Rowan University Men's Soccer

Scott Baker capped off his 12th season as Rowan’s head men’s soccer coach in 2025 by leading the Profs to their third NJAC Championship in four years, and their eighth NCAA Tournament berth, which resulted in an appearance in the final 16.   A member of Rowan’s 1990 national champion team, Baker has compiled a 147-57-28 record in 11 seasons of competition*. Under his tutelage, the Profs have enjoyed success in the conference, going 58-20-12 in league play and reaching the NJAC title match for six consecutive seasons, which is a conference record. In 2025, Rowan started the year with a 5-0-1 record and achieved a national ranking of #2, which was its highest ranking since 2002. After a 2-2-3 stretch, the Profs put together an eight-match winning streak, with six shutouts, to close out the season. Rowan successfully defended its conference championship and won its first two games in the NCAA Championship before falling to #6 Emory in the Sweet 16. Baker and staff were named the Region IV Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season. Johnny Troiano also closed out his stellar career by receiving All-America, Academic All-America and NJAC Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. Troiano was also named College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Men’s Soccer Team Member of the Year, marking the first such award for a Rowan athlete in any sport.   Rowan’s 2024 squad earned the NJAC regular-season title with a 7-0-2 league record and won its second conference championship in three years, with a win over Stockton. Baker and his assistant coaches received the NJAC’s Coaching Staff of the Year award, marking the head coach’s second such honor, and first since 2017. The Profs reached a high of #12 in the national rankings during the season while making their return to the NCAA Championship with their third appearance in the last four years. Johnny Troiano was the NJAC’s Offensive Player of the Year and earned the rare double of being named to the All-America Team and the Academic All-America Team. The 2023 team reached the NJAC title match following their performance in 2022, when Rowan went without a loss in the final eight matches to capture its first conference championship since 2003. After earning the league title with a win over #9 Montclair State, the Profs defeated Middlebury in the opening round of the NCAA Championship before tying Stevens in the second round but falling in the round of penalty kicks. Early in the year, Baker recorded his 100th win at Rowan with the 1-0 victory over Lycoming.   After the 2020 season was canceled due to Covid-19, the Profs returned to action in 2021 and was one of the top teams in the region, reaching the NJAC Championship match and earning an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. His 2019 team reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship before falling to top-ranked and eventual national runner-up Amherst, to mark the furthest advancement for Rowan in the NCAA Championship since 2001. The Profs, who reached the NJAC Final, closed out the year ranked 15th in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.   In 2018, Rowan went 12-7 and was the conference semifinalist while 2017 saw the Profs reach the NCAA Tournament and the NJAC final. That team went 17-4-1 and earned its third straight NCAA berth, which included the hosting of the first and second rounds for the second year in a row. Baker was named the NJAC Coach of the Year while standout Shane Doherty was named to the All-America Second Team by the United Soccer Coaches.   Baker’s 2016 team compiled a 17-3-1 record, reached the NJAC championship game and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while hosting both postseason games. The Profs also led all divisions in the NCAA country in offense. Doherty and Will Sjaastad were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America Team with Sjaastad earning NJAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.   Named only the third coach in Rowan soccer history in 2014, Baker’s first team went 10-9, but he quickly got the Profs into the NCAA Tournament, as the 2015 team earned an at-large berth for Rowan’s first appearance since 2003.   Baker is very active in youth soccer and is the co-director and co-owner of RUSA FC Soccer Academy, which trains and plays its games at Rowan’s West Campus. A member of the New Jersey Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Committee, he was the director of club development for the Futbol Club Copa Academy and director of training for the Team Boca Soccer Club from 2003 to 2012. He served as the associate head coach/director of training for the club’s professional team, the Boca Blast, in 2012.   Baker’s collegiate coaching experience is extensive and he has headed the programs at Defiance College, Flagler College, Brookdale Community College and New Jersey City University. Baker led Brookdale to a conference and regional titles and an appearance in the national final.  While at Flagler he guided the men’s and women’s programs to spots in the national Top 25 and the women’s team recorded its best season in the team’s history.   His career has also included stops at numerous high schools, among them Pope John Paul II High School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Florida and locally, Delsea Regional. At Stoneman Douglas, Baker led his team to a state championship and was voted Coach of the Year for all sports in Miami-Dade County by the Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald.   Baker was a four-year starter at Rowan from 1990 to 1993 and played in all 90 matches of his career, totaling 46 points with 13 goals and 20 assists. He earned NJAC All-Conference first-team honors in 1990 and was selected to the second team the following year. He captained the 1992 team and led them to the NJAC Championship and the nation’s number-one ranking. Baker and the Profs reached the pinnacle in 1990 as they captured the NCAA Division III Championship, becoming the second Rowan men’s soccer team to do so. That squad was inducted into the Rowan University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.   He graduated from Rowan in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Phoenix. The native of Jackson, NJ, holds an NSCAA national license as well as a United States Soccer Federation license.   Baker and his wife, Krista, who is registered dietician and Penn State graduate, live in Ventnor, NJ, and have two daughters, Emily and Katie.   Rowan Coaching Record Season Overall NJAC Postseason 2015 16-6-0 6-3-0 NCAA First Round 2016 17-3-1 7-1-1 NCAA Second Round 2017 17-4-1 8-0-1 NCAA First Round 2018 12-7-0 5-4-0 NJAC Tournament 2019 12-6-4 5-3-1 NCAA Third Round 2020 Season Canceled 2021 13-4-2 5-3-1 NCAA Second Round 2022 12-5-6 4-2-3 NJAC Champion | NCAA Second Round 2023 9-4-5 6-2-1 NCAA Tournament 2024 12-5-5 7-0-2 NJAC Champion | NCAA First Round 2025 17-4-4 5-2-2 NJAC Champion | NCAA Third Round TOTALS 147-57-28 58-20-12      

