Every Monday, the Sports Information Department at Purchase will select a staff member, new recruit or student assistant to highlight in our #MeetEmMonday feature. Today's #MeetEmMonday is new women's soccer head coach, Graham Fortunato!

PURCHASE, N.Y. - Purchase College Director of Athletics Chris Bisignano is pleased to announce the hiring of Graham Fortunato as the new head coach of the Purchase College women's soccer team.

Fortunato joins the Panthers with an extensive history coaching soccer at all levels. 

Most recently, Fortunato served as head coach for the United States Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. Since 2017, Graham has been tasked with recruiting, evaluating and developing girls soccer players throughout New York for potential international play. 

Additionally, Fortunato works as an assistant coach for the East Hudson Academy Select Program, where he recruits, instructs and develops boys soccer players in the East Hudson Youth Soccer League.

Before that, Graham was the head coach of the Our Lady of Lourdes High School girls soccer team from 2018-20. During his tenure, he was selected as the Section 1 League E Coach of the Year twice and created/directed the first-ever Lourdes summer soccer camp.

Fortunato has also spent time coaching with Arlington High School, Poughkeepsie Soccer Club, Hyde Park Soccer Club, LaGrange Soccer Club, Coerver Coaching, New York Soccer Academy and numerous soccer camps.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Fortunato graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in Pre-Law in 2016. Currently, he is attending his alma mater to obtain his master's degree in Soccer Coaching Education.

Graham will inherit a Panther team that last took the field in 2019 and finished with a 7-8 overall record. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.