club level and developing soccer players. He currently coaches for the Southeast Soccer Club and was an ODP staff coach from 2004-06. Houlden also gained valuable coaching experience while on the staff for the New England Revolution Academy from 2005-06.

Houlden has completed the English certification UEFA B License, FA Coaching License, and he has also earned a Regional Goalkeeper Diploma. He most recently completed the training program from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and received the Primier National Diploma with distinction.

Houlden played for Mitchell College and was a letterwinner on the men's soccer team. He was honored as a New England All-Conference First Team selection for his efforts from his central defense position.

Houlden received his degree in sport management from Mitchell College and earned a Master's in exercise science and sports psychology from the California University of Pennsylvania. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet The Coach
Cam Pilger

Cameron Pilger will enter his second year as the head coach of the Mitchell College men's soccer program in the fall of 2023.

During his first season at the helm of the Mariners, Pilger guided the team a 6-10-1 overall record, a five-win improvement over the previous season when the team went 1-12-4. The six victories were the most for the soccer program since the fall of 2018 and the two conference wins were the most since 2019. Two players earned All-NECC First Team honors under Pilger, senior Nick Ghirardi and sophomore Dylan Lucey. After closing out the regular season with a 2-0 shutout victory against conference foe Lesley University, the Mariners saw their season come to an end in a PK loss to New England College in the NECC semifinals. Five members of the team also earned Academic All-Conference honors for the fall of 2022. 

Pilger, who made his collegiate head coaching debut with the Mariners, came to Mitchell following a four-year stint at the University of Saint Joseph.  He helped lead the USJ program to a 32-16-4 record during his tenure in West Hartford, Conn. 

"We are so excited to announce Cameron Pilger as our head men's soccer coach," said Finlayson. "Cam brings a great energy to our department along with a ton of player development experience and recruiting, and he was an integral part of building the USJ program.  His overall vision for the student-athlete experience aligns perfectly with what Mitchell College is all about."

During his time at USJ, Coach Pilger helped lead the team to one quarterfinal and two semifinal appearances in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament.

"It is an honor to join the Mitchell College family. I look forward to helping grow what is already a great program," said Pilger. "My staff and I will look to develop a winning culture by developing excellent student-athletes and even better human beings."

Pilger had spent time as an Assistant Coach at Quinnipiac University coaching the goalkeepers and has served as a director of the Star Goalkeeper Academy since 2020. 

A native of Rochester, New York, Pilger graduated from the University of Hartford with a degree in philosophy.

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