James Thorpe returned to Rhode Island for his second stint with the Rams in February of 2019. Thorpe joined the women's soccer staff at Rhode Island after spending the last three years at Boston College as an assistant coach for the women's soccer program.
While at Boston College, Thorpe was responsible for monitoring the academic progress of the student-athletes while also providing one-on-one instruction with the team. He also assisted in domestic and international recruiting and scouting opponents and the development and implementation of tactical and technical training sessions for the goalkeepers and field players.
This will be Thorpe's second stint with the Rams, after previously working with the men's soccer staff for two seasons. Thorpe worked primarily with URI's goalkeepers, including Nils Leifhelm, a three-time All-American as a freshman in 2014.
The 2007 NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, Thorpe had an outstanding career at Franklin Pierce, where he helped lead the Ravens to a national title his senior year. In addition to being a national champion, he was a three-time All-American, a four-time Northeast-10 Goalkeeper of the Year and a four-time All-New England First Team honoree.
Thorpe also set the NCAA record - for all divisions - for minutes played, logging 8,391:11 over 93 career matches. He left Franklin Pierce as both the program's and conference's record-holder for career shutouts (49), career goals against average (0.66) and consecutive shutout minutes (578:52).
Thorpe went on to a professional career which included stints in both the MLS (D.C. United, 2008) and USL (Western Mass Pioneers, 2009). He then spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Evansville before joining the Holy Cross staff for the 2012 season.
A native of East Longmeadow, Mass., Thorpe earned his undergraduate degree from Franklin Pierce in 2008 and his graduate degree from Evansville in 2011.
updated 8/21/20
