Calise Rejoins Women’s Soccer Staff as Assistant Coach

Photo courtesy of David Silverman.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Former Harvard assistant coach Mike Calise has rejoined the women’s soccer staff in the same capacity, head coach Ray Leone recently announced. Calise previously served as an assistant coach in Cambridge during the 2005 and 2006 seasons and will be reunited with Leone, who Calise worked under at Arizona State from 2000-04.

“We are thrilled to work with Mike again,” Leone said. “He was my assistant at Arizona State for five years and is one of the top recruiters and assistants in the country. He will do an outstanding job for the Crimson and we look forward to him joining us for our spring practices and helping us prepare for a challenging 2010 season.”

Calise, who most recently was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Boston College, was the top assistant coach with the Crimson during his previous tenure at Harvard. During his time in Cambridge, he helped to organize a defense which finished the 2005 season as the ninth ranked defense in the nation (0.473 goals against per game) and was fifth in the nation in shutout percentage with a school record 11 shutouts in 16 matches.

Prior to Harvard, Calise spent four years at Arizona State, where he was elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2004 season. Calise brought two top-10 classes to the Sun Devils, including a school-best No.4 national ranking for the 2002 class by Soccer America and Soccer Buzz.

Calise's on and off the field performances have been noted nationally as he was selected as one of the nation's five women's soccer collegiate assistant coaches to be awarded the second annual AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year Award. The criteria is based on longevity, expertise, contributions to the school and community, and special achievements throughout their careers. In 2002, he was also selected to receive Nike/April Heinrichs Coaching Education Award.

Over his four-year tenure as an assistant coach under Leone in Tempe, the Sun Devils achieved an overall record of 43-29-8, and twice qualified for the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, Calise assisted the Sun Devils to the second-round of the NCAA Championship for the third time in the four years and recorded the highest winning percentage in school history (.690). The Sun Devils also set another school mark as they finished the season ranked in the top-25 by all four major polls.

Prior to Arizona State, Calise was at Princeton, where he helped build the Tigers into a nationally-prominent program, leading them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1983 and their first Ivy League crown since 1982. Instrumental in the team's success, Calise assisted Princeton to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000.

Calise earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Boston College in 1997, where he was a four-year member of the men's soccer team. He was also a member of the Eagles' 1995 Big East championship team.