University of Rhode Island

Gareth Elliott enters his 13th season as head coach of the Rhode Island men’s soccer program in 2025. The Belfast, Northern Ireland native has been a part of seven of URI’s eight Atlantic 10 Championships, winning two as a player (1999, 2000), two as head coach (2018, 2019) and three as an assistant coach (2003, 2005, 2006).

Elliott got his head coaching start at Siena (2008-12), before returning to Kingston to take over the URI program in 2013.

Elliott has an overall record of 102-77-30, making him the third coach in program history to top 100 victories with the Rams. Only Ed Bradley (192-137-22 in 17 seasons) and Geza Henni (175-107-31 in 20 seasons) have more wins and longer tenures in program history. Since going 0-8 in Atlantic 10 action in his first season at the helm, Elliott is 43-31-11 in conference play, with a winning record in 10 of the last 12 years.

After going 2-14 in his first season back at URI Elliott transformed 2013’s last-place Rams into the nation’s 21st-ranked team as well as the top-seed entering the 2014 A-10 championship. It marked the first time in the history of the conference that a team claimed the regular season title after going winless in the league the year before.

Before Rhody’s remarkable 2014 turnaround, the Atlantic 10 had not seen a team post more than three conference victories in the year immediately following a winless A-10 campaign. Elliott’s Rams shattered that record, going 7-1 in conference to claim the regular season title. Rhody also advanced to the A-10 title game, falling to Fordham 1-0 to finish 13-5-3.

For his role in Rhode Island’s success, Elliott was named the 2014 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. He also boasted the A-10’s Rookie of the Year in freshman goalkeeper Nils Leifhelm, who collected a host of postseason accolades, including three different Freshman All-American awards.

That 2014 season sparked a run of six straight years where the Rams advanced to the semifinals of the A-10 Championship, including winning back-to-back Atlantic 10 titles in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, Rhode Island clinched the A-10’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by shutting out Fordham (2-0, quarterfinals), VCU (1-0, semifinals) and George Mason (2-0, championship game) in the league’s postseason tournament. The following season Rhody defeated Davidson 7-3 in the semifinals and played Fordham to a 0-0 draw in the semis before advancing to the finals with a nine-round shootout win. In the title game, URI knocked off Dayton, 1-0.

URI entered the 2019 NCAA Tournament ranked 16th in the nation by Soccer America poll, and 23rd by College Soccer News. In 2018, the Rams jumped in and out of the national rankings all season, but entered the NCAA Tournament ranked in all four national polls (21st-Top Drawer Soccer, 23rd-United Soccer Coaches, 23rd-Soccer America, 30th-College Soccer News).

Following the 2022 season, forward Patrick Agyemang was drafted 12th overall by Charlotte FC in the 2023 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, making him the highest draft pick in program history. Agyemang was named to Team USA in January of 2025, earned a spot on the 2025 MLS All-Star Team and joined Derby County of the English Championship 

In 2024, Elliott had his second player selected in the MLS SuperDraft in three seasons. Patrick Gryczewski was picked in the third round by Austin FC.

In five seasons at Siena, Elliott turned in the best winning percentage of any coach in program history as he guided the Saints to an overall record of 42-40-9 (.511) and a 24-14-5 (.616) mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). He also mentored the first three student-athletes in program history who went on to play professionally.

The 2012 MAAC Coach of the Year, Elliott guided Siena to a 6-1 conference record in 2012 - the Saints’ highest ever winning percentage (.857) in league play. Siena also had four players named to the All-Conference squad - including 2012 Offensive Player of the Year Sindre Ek - as well as three All-Rookie selections. Additionally, captains Jannis Opalka and James Beeston were two of just 28 Division I student-athletes named to the NSCAA’s Scholar All-America Team.

During his time in Loudonville, Elliott’s teams had tremendous success in the classroom. In 2012, Siena earned an NSCAA Team Academic Award after posting the 12th highest team GPA amongst all Division I program (3.38) and set a program record with 10 student-athletes being named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. Last year, Opalka became the first student-athlete in program history to be named one of just 30 candidates for the prestigious Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.

In 2011, Elliott guided Siena to the program’s first-ever wins over nationally-ranked opponents, defeating No. 15 Ohio State (1-0) and No. 16 Iona (1-0). That year, the Saint’s defense finished the season ranked 34th in the country, allowing just 0.89 goals per game.

Siena’s offense was the story in 2010 as the Saints scored a program-record 49 goals, ranking them fourth nationally. After beginning the season at 1-4, the Saints rebounded to go 9-4-1 over their final 14 games, including a 7-2 showing in the MAAC. 

Additionally, Siena’s Emory Welshman was awarded the 2010 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year award and five other players earned All-MAAC honors. 

The Saints went 8-8-3 overall in 2009 and posted the program’s first ever win over an ACC opponent (Boston College, 1-0). Elliott’s recruiting also yielded three MAAC All-Rookie Team selections as well as the MAAC Rookie of the Year.

In his first year as a Division I head coach (2008), Elliott’s Saints went 9-8-1 and won seven conference games - their most since joining the MAAC in 1989. 

Prior to taking over the Saints’ program, Elliott spent five seasons as an assistant at Rhode Island - three under URI Hall of Famer Ed Bradley and two under John O’Connor. During that period, URI captured three Atlantic 10 championship titles (2003, 2005, 2006) and made three NCAA tournament appearances. 

Eleven different Rams that Elliott coached in that span also went on to play professionally: Perek Bellah, Sasha Gotsmanov, Simon Gatti, Dean Ruddy, Jeff Gonsalves, Callum Bissett, Danleigh Borman, Geoff Cameron, Adam Howarth, Lukasz Tumicz and Michael Tanke.

Elliott stands among the most successful student-athletes in Rhode Island soccer history. During his playing career (1998-2001), he led the Rams to two Atlantic 10 regular-season titles, two Atlantic 10 postseason championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He ranks seventh all-time at URI with 87 career points in 78 games played, is fourth overall in assists (25) and is ninth in goals (31).

An NSCAA All-Region selection and three-time A-10 All-Championship team honoree, Elliott was named MVP of the 2000 Atlantic 10 tournament before leading URI to NCAA Sweet 16.

Following graduation, Elliott played professionally for one season with the Ards Football Club of the Irish Premier League. 

Elliott is married to the former Abby Thornbladh, who was a member of the Rhode Island volleyball team from 2001-04. The couple has two daughters, Chloe and Kelsie, and a son, Max.

Updated: 8/13/25