GREENVILLE, Ill. - The Greenville University men's soccer program has announced the hiring of Tim Byrnes as its full-time assistant coach.
Byrnes comes to Greenville after his fourth year as the head soccer coach at Gateway Sports Academy, an internationally based college preparatory school. Byrnes spent the previous four years building this prestigious program from the ground up, which led to the development and eventual collegiate placement of over 60 international student athletes from 10 different countries.
"I am really excited to have Tim back at Greenville" said head men's soccer coach Chris Swift. "He brings great experience to our program, and I am really looking forward to working with him as we look to take the next step and compete at a national level."
Before starting at Gateway Sports Academy, Byrnes began his collegiate soccer coaching career at Belhaven University in 2012. Here he was able to help guide the men's team to an NAIA National Championship that same season, and also to the round of eight the following season in 2013. During the 2014-2015 season, he moved back to the St. Louis area and assistant coached the men's team at NCAA Division II Maryville University.
In addition to his collegiate experience, Byrnes assistant coached the West Palm Beach PDL team in the summer of 2018. Prior to this, he was also selected to coach and manage some of the top NAIA players in an eight-game national tour in the summer of 2013. These games were used to showcase and connect players with professional clubs, and as a result of this tour, five were able to move on to play in a professional capacity.
Byrnes was born and raised in the Metro St. Louis area where he also played club, high school, and collegiate soccer. He spent his personal collegiate career playing in both the NAIA and NCAA and finished his career at Greenville College in 2004. His time at Greenville was spent helping to build the program with Coach Brian McMahon by assisting with recruiting and student leadership. "I am very proud of the time I spent at Greenville and the experience has profoundly shaped my professional and personal life," Byrnes said. "The opportunity to coach again at my alma mater and invest in the development of young men as people and athletes is a dream come true."
