Experience: 4th Season
College: Utica '97
Two-time Purchase College Coach of the Year James Bruno enters his fourth season at the helm. The program is 23-31-4 in his first four seasons at Purchase, including two postseason berths (2013 and 2014) in three years, one ECAC appearance (2013), one conference championship crown and one NCAA tournament showing (2014) to go along with seven All-Skyline selections and 24 conference scholar-athletes.
Under his leadership, the team won nine games in his first year, 2013, reaching the Skyline Conference semifinals, where the Panthers fell to eventual champion Mount Saint Mary. Purchase finished the season with an ECAC berth,
A season after falling in the semifinals, the Panthers and Bruno, the 2013 Skyline Coach of the Year, followed through on being selected the preseason No. 1 in the coaches' poll by taking home the title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
The sixth-seeded Panthers knocked off all of the higher seeds en route to its first Skyline crown – a rousing 2-1 double overtime victory against No. 5 St. Joseph's College-LI.
Three players were named All-Skyline by season's end, while standout Andres Romero was named tournament most outstanding player.
Missing 10 contributors from the championship team in 2015, Bruno fielded a young squad with 10 freshmen on the roster that narrowly missed the postseason. His squad excelled in the classroom with 15 Panthers being selected to the conference academic honor roll, sporting a 3.3 GPA or higher.
Bruno guided the Panthers to many program firsts in his first season; most wins (9); most conference wins (6); highest regular-season finish in conference (2nd); first semifinal appearance in conference playoffs; and the program’s first ECAC postseason tournament invite. He topped that in his second season by taking the team back to the semifinals and guiding the program to its first Skyline crown and NCAA tournament appearance.
Bruno’s success was built on his ability to recruit quality student-athletes, as showcased by the high number of those mentioned on the academic honor roll.
Before Purchase, Bruno helped rebuild a struggling Mercy College men’s soccer program as a three-year assistant. Inheriting a team with a two year combined record of 4-26-1, Bruno’s recruiting prowess would help head coach Chris Smith turn the Maverick program around in three short seasons.
Prior to his coaching duties at Mercy, and his time with the New York City Fire Department, Bruno played at Utica College, where he earned a bachelor's in Political Science. Since graduation, he has played for various amateur teams in the tri-state area, and volunteers with the Goshen Youth Soccer and Lacrosse clubs.
Bruno holds a Masters of Organizational Leadership (MSOL) from Mercy College, along with an Advanced National Diploma from the NSCAA and a USSF National “D” License. Bruno is a retired FDNY Lieutenant. He resides in Goshen, NY with His wife Heather and three children; Kevin (14) Ella (11) and Cooper (8).
