portrait of a man with facial hair in a gray-colored shirt with Carnegie Mellon University Tartans logo to the right

Ross Macklin Hired as Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Carnegie Mellon University men's soccer head coach Brandon Bowman is excited to announce the hiring of Ross Macklin as an assistant coach for the men's soccer program. Macklin joins Bowman's staff to continue an 11-year coaching career that spans work at the club, Division III, and international levels.

Macklin most recently worked as the director of recruiting and operations, head coach, and camp director for Tiro Sports Pte Ltd in Singapore for three years where he was the lead recruiter for new players from around the world for Tiro Sports' United States College recruiting program. While with Tiro, Macklin often served as the head coach for select teams made up of international players that participated in college showcase tournaments in the U.S.

Concurrently, Macklin was a volunteer assistant coach at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for a year where he helped guide the Scots to a top-half finish in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and a postseason berth. Macklin was responsible for on-field coaching, helping to create the team's tactical approach to games, and scouting opponents.

"We are very excited to welcome Ross Macklin as a part of our Carnegie Mellon coaching staff," said Bowman. "There is no doubt that Ross's experience and coaching knowledge will be a huge asset to our program. We can't wait for the start of pre-season and to begin to prepare the team for what should be an exciting 2022 season!" 

Macklin's first coaching role came in 2011 while he was a senior at Division III Vassar College. As Macklin was earning all-region honors for his play on the field helping the Brewers win their first-ever Liberty League Championship, he was serving as an assistant coach with the boys under 17 team at Middlepath FC from August through December of the following year. This experience, combined with a year as a student assistant for the Brewers in 2012 led to a full-time role with Vassar from August 2014 through January 2019. During that time, the Brewers earned two bids to the NCAA Division III Championship and won its second Liberty League title. 

Macklin earned all-region player distinction for leading the team with nine assists and 23 points while scoring seven goals. He was also named to the All-Liberty League Team as a junior and senior.

Additional coaching roles for Macklin include three years in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP). He also played with Kingston Stockade FC, a semi-professional club based in Kingston, New York, that participates in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). In 2017, Macklin helped the team to its first-ever North Atlantic Division championship and qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. While with Stockade, Macklin was selected to the NPSL National Team of the Week the week they won their championship.

Macklin's connection to Singapore started in 2019 when he was a player for Singapore Football Club, the top amateur club in Singapore, that compete in the prestigious Cosmopolitan League. He was also the head coach for the team's campaign in the ESPZEN League and Tournament. In one season, Macklin led the team to the championship of the ESPZEN Tournament and a runner-up finish in the ESPZEN League.

"I'm beyond excited to join the men's soccer staff at CMU," said Macklin. "I'm grateful to Coach Bowman for allowing me the opportunity to join such a prestigious institution and to coach such a talented group of players. I'm really looking forward to joining the program and stepping out onto the field later this summer!"