Matt Cannady was promoted to head coach of the Bellarmine University men’s soccer team following the 2025 season.
A former player at Bellarmine, Cannady succeeded his former head coach, Tim Chastonay, whom he assisted for five seasons at the Division I level (2021-25) and for two when the Knights were a D2 program (2013 and 2014).
The 2025 season was a landmark campaign, as the Knights became the first team in Bellarmine athletics history in the D1 era to capture a regular-season championship when they secured the ASUN Gold Division crown after going 3-1-2 in divisional play.
Following its unprecedented regular-season title, Bellarmine made a run to the ASUN Tournament finals for the second time in three seasons. The Knights recorded a D1-era program-record eight wins and went 6-0-1 at home, with the lone draw in Owsley B. Frazier Stadium followed by a penalty-kick shootout win over Jacksonville in the ASUN semifinals.
Bellarmine in 2025 also set a new overall program record with five first-team all-conference selections, and the Knights’ six total All-ASUN laurels were a new D1-era highwater mark. In addition, sophomore forward Johan Nissen-Lie was named ASUN co-Player of the Year.
Cannady helped lead Bellarmine to an ASUN Tournament berth in each of his five seasons with the program, four of which the Knights made the semifinals or advanced further. BU has earned three All-Region, five ASUN superlative, 15 All-ASUN, five ASUN All-Freshman Team and 14 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.
Prior to his return to Bellarmine, Cannady in the spring of 2021 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 (2015-19) 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, and a son, Jordan.
