Matthew L. Thompson was named the University of the District of Columbia men’s head soccer coach on May 3, 2011.

In making the announcement, Director of Athletics Patricia Thomas said: “We were fortunate to have a strong pool of candidates, however Matthew Thompson was clearly the right choice for the University of the District of Columbia.  He cares about the comprehensive development of student-athletes, is deeply committed to community outreach, and he is a winner.  I am delighted to have Matt join the Firebird family."

Thompson, in commenting on his appointment said: “I would like to thank Ms. Thomas for this fantastic opportunity.  I felt that the program was being run professionally, and the goals for the men’s soccer program matched my ambitions. I’m excited to be a part of what is being built at UDC, and I am looking forward to turning the program into something regionally and nationally reputable. It’s an exciting time for the program and Athletic Department and we can’t wait to get started.”  

In his first year at the helm of the UDC men's soccer program, Thompson doubled the Firebirds' win total from the previous year as he guided them to an 8-5-4 record in the Fall 2011. It was the most wins in a season by a UDC team since 2004. The Firebirds, competing in their last season as an independent school, hope they have turned a corner as they prepare for the Fall 2012 - their inaugural season as members of the East Coast Conference.

Thompson came to UDC from Lees McRae College (Banner Elk, North Carolina), where he led the Bobcats to a 13-5-3 record, winning the 2010 Conference Carolinas Regular Season and Conference Tournament Championships as well as a 2010 NCAA Championship berth.  A 1998 graduate of Slippery Rock University, he served his alma mater as head men’s soccer coach from 2002-2009. Prior to Slippery Rock, Thompson was an assistant coach for three years at NCAA DI Robert Morris University.

Among Thompson’s career highlights:

• ·         Named PSAC Coach of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009
• ·         Achieving most wins in school history at Slippery Rock in 2009 (18 wins)
• ·         Leading Slippery Rock to three NCAA Championship appearances
• ·         Reaching the Sweet 16 in 2008 and 2009
• ·         Winning the PSAC Championship in 2005 and 2009
• ·         Coached four NCAA All-Americans and two current professional players 

As a student-athlete, Thompson was  a two-time PSAC All-Conference selection,  a three-time Western Pennsylvania All-Star,  two-time team captain at Slippery Rock and was named the team's most valuable player in 1997.

Thompson has been extremely active in community engagement. He founded SRU Forgotten Angels, a student-athlete charity aimed at improving the quality of underprivileged children's lives around the world. He led a missionary trip to Haiti in the summer of 2008 and volunteered in New Orleans during the summer of 2009, painting houses and coaching children after Hurricane Katrina.

Thompson also guided a group of student-athletes to St. Lucia in 2010 as part of the Forgotten Angels project, and was involved in Special Olympics of Pennsylvania while at SRU. 

He and his wife Danielle are proud parents of two sons, Liam and Joshua.  

In the summer of 2011 Patrick Cormac joined head men's soccer coach Matthew Thompson's staff as an assistant coach at the University of the District of Columbia.

Prior to his appointment, Cormac served under Thompson as the men’s soccer assistant coach at Lees-McRae in North Carolina. He helped lead the Bobcats to a 13-5-3 record, winning the 2010 Conference Carolinas Regular Season and Conference Tournament Championships as well as a 2010 NCAA Championship berth. Prior to Lees-McRae, Cormac served with Thompson as the assistant soccer coach at Slippery Rock University where he helped lead the team to a school-best record of 18-4-1 and a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship. The team also went on to have an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16.

During his stint at Slippery Rock, Cormac also helped guide a group of student-athletes to St. Lucia in 2010 as part of the Forgotten Angels project, and helped run soccer clinics in both Haiti and the Czech Republic.

UDC Men's Soccer Head Coach Matthew Thompson announced the addition of Volunteer Coach, Matt Carey, to the men's soccer staff. Matt Carey comes to UDC after graduating from Colby College in 2011, where he was a member of the soccer program. Carey also coaches at the club level with the Great Falls Soccer Club in Virginia.

As a player, Carey helped the Mules reach the NESCAC playoffs in each of his seasons with the team, and he received the 2010 Jamie Lue Memorial Coaches' Award. Prior to his collegiate career, Matt Carey played for the Coastal Soccer Club, winning eight State Cups. While at York High School in Maine, he was named both All-State and All-Conference in soccer.

Carey is a 2011 graduate of Colby College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies with a concentration in foreign policy and international relations.