Brandon Bonilla has been hired as the next head men’s soccer coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University. He becomes the 11th head coach in program history and the first full-time men’s only soccer coach.
NWU has announced that they will also add a full time head women’s soccer coach after having the same coach lead both genders the past nine years. It is the first time in school history that Nebraska Wesleyan soccer will have two full time soccer coaches. The search for a women’s coach is underway.
Bonilla spent the past season as a full-time assistant for both the Prairie Wolves men’s and women’s soccer programs. In his first year with the program he helped lead the NWU men’s soccer team to their highest win total in ten years and the first postseason tournament win in over 20 years. He takes over for Tudor Flintham who is leaving Nebraska Wesleyan to take the head soccer coach position at Gustavus Adolphus.
“I am extremely excited and honored to be named the new Head Coach of the men’s soccer team here at NWU,” Bonilla said. “Athletic Director Zeff and Tudor have done a great job at rebuilding this program and brought me in last year to continue to help enhance the program. We had a great run last season and accomplished some things that haven’t been done here in a long time. I am looking forward to not only continuing that progress but will work tirelessly to take this program to new heights”.
Bonilla came back to Lincoln in 2017 after spending time coaching in his home state of Texas. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Houston where he helped turn the Cougar program around after only having three wins the previous two combined seasons. He also spent four years at Houston Baptist as an assistant coach, helping HBU reach the NCAA Tournament.
This is not Bonilla’s first coaching job in Lincoln as he was a volunteer women’s assistant coach at the University of Nebraska for two seasons. He worked with the attackers and was part of the 2009 Cornhuskers squad that had their highest scoring output since 2002. During his time at Nebraska, he also coached at Omaha Futbol Club, leading the U11 and U12 girls to a championship and three tournament finals.
“There are a lot of people who have helped me to get to this point in my career. Mom and Dad, for the values you have taught me and all the late nights of watching games, to my wife and kids who deal with all the time away from home, y’all are my everything. And lastly to G. Guerrieri, Phil and Lori Stephenson, John Walker, Wally Crittenden, Misty Jones, Chris Pfau, Suzie Gretch, THANK YOU for teaching, believing, and taking a chance on me. I will continue to work as hard as I can to be the best coach I can be”.
Bonilla is a graduate of Texas A&M University where was the soccer team manager for four years while completing his undergraduate degree in leadership and development. He has his USSF “C” License and NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeper “Level 1 and 2” badges.
He takes over a Nebraska Wesleyan men’s soccer program that finished 11-7-1 overall in 2017, going 5-3 in Iowa Conference play to finish fourth in the league standings. The Prairie Wolves advanced to the semifinals of the IIAC Postseason Tournament and went undefeated at home during the entire season.
