Missouri State

Jon Leamy started as the Bears' head coach in 1992, making him the longest tenured men's soccer head coach in the program's NCAA history. 

Leamy, the winningest coach in school history, sits atop the record books in both total wins (309) and winning percentage (.606). He amassed 10 MVC regular season titles (1997, 1999, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020-21, 2021) and three MVC Tournament Championships (1999, 2020, 2021). He has hit several coaching plateaus including the 150-win mark in 2005, the 200-win plateau in 2011 and the 250-win bench mark. On September 30, 2017, Leamy recorded his 250th victory verses Valparaiso with a 1-0 shutout at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium. His 300th career win came in a 1-0 shutout against Bradley on October 2, 2021 in Peoria, Ill.

During his tenure, the Bears have been nationally-ranked on eight different occasions and have made the NCAA Tournament six times (1997, 1999, 2009, 2019, 2020-21, 2021) with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2020-21.

The six-time MVC Coach of the Year and four-time Midwest Region Coach of the Year has produced 162 all-conference selections and 85 MVC Scholar-Athlete picks. He is also the winningest MVC coach with 121 career victories in league play.

In the spring of 2021, under Leamy’s leadership, Missouri State continued to reach new heights with its second straight – and fifth overall – NCAA Tournament appearance and earned a trip to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.  The Bears secured their NCAA Tournament second-round win over Maryland on May 2, 2021 in legendary fashion with a thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind victory which featured MSU scoring a pair of goals in the final five minutes.  For the second consecutive season, Missouri State won nine straight matches to begin the year and claimed the MVC regular-season championship as Leamy and the rest of the MSU coaching contingent were named MVC Coaching Staff of the Year.  Playing on their home pitch, Leamy’s Bears went on to double-up on league trophies with their second MVC Tournament championship.  Overall, the 2020-21 team included nine All-MVC players, two All-Americans, a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and the United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year.

In 2019, Leamy guided the Bears to a program-best 18-1-1 record which culminated with the club’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  MSU made history on Nov. 21, 2019 by earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory with a 1-0 result against Denver in front of a stadium-record crowd at Allison South.  After posting the first perfect regular season in club history (16-0), they also became the first MVC team to go 10-0 in league play while claiming their eighth conference regular-season championship.  The Bears set a team record for most wins in a season and boasted the nation’s longest winning streak since 2009 with a 17-game winning stretch.  Leamy’s 2019 squad featured 10 All-Conference selections, three All-Americans, two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. 

Leamy led the Bears to the third longest winning streak in the country and the first top-25 ranking since 2009 during the 2018 season. The Bears went 11 matches without giving up a loss, falling to Loyola 1-0 (Oct. 13). Bears' defense, recorded a .70 goals-against-average, which was the 16th lowest GAA in the nation and led the MVC. Josh Dolling posed the program’s 21^st hat trick against Santa Clara (Sept. 11) scoring all three goals for the Bears, including the game winner at the 107^th minute. Dolling’s second goal was marked No. 3 on Sports Center’s Top-10 on Sept. 12. MSU's season ended in dramatic fashion, going down 5-4 in penalty kicks to Central Arkansas in the MVC Semifinals (Nov. 11).

The Bears took home their seventh MVC regular season title in 2017 after going 5-2-1 in league play. MSU clinched the title after a 0-0 draw with Drake (11/4) which marks the first outright MVC Championship since 2014. It was also the program’s forth crown in the last seven seasons. The Bears advanced to the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Championship after a thrilling semifinal against Evansville where MSU advanced 6-5 on penalty kicks. The squad went down 1-0 in the final to Central Arkansas in overtime. 

The MSU coaching staff put together a top notch defensive effort in 2017. The Bears ‘bend but don’t break’ defense gave up 181 shots through 17 games, but only gave up nine goals. MSU’s goals against average in 2017 ranked as the lowest in the MVC and top-five in the country.  

For the first time in program history, Missouri State men's soccer won the MVC crown in consecutive seasons (2014, 2015). After an undefeated conference run (4-0-2), including tying their own Valley record with just one goal conceited, the Bears won the conference title in dramatic fashion with a game-winning overtime goal in the final game of the regular season in 2015. The home crowd witnessed Leamy's sixth regular-season MVC championship.

The Bears broke several school records in 2013, including leading the nation in goals against average (8 goals allowed in 18 games) for the first time in program history. The Bears allowed just one goal in conference play and recorded 10 shutouts (including 7 consecutive) on the season. Leamy's fifth regular-season MVC championship and fifth Coaching Staff of the Year honor brings Missouri State to the top of the list for active Valley schools in both categories.

