John Fusco enters his 13th season as the Panthers head men’s soccer coach in 2024.
Throughout his 12-year coaching career at Wesleyan, Coach Fusco has amassed 45 wins, four conference tournament appearances, coached one All-American, one Academic All-American of the year, two Midwest Region First-Team honorees, and 15 All-Conference selections. He led Wesleyan to back-to-back winning seasons in 2022-23 for the first time since the 1984-85 campaigns.
Fusco, 36, came to KWC after serving eight years as the head women’s coach at his alma mater, Brescia University, where he led the Bearcats to two NAIA Region 12 appearances.
During his tenure at Brescia he produced one All-American, three Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Players of the Year, 20 All-KIAC performers and four Academic All-Americans.
"John Fusco comes to us with all the right coaching credentials and expertise to lead our soccer program to a new level of accomplishments," said Williams. "His background as a powerful collegiate player along with his various coaching experiences in high school, club and college level make him a good fit for KWC."
For the past 12 years Fusco has also served as head coach for the Owensboro United Soccer Club at various levels for boys and girls ranging from seven to 18 years old.
His club achievements includes multiple-United teams to several tournament victories and Kentucky State Cup Final Four appearances while producing many college level student-athletes.
“This is a very exciting time in my coaching career as I lead my first men's collegiate team," Fusco stated. "We will have a good core of returning student-athletes plus new freshmen to advance our program to new successes.
Fusco also spent two seasons as United’s director of coaching for 20 competitive teams including 250 players.
He holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of American Advanced National Coaching License and a NSCAA Level II Goalkeeping Diploma. The NSCAA certified him as the state’s technical director for one year to teach advanced regional coaching courses.
His coaching career started in 2001 as an assistant coach at Owensboro High School. Following Owensboro, he returned to Brescia for two years as the assistant men’s and women’s soccer coach. He received the 2003 AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year Award.
The Paducah, Ky., native was a four-year starter at Brescia University and earned All-Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors twice and selected as team captain.
He earned all-district, all-region and all-state honors at Lone Oak High School in Paducah. He also played club soccer with the Paducah Storm.
Fusco graduated from Brescia in 2001 with a Bachelors of Science in mathematics and computer science.