Connor Hurff has been part of the Rowan University Men's Soccer Program since the 2021 season. In his first year the team went to the NJAC conference finals before losing in penalty kicks and was part of the NCAA tournament advancing to the second round. In 2022 the Rowan University Men's Soccer team captured the NJAC Championship on a stellar run that saw them advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament before falling in penalty kicks. Previously, Hurff was part of Harcum College Men's Soccer during their run at the NJCAA Division 1 Championship where they advanced to the Final 4 before losing to eventual National Champions Salt Lake Community College. He also served as an assistant coach at Rutgers-Camden for four seasons. Hurff also played for two seasons at Rutgers-New Brunswick before transferring to Rutgers-Camden where he was an All-NJAC performer and helped the Scarlet Raptors to the Division III Championship game back in 2013. He also has played professionally with the Philadelphia Fury, trialed with Bethlehem Steel (currently Philadelphia Union 2).

Connor Hurff joined the men's soccer coaching staff in 2021 after serving as an assistant coach at Rutgers-Camden for four seasons. Hurff also played for two seasons at Rutgers University (New Brunswick) before transferring to Rutgers-Camden where he was an All-NJAC selection and helped the Scarlet Raptors to the Division III Championship game back in 2013. He also has played professionally with the Philadelphia Fury and is the founder of the Diamond Soccer Training Academy. Hurff, a native of Sewell, NJ, is a 2015 graduate of Rutgers-Camden with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice.

Mike Ossowski joined the Profs' staff as an assistant coach in 2016 and also serves as the program's director of operations. He brought more than 16 years of coaching experience at all levels to Rowan, including coaching and serving on the Board of Directors at the Jackson Soccer Club during that time. Ossowski played four seasons at Kean University and was a member of the Cougars' 1992 National Championship team. He received his bachelor's degree in management science in 1993 and then earned his master's degree from Downing College in 2005. He and wife, Tracy, reside in Manalapan, NJ.