Eastern Kentucky University Athletics

Mitch Hepburn joined the EKU soccer staff in the summer of 2020.

In his first season with the program, Hepburn helped oversee great improvement, especially on the attacking end.

After averaging 0.67 goals-per-game in 2019, EKU 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.

Katie Shaffer (first team All-OVC) and Michaela Iacono (second team All-OVC) earned all-conference honors during Hepburn's first season with the program.

Hepburn came to EKU from the University of Dayton, where he served as the women's soccer Director of Operations for the 2019 season.
 
"We are thrilled to add Mitch to our family," head coach Matt Cosinuke said upon his hire. "He was impressive during our national search, and he caught our eye with his attention to detail and ability to create genuine relationships. We were looking for a gritty, hungry personality and Mitch has that. I see big things in Mitch's future. He is going to be great for the EKU soccer family."
 
During his time with the Flyers, Hepburn was involved with several aspects of the program, including team travel, film, nutrition, fitness, load management reports, assisting with yearly periodization, recruiting visits and camps/clinics.
 
He helped Dayton qualify for the Atlantic-10 Tournament in 2019. Three Flyers earned all-conference honors at the conclusion of the season.
 
Hepburn has a good pulse on the youth soccer landscape as he attended a number of ECNL events while working on the ECNL National Events staff. Hepburn has also served as an Olympic Development Program Events Administrator for the Midwest, Southern, and Far West Regions since 2016, working a number of regional, national, and international events.

Hepburn arrived at Dayton in the summer of 2019 following two years at his alma mater, the University of Akron, where he was a director of operations graduate assistant for the women's swimming and diving team. During his time at Akron, the Zips were crowned the 2019 Swimming and Diving Mid-American Conference champions and won the 2019 National Invitational Championship.

In the fall of 2016, Hepburn served as the men's soccer Director of Operations for the Zips, who were the 2016 MAC regular season and tournament champions and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hepburn also served as an ID Camp, Day Camp, and Soccer School Camp coach for the Zips men's program from 2015 to 2018.

Hepburn has high school coaching experience at Stow High School in Ohio, as well as club coaching experience at Cleveland FC, Ohio Fusion and Stow Youth Soccer Club. He was also a foot skills coach for the Everest Soccer Club. 
 
"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to join Matt, Kristen and the Big E family," Hepburn said. "I am eager to work alongside the entire staff and continue to learn and grow in this role." 

Hepburn competed collegiately at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina in 2013, before transferring to Akron where he was a member of the nationally-ranked Zips program in 2014-2015.
 
Hepburn has a USSF "D" coaching license. He has also earned the National Federation of State High School Association Fundamentals of Coaching Certification. 

He graduated from Akron in May of 2017 with a bachelor's degree in sport management. Hepburn earned a master's degree in sport science/coaching/sport administration from Akron in May of 2019.