Matt Convertino, Head Coach
Phone: 601- 605-3412
Email: mconvertino@holmescc.edu
Matt Convertino begins his ninth season as head coach of the Bulldogs. Since taking over in 2002 Convertino has guided the team to its finest seasons in school history. Holmes has seen itself rise from a last place MACJC finish in 2002 (1-11-1, 12nd out of 12 teams) to their best record to date in 2006 (13-4-1, 2nd out of 12 teams). In doing so Convertino’s teams have rewritten the record books posting the program’s most shutouts, highest goals-for and lowest goals against average, as well as the most and least goals ever scored in a season. Under Convertino, the Bulldogs have also boasted least amount of bookings in a season as well as their best MACJC north division finish.
Over the last several seasons Convertino’s Bulldogs have been honored with both Athletic and Academic recognition for their achievements. Since 2002, the Holmes soccer program has been awarded 12 MACJC All-State awards, 3 NJCAA Region 23 selections as well as 2 NJCAA Academic All-American and 2 Distinguished Academic All-American Awards.
Before coming to Holmes, Convertino was the head coach at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi. During his three seasons with Itawamba from 1999-2001, Convertino led the program to some of their best seasons up until that point highlighted with a 12-4-1 campaign in 2000 with trips to post season play in both 2000 and 2001.
Prior to coaching at Itawamba Matt was assistant men’s and women’s coach at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. While at Spring Hill, Convertino helped the women’s team complete their first winning season in school history as well as assisting the men’s team in doubling their most wins ever in a single season. The men’s team also achieved their first conference victory and best record in school history up to that point.
In addition to coaching on the college level, Convertino has also worked extensively with youth soccer in Mississippi. He was the Director of Coaching for Tupelo Futbol Club in 2000 and 2001, coaching both the U-11 boys and U-16 girls age groups. To highlight is term at TFC, while under Convertino’s direction seven out of eight teams that qualified for the 2001 Mississippi Youth Soccer Association’s Snicker’s State Cup made it out of pool play into the semi-final round. A great achievement for the mid-sized club.
Convertino has been a staff coach with the Chicago Fire Juniors of Mississippi for the past four years. Most recently coaching the last two seasons with the 96’ boys White. As coach, the team has won an almost unprecedented 7 tournament championships while being finalists in two additional tournaments.
While working with the Chicago Fire Juniors of Mississippi, Convertino has taken two trips to Europe. The first in 2006 as an assistant coach with the ’91 Boys. The team traveled to Barcelona winning the Copa Maresma Championship while playing additional friendly games in Maastricht, Holland. The team recorded an overall 9-1 record while in Europe and was also able to travel to Cologne, Germany to watch Portugal play Angola in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In 2008 Convertino again traveled to Spain as an assistant coach for a team of handpicked players from the Chicago Fire Juniors of Mississippi plus the Chicago Fire Juniors of Illinois. The team was shown a truly unique experience while staying in the Vitora-Gasteiz region of the Basque country training at La Liga member Deportivo Alavez’s facilities. Over the course the of trip the team won all four of their matches including a team associated with the Athletico Bilbao youth development system and one of the Deportivo Alavez youth professional teams.
In addition to select soccer Convertino has also worked with the Mississippi Youth Soccer Association as an Olympic Development Program Staff coach as well as MYSA’s instructional staff as Central District Director of Coaching. As an ODP Staff Coach, Convertino led the ’87 boys to only two losses over a two year period of interstate competition. As a member of the instructional staff Convertino conducted practice sessions for MYSA’s Tupelo Center of Excellence as well as instruct United States Soccer Federation level I, II, and III youth module licensing courses throughout the state of Mississippi.
In the summer months Convertino has worked some of the country’s top camps including the Clemson Soccer Academy, Mississippi State Youth Soccer Camp, the United States Military Academy Soccer Camp at West Point, and the Chesapeake Soccer Academy. Convertino is also the current proprietor of his own camp and clinician business; Going To Goal Fast Footwork Soccer Clinics. G2G continues to achieve its goal of developing dynamic and deceptive two footed soccer players that can maintain confidence on the ball under high pressure situations.
A native of Utica, New York Convertino played two years at Herkimer County Community College in Herkimer, N.Y., where he helped the Generals win the 1994 NJCAA National Championship as well as two Mountain Valley Conference Championships, two NJCAA Region III Championships. After attending Herkimer, Matt went on to the University of Mobile where the Rams won the University of Mobile’s first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship and NAIA Southwest Regional Championship. The Rams also made two national tournament appearances, finishing with top-10 national rankings both years.
Year-By-Year Head Coaching Records
Year School Record Finish
1999 ICC 7-5-4 3rd MACJC North Division
2000 ICC 12-3-1 2nd MACJC North Division, Conference Finalist, 3rd NJCAA Region 23
2001 ICC 8-5-1 2nd MACJC North Division, Conference Semi-finalist, 4th NJCAA Region 23
2002 HCC 1-7-1 6th MACJC North Division, 12th out of 12 overall NJCAA Region 23
2003 HCC 6-8-2 4th MACJC North Division, 8th out of 12 overall NJCAA Region 23
2004 HCC 9-4-1 3rd MACJC North Division, 6th out of 12 overall NJCAA Region 23
2005 HCC 8-4-1 3rd MACJC North Division, 6th out of 12 overall NJCAA Region 23
2006 HCC 13-4-1 2nd MACJC North Division, Conference Finalist, 2nd NJCAA Region 23
2007 HCC 10-5-1 3rd MACJC North Division, 5th out of 12 overall NJCAA Region 23
Overall Head Coaching Record: 74-45-14
Year-By-Year Assistant Coaching Records
Year School Record
1998 SHC(m) 8-7
1998 SHC(w) 7-8
Overall Assistant Coaching Record: 15-15-0 (.500)
Qualifications
National “B” Coaching License
United States Soccer Federation; Deerfield, Massachusetts w June 2001
National “C” Coaching License
United States Soccer Federation; Atlanta, Georgia w May 2000
National Youth License
United States Soccer Federation; Orange, California w May 2000
National “D” Coaching License
United States Soccer Federation; Tupelo, Mississippi w July 1999
Keith was born in Clarksdale, MS on June 29, 1963. He is a graduate of Clarksdale High School and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Mississippi State University. Keith is a 1998 graduate of the Allied Health Program at Hinds Community College where he earned a degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant. He received his Athletic Training Certification in 2003 from the National Association of Athletic Trainers.
Keith completed an internship with the Jackson Bandits, an affiliate of the East Coast Hockey League. He is currently employed with Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center as a Physical Therapist Assistant and Certified Athletic Trainer. He was previously employed by Mississippi Baptist Health Systems. Keith has worked with numerous schools and teams throughout the Jackson Metro area and is currently the athletic trainer at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison.
Keith and his wife, Cathy, have two sons and are members of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Madison. At St. Francis, Keith serves as the Altar Server Coordinator and is a member of the Parish Liturgy Committee and the Knights of Columbus.