Adam Pearce brings a wealth of high-level coaching experience to the Duquesne bench. A former head coach and Divsion I assistant, Pearce comes to the Bluff after spending the 2017 season as an assistant coach at Ohio State University.
At Ohio State, Pearce, who was responsible for developing daily training plans and establishing technical and tactical developmental plans for goalkeepers, was part of a staff that helped the Buckeyes to a school record six consecutive shutouts. He also assisted in preparation of tactical match plans and video analysis for the Big Ten Championship semifinal team.
Pearce served as head coach at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz. prior to making the move to Columbus, Ohio. In four seasons at ERAU, he coached five All-Americans, including two California Pacific Conference Defensive Players of the Year and a pair Freshman of the Year honorees. Pearce led the Eagles to the conference tournament semifinals in each of his four seasons, highlighted by conference final appearances in 2013 and 2014. He led the program to the NAIA national tournament after claiming the Cal Pac Conference crown in 2013. Seventeen of his players earned All-Cal Pac Conference honors.
Prior to his arrival Embry-Riddle, Pearce spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Oregon State where he helped the Beavers to 26 wins, including a 9-6-1 mark and second-place Pac-12 finish in 2009. The second-place finish was the best by an Oregon State squad in seven years. Fifteen OSU players earned all-conference honors during his tenure in Corvallis, including Danny Mwanga, the Pac-12 Player of the Year. Mwanga, an NSCAA All-American, was selected by the Philadelphia Union as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
Oregon State thrived in the classroom as well during Pearce’s time there, with 16 players earning Pac-12 Academic All-American honors, including nine who received the award multiple times. OSU was awarded the NSCAA Team Academic Award three of the four years Pearce was a part of the program.
Before his stint at Oregon State, Pearce was head coach of the men’s & women’s programs at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. The winningest women’s coach in school history (26-22-7), Pearce led the Lady Badgers to their first consecutive winning seasons. His three seasons as women’s coach were highlighted by a second place finish in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in 2007.
Three men’s and seven women’s players were named All-GCAC during his tenure at Spring Hill. Off the field, two men and seven women were named NAIA Scholar Athletes. His women’s teams twice received the NAIA Scholar Team Award, and the 2008 team earned the Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Pearce spent one season as an assistant on the men’s staff at Central Arkansas in 2003, followed by two years at his alma mater, Concordia University in Portland, Ore. He got his start in college coaching as a graduate assistant for the women’s program at the University of Akron in 2002.
Pearce played collegiately for three seasons at Concordia, where he was a two-time all-conference selection, and an NAIA honorable mention All-America in 1999. He went on to play professionally for the Portland Timbers followed by professional trials in England and Ireland.
Pearce graduated magna cum laude from Concordia in 2000 with a bachelor of arts in physical education. He added a master’s of education from the Akron in 2004. Pearce and his wife, Anna, have two children, daughter Abrielle and son Aivind.
