From Carnegie Mellon University Athletics

Carnegie Mellon University head men's soccer coach Brandon Bowman has announced that Jonathan Velotta will join him as the full-time assistant coach for the 2014-2015 season. Velotta comes to Pittsburgh with over 11 years of coaching experience at the club, Division II and Division I levels.

Velotta began his coaching career as the assistant men's soccer coach at the University of Louisville in 2003, directly after he graduated from Brescia University with a bachelor's degree in English. Most recently, Velotta spent four years as the head women's soccer coach at Bellarmine University where he led the program to a 51-18-9 record and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship Tournament.

While at Bellarmine, Velotta was named the 2011 NSCAA Midwest Regional Coach of the Year and the 2011 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Coach of the Year. He coached a three-time All-American, who was also named the conference's defensive player of the year twice, and the 2013 GLVC Freshman of the Year. Prior to taking the reigns of the women's program in 2010, Velotta served as the assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs since the 2006 season and was named the associate head coach in 2009.

"I am excited to add such an experienced coach to our Carnegie Mellon soccer coaching staff," Bowman said. "Jonathan's successful runs at Bellarmine University, the University of Louisville and Kentucky Fire Juniors Soccer Club will serve our program well as we try to shape our student athletes both in the classroom and on the field. Jonathan has developed high caliber players and championship teams everywhere he has coached. We are excited to work together to add to the rich CMU soccer tradition."

Velotta, who obtained his United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "A" License in 2005, has also held key roles in the Olympic Development Program and at the club level since 2003. As a Region II assistant, Velotta traveled to Costa Rica with the 1998 Girls Region II team where they competed against international competition. He was recently the assistant coach of the 2000 Girls Region II ODP team and previously held the head coaching role of Kentucky's 1992 and 1993 girls teams. In the club circuit, Velotta has held posts of Youth Technical Director, Director of Coaching and Assistant Technical Director, serving as the latter two with Kentucky Fire Juniors since 2006.

As a player at Brescia, Velotta was a 2002 NAIA All-American, team captain and earned all-conference honors twice.

"I'm honored to be a part of the Carnegie Mellon family," Velotta said. "I look forward to working with Head Coach Brandon Bowman in continuing the successful tradition of the men's soccer program."