Northern Michigan University

David Poggi enters his sixth season leading the Northern Michigan Men's Soccer program. 

During the 2020-21 season, Poggi led the team to a 4-3-1 record which gave them a program-best winning percentage both overall (.563) and in conference play (.571). The shortened season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw the Wildcats make their fourth-straight GLIAC Tournament appearance. NMU also had a record four student-athletes make All-GLIAC teams with Kaffie Kurz, Ryan Palmbaum, Niko Scheibal, and Alex Weaver all earning honors. Another record was broken in the 2020-21 season as sophomore Ryan Palmbaum broke the career assists record with a total of 10 assists.

Poggi led the Wildcats to a historical season in 2019 as he guided the squad to the most wins in a season and most conference wins. The Wildcats posted eight wins on the season and their seven wins in the GLIAC more than doubled their previous best. Luca Lippert set program history with the first-ever hat trick against Purdue Northwest University while Ryan Palmbaum posted the second-fastest hat trick in DII history against Upper Iowa University, scoring three goals in just three minutes, 45 seconds. The season concluded with the third-straight appearance in the GLIAC Tournament.

Poggi led the Wildcats to their second-straight GLIAC tournament in 2018 and the program's first-ever national ranking, ranking as high as #21 after an undefeated month of September. The Wildcats opened the year 6-0-2 which included five consecutive shutouts. 

In the second season, the Wildcats advanced to the GLIAC Tournament for the first time in program history where they earned an upset victory over a ranked Tiffin squad in the quarterfinal round. The 2-1 win was the first postseason victory in the program's two-year history, while Poggi also guided the Wildcats to increased wins and an increased win percentage.

Poggi led the Wildcats to a 5-10-2 (5-9-2 GLIAC) record in their first season of competition. Northern Michigan played in nine one-goal games, including a 2-1 upset at then-No. 12 Tiffin on Sept. 23. Two Wildcats, Ívar Árnason, and Sveinn Karlsson, ultimately garnered all-GLIAC accolades for their performance.

Poggi brought to Northern Michigan almost 30 years of coaching experience at the professional, collegiate and club levels.

Prior to arriving at NMU, Poggi was the head men’s soccer coach at Division III Sewanee (Tenn.), where he trained 12 all-Southern Athletic Association honorees. The Tigers also earned high marks in the classroom during his seven-year tenure, placing 79 players on the SAA academic honor roll and earning two National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Awards.

Before taking the helm at Sewanee, Poggi coached two collegiate women’s teams in Louisiana, NAIA Loyola University New Orleans (2005-07) and Division I Louisiana-Lafayette (2000-05). As the first head coach in Ragin’ Cajun history, he built the program from scratch, and three of his student-athletes went on to earn all-Sun Belt accolades while 67 made the Sun Belt commissioner’s honor roll.

Poggi also served as the head men’s soccer coach at Division II Truman State (Mo.) and Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay, leading both teams to a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.

At the professional level, Poggi has coached in the United States, Belize, and Denmark. In 2003, he was an assistant coach on the Regent Challenge Cup champion Sagitun FC. In 1997 and 1998, he led the Lafayette SwampCats of the Eastern Indoor Soccer League to regular and postseason titles.

Poggi graduated from Oregon in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He earned his master’s degree in physical education, athletic administration, and sports psychology from Oregon in 1985. He also holds a United States Soccer Federation A license.

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