Rob Podeyn joined the FPU staff in 2015 as head women's soccer coach. In four seasons with the Sunbirds the team has posted a record of 34-29-7, culminating in a second place conference finish in 2017 as Podeyn was named Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year.
In his first season with the Sunbirds, he guided a team that had finished 6-8-2 the previous year to a record-breaking season that saw the team lead the league in shots on goal while tying for the best record in program history.
2017 proved to be a big season for the Sunbirds as the team turned in the highest conference finish in program history. FPU defeated Azusa Pacific for the first time ever (17 previous meetings), and five players earned postseason honors, including Whitney Snow, who was named PacWest Newcomer of the Year.
Podeyn joined FPU after leading Southwest Baptist (Mo.) to a Top 25 national ranking and back-to-back NCAA Division II tournament berths in 2013 and 2014.
Podeyn spent six seasons at SBU, orchestrating a remarkable program turnaround that included the program's first ever conference tournament championship and culminated in a 16-5-1 record in 2014 with his team finishing sixth in the nation in scoring with 50 goals. He brings an aggressive attack-minded and possession-oriented style that has seen his teams average more than 2.5 goals per game over his 14-year head coaching career.
At SBU, Podeyn inherited a program that had very little previous track record of success and turned it into a powerhouse team in the MIAA, considered by many to be the toughest NCAA Division II conference. In addition to the team's athletic accomplishments, he orchestrated an academic turnaround as well, improving the team GPA from 2.7 when he arrived to 3.6 after last season. He has a reputation for developing leadership in his players and 12 of his former student-athletes are currently coaching at the college level.
Podeyn's track record of success has also included stints at Northwood (Tx.), Williams Woods (Mo.) and Central Florida. While at Northwood he oversaw a similar program turnaround, inheriting a team with a 3-12 record and taking them to a #21 national ranking in the NAIA along with two consecutive conference championships. During this time he also served as the head coach of Vitesse Dallas, a professional soccer team in Texas.
His head coaching career began at William Woods College (NAIA) where he took the program from a #104 national ranking to as high as #27 in three seasons, including a 50-goal increase from the previous year in 2004.
Podeyn began his coaching career after a successful seven-year professional playing career as a goalkeeper. He played collegiately at Long Island-C.W. Post (1984-1987) where he was an NCAA Division II All-American while leading his team to the NCAA quarterfinals as a senior. That year, Podeyn led the nation in save percentage (.893) and ranked fifth in the nation in saves with 107. He went on to spend seven seasons with the Long Island Stars of the American Soccer League, earning league MVP honors twice while setting a league record of 973 consecutive shutout minutes.
His résumé also includes a variety of other elite-level coaching experience in the United States and abroad. This includes assisting with goalkeeper training for the U-17 U.S. Women's National Team, serving as a national technical director for APT Soccer and as a regional director for AFC Ajax, one of the largest and most prestigious professional soccer clubs in the Netherlands. He has also worked with professional coaches at Vitesse Arnhem (a Dutch professional club), in Brazil with Club Atletico Miniero (CAM), in Germany with Borussa Mochen Gladbach, and in the U.S. with the Tampa Bay Mutiny (formerly of the MLS).
He holds a USSF national 'A' coaching license, NSCAA national youth diploma, NSCAA national goalkeeping diploma, English Football Association coaching license, UEFA coaching license, KNVB advanced tactical diploma and a Brazilian coaching license. For the past three years he has served on the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer National Committee.
He holds an overall career coaching record of 143-127-27 through his first four seasons at Fresno Pacific.
A published author, Podeyn has written seven books on the sport of soccer including Coaching the Dutch 4-3-3 and The Triangle Midfield.
He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Dowling College and a master’s of education from William Woods University. Podeyn will also teach in the university’s kinesiology department, focusing primarily on the areas of sport psychology and leadership.
Podeyn has been married to his wife, Sondra, for more than 25 years. The couple has two sons: Robert Jr. and Matthew.
