WASHINGTON –   After 13 seasons on the Hilltop, including seven as associate head coach, Georgetown University's Zach Samol has been named the head men's soccer coach at American University.  Samol's duties with the Eagles will begin immediately.
 
"I am so grateful for 13 amazing years at Georgetown with some of the best coaches, student-athletes and administrators in the country," said Samol.  "Over my time at Georgetown, I had the privilege to work with one of the best in Brian Wiese. I've learned so much from Brian, and I want to thank him for his mentorship, but most importantly, for his friendship."
 
In his time at Georgetown, Samol has helped turn the Georgetown program into a national contender.  He has coached 19 players who have signed with an MLS squad, one Hermann Trophy finalist, three Hermann Trophy semifinalists, 10 All-Americans, 33 regional All-Americans, 11 BIG EAST Players of the Year and 49 All-BIG EAST honorees as well as the College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player. On the academic side, he has had two Academic All-Americans, two Academic All-Region honorees, two BIG EAST Scholar-Athletes and one Elite90 Award winner.
 
The team has seen unprecedented success with seven NCAA Tournament berths in eight years. The squad has also won four BIG EAST regular season championships, three BIG EAST Championships with back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 and been ranked among the top 25 in nine seasons including stints at No. 1 in the nation.  The staff has twice been named the regional staff of the year and once the national staff of the year.
 
Georgetown broke onto the national stage in 2012, which will be remembered as the most successful in program history. The Hoyas went 19-4-3 with a mark of 6-2-0 in the BIG EAST Conference. The squad was the third overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and the 19 wins were the most in program history. The Hoyas were the BIG EAST Blue Division Champions, the BIG EAST Championship runners-up and advanced to the national championship game in penalty kicks in a thrilling game against the University of Maryland after Georgetown began the season unranked.
 
With all of the success, the coaching staff was not forgotten as Samol was named the United Soccer Coaches Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year and the staff was named the Division I National Staff of the Year.
 
Samol joined Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese on the Hilltop when Wiese was hired in 2006. Prior to Georgetown, Samol spent four years at Yale, helping them to an Ivy League Championship in 2005, the first in 14 seasons, as well as an appearance in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, which was the first NCAA Tournament berth since 1999.
 
He also spent two seasons coaching at Boston College as an assistant from 2000-01. At BC, the Eagles earned a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and won the BIG EAST Championship in 2000. Samol played his collegiate soccer at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1998 and was a 1997 All-Ivy League selection before earning a bachelor's degree in psychology.
 
"We are thrilled for the opportunity that American University has given Zach," said Wiese.  "He has been a big part of our successes here at Georgetown and he'll give everything he has to the program at American.  We'll miss him here on the Hilltop, but the good news is that he'll be just up the road."
 
In his time on the Hilltop, Wiese has built an impressive coaching tree with Samol heading to AU and former assistant Brian Gill as the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania.  Additionally, former assistant Josh Shapiro was named the United Soccer Coaches Division III National Coach of the Year after leading Tufts to its third national championship in the last five years and former volunteer assistant Mike Montross is the associate head coach at Villanova.