John Shimer Named Emmanuel Men's Soccer Head Coach, Clemente Field Coordinator

BOSTON – Emmanuel College Director of Athletics Olivia Berry announced Wednesday afternoon the appointment of John Shimer to the role of Head Men's Soccer Coach and Clemente Field Coordinator, effective Feb. 20, 2024. Shimer joins the Emmanuel staff with over a decades' worth of experience in collegiate coaching.

In his most recent stops, Shimer was the Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Endicott this past season, as well as the Director of Camps and Operations at Boston College since February 2020.

"I am thrilled to welcome John as the newest addition to the Athletic Department as our head men's soccer coach," said Berry. "With a wealth of experience and a passion for the game, Coach Shimer embodies the values of sportsmanship, leadership, and excellence that define Emmanuel College Athletics. Under his guidance, we are confident that our student-athletes will thrive both on the field and in their academic pursuits."

Most notably, Shimer's wealth of head coaching experience comes with six seasons at Pine Manor College as the Head Men's Soccer Coach from 2014-2019. He also served as the Director of Soccer Operations over that span. In addition, Shimer was an Assistant Athletic Director at Pine Manor from January 2015 to October 2020.

"I'd like to first thank President Ross, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Jenn Forry, Director of Athletics Olivia Berry, and all those who served on the hiring committee for this process," said Shimer. "There's only been a few moments in my life that have matched the emotional high I had when I got the phone call from Olivia when I was named the Head Coach at Emmanuel."

Shimer started the men's soccer program at Pine Manor College after the school went from an all-women's school to a coed institution in 2014. In his six seasons as Gators head coach, Shimer led the program to a 56-33-9 overall record, including a program-best 12-3-2 record in its final season in 2019.

The Gators won two American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Conference Championships under Shimer in 2016 and 2017 while he was named the ACAA Coach of the Year following the 2017 season.

"(I'm bringing) energy, passion, work-rate, and perseverance," said Shimer. "There's a process to creating excellence, which doesn't come overnight, but if you build championship-caliber habits and commit to discipline, high performance and achieving what you want can happen sooner than you think."

Shimer and the Gators produced 26 All-ACAA All-Conference players, including 19 members voted to the All-Conference First Team. He also coached the 2017 ACAA Player of the Year, the 2017 ACAA Defensive Player of the Year, and the 2017 and 2019 ACAA Freshman of the Year.

As an Assistant Athletic Director, Shimer was involved in numerous areas around the Pine Manor campus. Among the several roles Shimer was associated with includes a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) advisor, Title IX Investigator, scheduling coordinator, and an assistant in student life, academic affairs, and diversity and inclusion programs.

Shimer developed short-term and long-term plans for Gators Athletics as a member of the Athletics Advisory Council and served as a facilities coordinator and contest manager over his five years as an Assistant AD.

"When I read the Vision Statement (at Emmanuel) - a commitment to strong relationships, ethical values, and service to others - I knew the institution's core philosophies were aligned perfectly with my own," added Shimer. "There's so much to love about this opportunity to be able to do what I am most passionate about in the heartbeat of my favorite city, I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to carry on the Saints men's soccer tradition."