Matt Cosinuke was hired as the head coach of the Eastern Kentucky University women’s soccer program on January 3, 2019. In April of 2023, Cosinuke received a new 3-year contract keeping him at the helm through 2025.
"We recognize the positive contributions Matt has made, and continues to make, in the development of our program and student-athletes, both on and off the pitch," said former EKU vice president and athletics director Matt Roan. "We appreciate his passion and vision for the program, and we are excited to have him leading Colonel soccer and chasing championships and excellence for years to come."
A student-athlete-first coach, players have thrived on and off the field under Cosinuke's guidance since his arrival in 2019. Five Colonels have been named United Soccer Coaches All-Region, Nerea de Diego was named the ASUN Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021, Katie Shaffer was named First Team All-Conference twice in 2019 and 2020, and a total of 33 players have received conference postseason awards.
Additionally, EKU has defeated three schools in the NCAA RPI top 100 and one school in the top 50. The Colonels achieved the third-highest national rank of No. 98 by the NCAA RPI rankings in the 2022 season.
In academic and character roles, Larissa Heslop (2020) and Billie Clark (2021) were EKU’s NCAA Woman of the Year Nominees. Heslop was voted an Academic All-American in 2019 followed by four ASUN Conference All-Academic selections from Lauren Seedlock (2022), Baylee Lanter (2022), and Marah Krick (2023, 2024).
In 2024, Cosinuke took the program to new heights guiding the club to the ASUN Conference Championship match for just the second time in program history defeating Jacksonville, North Florida, and Florida Gulf Coast in the progress—all three contests away from the Colonels’ home pitch. In the regular season, EKU finished 12-8-3 and 7-3-1 in conference play, marking the second-most overall wins and conference wins in school history.
Statistically, Cosinuke’s 2024 club set additional program records in points (89), assists (31), shots attempted (287), and had the second-most goals (29) and shots on goal (121). Chiara Premoli and Ella Grode were named Second Team All-ASUN while the program had four Third Team All-ASUN selections, two ASUN All-Freshman picks, and three players named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team. Premoli set the EKU single season record with seven assists, including a program record three assists in a home win against Bellarmine.
Prior to the season, Cosinuke signed three All-Americans out of high school and the 2024 class was regarded as the highest-rated signing class in program history. EKU’s freshmen in 2024 made national and local headlines for their contributions to the historical season.
From 2021-23, Cosinuke guided the EKU program in its transition from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Atlantic Sun Conference. Since 2021, the Colonels won 23 games with back-to-back 9-win seasons from 2021-22 and qualified for the ASUN Championship in every season they’ve been a member in the league. EKU set a conference record for being one of two teams in ASUN history, first since 1999, to advance in the tournament in the first two years in the conference.
In the spring of 2020, the Colonels posted the highest single-semester GPA in program history of 3.837 while winning four games on the pitch in the COVID-shortened OVC only season.
On the field, EKU improved greatly from 2019 to 2020, especially on the attacking end. After averaging 0.67 goals-per-game in 2019, the Colonels averaged 1.4 goals-per-game in 2020.
After going 1-7-1 at home in 2019, Eastern went 3-1-0 at home in 2020, including shutout wins over rival Morehead State and Belmont and a Senior Day victory over then-unbeaten Southeast Missouri.
In Cosinuke's first season at the helm, EKU tied for the OVC lead with four shutouts during conference play. The Colonels recorded clean sheets on the road over Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois, and rival Morehead State, and at home against Belmont.
EKU also recorded an impressive 1-0 shutout win over Milwaukee during non-conference play. Milwaukee came into the game undefeated and had only lost twice in its last 50 games dating back to 2016.
On Sept. 12, 2019, in Cosinuke's seventh game as head coach, the Colonels hosted Kentucky, marking the first time ever an SEC school visited EKU Soccer Field. A record-setting 1,045 fans were in attendance for the intrastate contest.
Cosinuke came to EKU following five successful seasons as an assistant coach / recruiting coordinator at the University of Cincinnati (2014 to 2018). He helped lead the Bearcats to the 2015 American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament championship and a trip to the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
“I’d like to thank the administration for believing in me to lead this program,” Cosinuke said upon being hired. “I’d also like to especially thank Neil Stafford for helping to shape me into the coach I am today. Richmond is a wonderful town and EKU is an exceptional university. I feel blessed to be given this opportunity, and I look forward to the challenge. My wife Alexis, my daughter, Iris, and I are ready to be part of the community and extended EKU Family. Go Big E!”
