Huntingdon Athletics named Robert Spain as the men's soccer head coach prior to the 2025 season and he enters his second season with the Hawks in the Fall of 2026.  In his first season at the helm of the program, Spain's Hawks showed immediate signs of improvement while starting 6.3 true freshman on average per game.  Compared to the prior season, the 2025 team doubled their NCAA win total, doubled the amount of goals scored in NCAA competition, and rose 102 spots in the NCAA's DIII NPI national rankings.  The 2025 Hawks won their first CCS contest in program history, conceded 1.2 less goals per game in CCS play, and earned the program's first trip to the postseason since 2021. 

 

Prior to arriving at Huntingdon, Spain worked in the professional ranks, spending seven seasons in Major League Soccer.  Spain worked in the front office with the LA Galaxy for two seasons before spending five seasons with the Columbus Crew.  During his seven years in MLS, Spain was a member of four seasons where major trophies were won, including three MLS Cups and one Leagues Cup.  During his five seasons at the Crew, Spain served on the club's technical committee, was tasked with developing an academy scouting department and building affiliate club partnerships in order to identify the Crew's next Homegrown professional players.  17 Crew Academy players during Spain's tenure in Columbus have since signed first team homegrown contracts, including three players who've received caps for the Senior US Men's National Team -- Sebastian Berhalter, Sean Zawadzki, and Aidan Morris. 

 

As a collegiate coach, Spain has coached at all three levels of the NCAA, including experience as an assistant coach for Division I programs Northern Illinois University and Duquesne University.  While an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Duquesne, Spain produced the program’s first top-25 recruiting class after signing three players ranked among the top 150.  He kicked off his head coaching career in Division III as the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.  While there, Spain inherited a UPG program coming off a 3-16 season and immediately orchestrated a 12-7-1 record in his first season.

 

Native to Alexander City, Alabama, Spain played collegiately at Huntingdon before transferring to NCAA Division II University of Charleston.  As a student-athlete at UC, Spain was a captain under NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year Chad Duernberger. During his time at UC the program saw an unprecedented turnaround, snapping a 30-match winless streak in 2008 before finishing the 2009 season with a 19-4 record. Winning both the conference regular season and tournament titles, the Golden Eagles reached the Division II Elite Eight and finished the season ranked inside the NCAA DII top ten rankings. 

 

Spain currently holds his UEFA B License through the Football Association of Wales as well as his Premier Diploma from United Soccer Coaches.  He graduated cum laude from the University of Charleston in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sport administration. 
 
Coach Spain resides in Auburn, Alabama, with his wife, Laura and their two children, Stella and Jack.