Former player and staff member Matt Cannady returned to the Bellarmine University men’s soccer team as a full-time assistant prior to the 2021 fall season.
Cannady helped lead Bellarmine to an ASUN Tournament berth in each of his previous four seasons with the program, three of which the Knights made the semifinals or advanced further. BU has earned three All-Region, two ASUN superlative, nine All-ASUN, five ASUN All-Freshman Team and eight Academic All-ASUN Team honors in his second go-around with the program.
In 2023, Bellarmine made its first-ever appearance in the ASUN Tournament finals after earning the two-seed and defeating Stetson 3-2 in double overtime in the semifinals. It was the fourth straight season in which the Knights played in at least the semifinal round. Matthew Brozovich was named ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year, Brock Pope was recognized as the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and Bellarmine earned seven additional postseason conference awards (four All-Conference, two All-Academic Team, one All-Freshman Team). Pope and midfielder Brendan Schoemehl also garnered All-Region plaudits.
After coming close its first two seasons in the NCAA's highest level, Bellarmine in 2022 achieved a winning record (6-4-8) for the first time in the Division-I era. The Knights earned a berth in the ASUN Tournament semifinals after defeating Stetson in PKs in the quarterfinals. Four players garnered All-ASUN laurels.
With Cannady back on the Bellarmine sideline, the fall 2021 campaign saw the Knights win their first-ever game in the ASUN Tournament as they rallied to defeat FGCU 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Bellarmine spent five weeks in the Atlantic Region rankings. Three Knights were honored with All-ASUN awards.
Cannady was a starting midfielder at Bellarmine from 2006-09 and was an assistant coach under Tim Chastonay in 2013 and 2014 before embarking on successful stints as an assistant at Virginia Commonwealth University (2015-19) and SIU Edwardsville (spring 2021).
Prior to his return to Bellarmine, Cannady helped SIU Edwardsville crack the top 25 for the first time since 2016 as the Cougars raced out to a 4-0 start. Before that, he started his five-year tenure at VCU by helping guide the Rams to three consecutive appearances in the Atlantic 10 Tournament title game. In the latter season, 2017, VCU earned the No. 16 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Cannady helped push VCU to an A10 regular-season championship in 2018 after the Rams posted a 6-1-1 conference record for the second consecutive season. Over his five years with the program, VCU built a 27-9-7 record in conference play. The Rams also reached double digits in total wins in 2017 and 2018 with 12 and 10 victories, respectively.
At VCU, Cannady helped mentor two All-Americans (Rafael Andrade Santos, Ulrik Edvardsen), seven All-Region performers, two conference Players of the Year (Santos, Siad Haji) and 29 All-Conference recipients. Starting in 2016, his teams earned five straight Team Academic Awards from the United Soccer Coaches.
In Cannady’s previous two seasons at Bellarmine (2013 and 2014), the Knights won eight games each year and earned berths in the GLVC Tournament. They collected three All-GLVC accolades in that time, and Dan Schiavi garnered All-Region laurels each season. Cannady preceded that by beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at VCU in 2010 before being elevated to a volunteer assistant with the Rams in 2011 and 2012.
Cannady was a four-year starter for Bellarmine while appearing in 73 games from 2006-09. The Knights won a minimum of nine matches in all four of his seasons, including 12 victories his sophomore year and 11 his senior season.
Before his college career, Cannady played at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville and for Metro United, which is now St. Louis Scott Gallagher Illinois.
Cannady earned his bachelor’s degree from Bellarmine in 2010 and a master’s degree from VCU in 2011. He and his wife Jamie have two daughters, Morgan and Madison.