During Cosinuke’s five seasons at Cincinnati, the Bearcats’ RPI rose from No. 237 to No. 11. UC recorded five consecutive losing seasons (2009 to 2013) before Cosinuke joined the staff. In Cosinuke’s first four seasons in Cincinnati (2014 to 2017), the Bearcats went 46-23-14 (18-13-5 AAC).
Cincinnati notably finished the 2015 season with a record of 13-6-5 (5-3-1 AAC), giving the Bearcats their best league finish since 2002. UC then stormed through the AAC Tournament and stunned USF in a penalty-kick shootout in the title game to win its first ever conference championship and earn its first NCAA bid since 2010.
In 2017, Cosinuke helped guide Cincinnati to a record of 12-4-3 (5-2-2 AAC). UC keeper Natalie Smith led the AAC in shutouts during conference play (five) and ranked second in the league in goals-against average (0.82).
In addition to his duties as recruiting coordinator, Cosinuke worked primarily with UC’s goalkeepers and defenders. During the championship season of 2015, the Bearcat defense recorded 12 shutouts, second-most in a season in the history of the American Athletic Conference. In 2017, UC notched 11 clean sheets, third most in conference history.
Prior to joining the women’s soccer coaching staff at Cincinnati, Cosinuke was a volunteer goalkeepers coach for the UC men’s soccer program from 2012 to 2013. During that time, he instructed a goalkeeper who led the Big East in shutouts and ranked 21st in the country in saves.
Cosinuke experienced great success as a volunteer goalkeepers coach for the Dartmouth College men’s soccer program from 2010 to 2012. During the 2010 season, the Big Green reached the NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to No. 8 UCLA, 2-1, in double overtime. In 2011, Cosinuke helped lead Dartmouth to the Ivy League title and back to the NCAA Tournament. He mentored goalkeeper Noah Cohen to honorable mention All-Ivy League honors in 2011.
Before arriving at Dartmouth, Cosinuke spent one season as a volunteer goalkeepers coach at his alma mater, Florida Atlantic University, in 2009.
A native of Lebanon, New Hampshire, Cosinuke graduated from Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire before going on to play Division-I soccer at FAU.
Cosinuke holds an Advanced National Goalkeeping License from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and several licenses from the U.S. Soccer Federation.
He graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He also holds a master’s degree in sport management (certificate in athletic administration) from the University of Southern New Hampshire.
Cosinuke and his wife, Alexis, have a daughter, Iris, and two sons, Maddox and Miller.
What Others Are Saying About Matt Cosinuke …
“Matt Cosinuke is, first and foremost, a great person. He has impeccable character, cares for others, and places great emphasis on building positive relationships. Matt is passionate, positive, and has a magnetic personality. I was fortunate enough to work alongside Matt for over three years and witnessed his work-ethic and willingness to grind first-hand. He will provide an immediate infusion of energy into the program. I can’t overstate how excited I am for Matt, as he is fully deserving of this great opportunity. I firmly believe that EKU made a great hire!”
- Nate Lie, Head Coach, Xavier University
“Matt Cosinuke is a tremendous hire for EKU. Matt has an incredible work ethic and isn’t afraid to grind, and he is one of the hardest working coaches on the recruiting trail. He knows how important it is to bring the right people, not just good players, into the program and he will work tirelessly to get the right people on board that will establish the foundation for a winning culture, both on and off the field. Matt has a very bright future ahead of him as a head coach, and EKU will experience a great deal of success and be a contender under his watch. Matt and his family will be a great addition for EKU.”
- Stefanie Golan, Head Coach, University of Missouri
“EKU made a fantastic hire in Matt Cosinuke. Matt is one of the bright young coaches out there in the college game today. Matt’s a player’s coach, talented, ambitious, and hard working with a good knowledge of the game. Matt has a passion for people, and I have no doubt that he will make all those around him better for it. The lessons the student-athletes will learn from Matt, on and off the field and in and out of the classroom, will be invaluable during their post-collegiate careers. I’m excited to watch and see the heights that Matt takes EKU.”
- Neil Stafford, Head Coach, University of Cincinnati
