JEFF KNITTEL, DIRECTOR OF COACHING

Jeff is regarded as one of the best soccer players ever to come out of Central New York, and his long list of accomplishments in the game substantiate it. So along with his natural coaching ability, and his history of successfully directing numerous youth soccer programs throughout the North East, it is easy to see why he has developed one of the best reputations throughout CNY within the sport.

Jeff had an exceptional college career at Syracuse University where he was a standout and two-time MVP on the Men’s Soccer team. In addition to these accomplishments, Jeff was also a three-time NSCAA All-American and he represented the U.S. Men’s National Team at the U18 level. In 1994, Jeff was named the NSCAA National High School Player of the Year following an extremely successful High School soccer career, which saw him score a remarkable 152 goals from midfield. He also still holds the New York State record for most career assists (122).

Jeff continued playing professionally after college, and began developing his coaching ability while working with youth players throughout the area. His passion led him into Head Coaching positions at both the High School and College level, which saw him win a High School State Championship at Fulton, and successfully lead the Men’s College Soccer team at OCC respectively.

Due to his excellent contribution to soccer both on and off the field, Jeff was inducted into the New York State Soccer Hall of Fame and was named Director of Coaching at Invictus FC back in early 2019.