Head Coach: Rob Szmarz
Phone: 518-255-5827
E-Mail: SzmarzRJ@cobleskill.edu

After four seasons of directing the Fighting Tigers, Head Coach Rob Szmarz has completely revitalized the Cobleskill program which saw the Black & Orange post the best season in program history in 2006 as the team finished with a 15-2-1 overall mark including an impressive 6-1 record in Mountain Valley Conference play. This led to the program’s second consecutive NJCAA Region III Division III Tournament appearance. The Fighting Tigers finished the year as the 2006 NJCAA Region III Runners-up closing the campaign ranked ninth in the year’s final NJCAA Division III National Poll. For his efforts Coach Szmarz was honored by his peers as both the 2006 Mountain Valley Conference and 2006 NJCAA Region III Division III Coach-of-the-Year and as the 2006 Adidas®/National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Northeastern Junior College Men’s Division III Northeast Coach-of-the-Year. The Fighting Tiger mentor was also honored as the Mountain Valley Conference’s Co-Coach-of-the-Year in 2005.

Since his arrival in 2003 the Fighting Tiger mentor has preached a consistent message: Qualify for post-season play and return the program to the ranks of national prominence. His first season at the helm of the program saw the team come within a half game of accomplishing that feat as the Fighting Tigers posted a 6-7-1 record barely missing qualification for the Region III Division III Tournament. The team spent 2004 in rebuilding mode after posting a 4-10-1 mark then the 2005 season saw the program post a 10-6-1 overall record and return to the NJCAA Region III Division III Tournament. Szmarz has posted an overall 35-25-4 record during his time directing the program.

Under his direction Fighting Tiger players have earned: seven All-Mountain Valley Conference, nine NJCAA All-Region III and six Adidas®/NSCAA All-Region honors. In 2006 Cobleskill defender Phil Venditti, Voorheesville, NY, was named the Mountain Valley Conference Player-of-the-Year and striker Hugh Campbell, Bronx, NY, earned NJCAA Division III and Adidas®/NSCAA All-American honors.

The Queens, NY native began his collegiate career at the University at Albany in 1996 before transferring to Potsdam State where he played for the Bears for three seasons.  Upon graduating from Potsdam with his Bachelor of Arts in History in 2000, Szmarz started his coaching career at The College of New Jersey while earning a Master of Arts in Athletic Administration from the institution in 2002. He comes to SUNY Cobleskill after a brief stint as an Assistant Coach at Clarkson University for the 2002 season. An avid supporter of youth soccer, Szmarz works various camps in the Northeast and in the summer of 2001 coached a youth select team in two European youth tournaments. He currently holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) “D” License as well as an Advanced Regional Diploma from the NSCAA and is currently a staff member of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association’s (ENYYSA) Olympic Development Program (ODP) as of 2006. The Fighting Tiger mentor was a member of the 2005 Adirondack Open Men’s Soccer Team for the Empire State Games.

In addition to his coaching, Szmarz serves as the Fighting Tigers Assistant Athletic Director in which capacity he oversees operations in the areas of campus recreation, intramurals, event management and facility staffing/facility operations. He also instructs courses in the college’s Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports Studies.

Szmarz, his wife Michelle and their daughter McKenna Lynn currently reside in Gloversville, NY.