Flagler College Athletics

Coaching Experience
• Head Coach, Flagler College (1999-present)
• Head Coach, Bluefield College (1996-1998)
• Assistant Coach (men's and women's), Bloomsburg University (1993-95)

Education
B.S., Leisure Resources and Facilities Management, Green Mountain College, 1993

Coaching at Flagler
John Lynch begins his 19th year at the helm of the men’s soccer program at Flagler College and has a career mark of 178-136-28 with the Saints. In 21 years overall as a head coach, Lynch has a 197-165-32 record.

Last fall, two of his players earned all-region and All-Peach Belt Conference honors and the Saints advanced to the league semifinals..

In 2015, Jonny Cosgrove earned consensus all-region honors while Jackie Kay and Marco Warren were also selected to an all-region team. Cosgrove, Lex Craggs and Erlend Lofsgaard earned academic all-conference honors. The Saints finished with a 9-6-1 record, the program's eighth-consecutive season of posting an overall record with a .500 or better winning percentage.

The 2014 season saw defender Jackie Kay earn all-region and all-conference honors for the Saints. Four players earned academic all-conference accolades and the team took home the NSCAA academic award. The year also saw a former standout, Joseph Toby, get picked up by the Jacksonville Armada.

In 2012, the Saints finished in a tie for second place in the Peach Belt and advanced to the NCAA national tournament for the fourth year in a row. Flagler once served as host of the third and quarterfinal rounds of the national tournament for the second consecutive season. The Saints also hosted a second round match.

Lynch and his charges had a banner year in 2011. The Saints won both the regular and post season titles in the PBC and they advanced to the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals where Flagler hosted Lynn, the first NCAA regional contest held in St. Augustine. Lynch coached the PBC's Player of the Year in Johan Bergfeld, and he went on to earn the PBC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. Five players earned all-conference honors while Lynch took home Coach of the Year honors in the league as well as the NSCAA Southeast Region Coach of the Year.

In 2009, he guided Flagler to the Peach Belt Conference regular season title, in its first year in the league, and an NCAA Southeast Regional appearance. Lynch was also selected as the PBC's and the NSCAA's Southeast Region Coach of the Year. He has coached Flagler to back-to-back appearances at the NCAA Southeast Regional. Lynch also led the Saints to a 2002 Florida Sun Conference Championship, a NAIA Region XIV title and an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament appearance. 

Lynch collected his 100th win at Flagler on Oct. 24, 2009 in a 2-1 win at North Georgia.

Lynch has coached several honorable mention NAIA All-Americans and several All-Americans including Olafur Thor Gunnarsson (1999), Donny This (2001), Wayne Reilly (2001) and Neil Patrickson (2004). His first NCAA Division II All-American was Johan Bergfeld (2010). Bergfeld was named All-American in 2011 and was joined by Joseph Toby.



Lynch Notables
• NSCAA Southeast Region Coach of the Year (2009 and 2011)
• Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year (2009, 2011, 2015)
• Coached team to PBC regular season title (2009 and 2011)
• Coached team to PBC Tournament title (2011)
• Coached team to NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
• Coached team to an elite eight appearance (2011)
• NAIA Region XIV Coach of the Year (2002)
• Florida Sun Conference Coach of the Year (2002)

Prior to Flagler
Lynch served as the head coach at Bluefield (Va.) College where he led the Rams to their first-ever Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference Title. He posted a record of 20-28-4.

He went to Bluefield from NCAA Division II power, Bloomsburg (Pa.) University where he served as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams. While at Bloomsburg, Lynch spent the summer months coaching at camps at Penn State, Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J.

Lynch earned his bachelor’s degree in leisure resources and facilities management from Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt., graduating at the head of the class. He earned his master’s degree in communication studies from Bloomsburg. At Green Mountain, Lynch played on some of the top NAIA teams in the country. He helped lead the Eagles to a pair of NAIA Tournament appearances (1991 and 1992) and was a two-time Academic All-America award.

A native of Summerhill, Ireland, Lynch holds his FAI (Football Association of Ireland) coaching badge and has worked at and conducted camps in both Ireland and the United States. Lynch also teaches several communications courses at Flagler and is an academic advisor.

Personal
He and his wife, Susan, have two sons, Keegan and Cullan.