Leamy and the MSU coaching staff orchestrated an imposing defensive product in 2012, limiting opponents to 14 goals, which tied a school record for fewest goals allowed in a single season. Additionally, the Bears' defense recorded six shutouts and allowed just three multi-goal games through 17 matches.

In 2011, Leamy's squad bounced back from an 0-4-1 start to finish above .500 and secure the top seed in the MVC Tournament. The Bears went 5-1 in league play and clinched a share of the regular-season title with NCAA semifinalist Creighton. Another highlight of the 2011 season came when Missouri State registered its first-ever win over a top-five opponent, shutting out the No. 4-ranked Creighton Bluejays, 1-0, at Plaster Field on Oct. 12.

The 2009 campaign proved to be successful as the Bears finished the season 12-5-2 (7-1-1 MVC) and were crowned MVC regular-season champs. Despite an early exit from the MVC Tournament semifinals, Missouri State still received a bid to the NCAA Tournament. For the second time in three NCAA appearances, the Bears drew Saint Louis, but found the back of the net just once on 22 shots in the 2-1 loss to the Billikens.

Leamy and his group of Bears had a terrific year in 2005, reeling off a 10-match unbeaten streak to start the season, culminating in a No. 9 national ranking by the NSCAA. The team improved to 12-1-2 before dropping its final three matches of the season to finish 12-4-2. Highlights of the season included a school-record five-match shutout streak from Sept. 9-23 and an offensive attack that ranked atop the conference in goals and points for much of the season.

Forward Ryan Anderson became the first player in school history to earn conference player of the year honors, sharing the award with Drake's Jesse Baker in 2005. Anderson was also the first player in school history to be voted to the NSCAA/adidas All-America team, earning second-team honors.

In 2004, the Bears flew out of the gate with the nation's second-longest unbeaten streak (11 matches), dating back to the 2003 season. The streak resumed in 2004 with a tie against Loyola Marymount before the Bears rattled off seven straight victories. MSU finished at 11-6-2 on the season and was 4-4-1 in the MVC to tie for fifth place. Leamy saw two players drafted, Lascody (35th overall) by the Kansas City Wizards, and Jim Levesque by the St. Louis Steamers of the MISL. Lascody was the fourth MSU player in three years to be drafted into Major League Soccer.

In 2003, the Bears finished 9-7-3 overall and knocked off the MVC Tournament top seed and 18th-ranked Creighton Bluejays, 1-0 on the Bluejays' home field in the tournament quarterfinals. The Bears then battled 19th-ranked Bradley to a 1-1 tie in the semifinals, only to lose the contest on penalty kicks.

Leamy took the Bears to new heights in 2000, as they climbed as high as third in the national polls. Leamy picked up career win number 100 in a 2-1 victory over then eighth-ranked and eventual NCAA national finalist Creighton on September 29. The Bears finished the season 9-7-3 after injuries saw the team drop five one-goal matches.

In 1999, the Bears finished the season 17-1-3 overall, were outright Valley regular season and tournament champions and earned the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament seeding. While accumulating a 20-match unbeaten streak, MSU was ranked in the nation's top 10 for seven consecutive weeks. For his efforts, Leamy earned both the Valley and Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors and was an NSCAA National Coach of the Year finalist.

Leamy led the Bears to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1997, as the Bears went 13-5-3 and 6-0-1 in MVC play and won the Valley regular season championship.

A native of Ipswich, Mass., Leamy graduated from Roanoke (Va.) College in 1982. He captained the nationally-ranked Maroons for two years and earned all-conference honors as a defender.

Leamy's coaching career began in 1982 as an assistant at his alma mater. He was an assistant at Dartmouth College for one season before becoming a graduate assistant at Illinois State University in 1984. He spent three seasons with the Redbirds before taking over as head coach at Columbia (Mo.) College in 1987, where he started the soccer program. He also served as a coach for Blue Springs (Mo.) High in 1989. Leamy returned to the Illinois State soccer program in 1989 and helped guide the 1990 team to a school-record 14-win season and its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

In addition to his decorated collegiate experience, Leamy has spent extensive time working with youth soccer programs. He has served as director of the Illinois Youth Soccer Association Boys Olympic Development Program, and is currently the director of the Missouri State Soccer School. Leamy also served as a Midwest Olympic Development Regional staff coach.

Leamy earned his master's degree in athletic administration from Illinois State in 1986. He holds both NSCAA and Advanced National coaching diplomas and is licensed by the U. S. Soccer Federation and the Football Association of Ireland.

Leamy and his wife, Diane, have two sons, Cody and Colton.

30 seasons | 309-189-66 Overall, 121-71-23 MVC

Leamy's Year-by-Year Record at Missouri State