Sport Management Student/Alum Spotlight: Paul Templeton

Paul Templeton ’12, MS ’19 was named Senior Coordinator of Coaching Education and Player Development for Major League Soccer in January 2023. A former collegiate soccer coach, from 2019 – 2023 he served as head men’s soccer coach at Manhattanville College where he led the Valiants to a second-consecutive undefeated conference regular season in 2021, as Manhattanville went 10-0-1 against the Skyline Conference en route to securing the No. 1 overall seed in the conference tournament. In all, the Valiants went 12-5-2 in the 2021 and advanced to a conference finals game for the first time since 2009. Under Templeton's tuteledge, the Valiants had seven players named all-conference selections, with four earning First Team distinctions. Sophomore goalkeeper Luis Granados set single-season program records in goals-against average (0.55) and save percentage (.885) in his first year on the pitch, while junior Eli Pardo tied the single-season record for game-winning goals with seven.

In his first season at the helm, Templeton guided the Valiants to a 13-2-3 overall record — tied for the third-most wins in program history — including an astounding 10-0-1 record in regular-season Skyline Conference play. Templeton's squad earned the No. 2 overall seed in the Skyline Tournament as he guided eight Valiants to all-conference selections, including four on the first team. Additionally, he coached junior midfielder Pablo Bravo Olle to a program-record 16 single-season assists en route to his Skyline Offensive Player of the Year honor.

Templeton joined Manhattanville with a wealth of high-level playing and coaching experience. He spent four seasons as an assistant coach for Division II Southern Connecticut State University, his alma mater. He has also served as a Region I Coach for the Olympic Development Program and Head Coach (BU-16) for the Connecticut Olympic Development Program.

On the pitch, Templeton played professionally for the USL Development League on CFC Azul from 2012-14. Collegiately, he was a standout on the SCSU men's soccer squad from 2008-11. Templeton – a former All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-American – was a four-year team member and three-year captain and reeled in four all-conference (Northeast 10) honors, as well as Defensive Player of the Year in both the NE 10 and the ECAC as a junior.

A 2012 graduate of SCSU with a BS degree in physical education, Templeton received his MS in Sport and Entertainment Management with a specialization in Athletics Administration from Southern in 2019. Additionally, the Saltcoats, Scotland, native holds an "A" License with the United States Soccer Federation and serves as a coach on the New York Soccer Club staff.