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Pace Magazine

Pace Athletics Announces Coaching Changes and Additions Ahead of 2025ŮٱƵ26 Season

Posted
July 7, 2025
Whistle dangling against a blackboard.
Chad Walker, ŮٱƵ football coach
Chad Walker

With the 2025 fall season for Pace Athletics set to kick off on August 30 with footballŮٱƵs opening day, the department has announced several coaching changes and additions ahead of the new academic year. Football enters a new era under the leadershipŮٱƵand returnŮٱƵof Chad Walker, while menŮٱƵs soccer welcomes its first head coach since reinstatement, and womenŮٱƵs soccer promotes its 2024 associate head coach.

Walker, who previously served as offensive coordinator for the football program from 2014 to 2016ŮٱƵduring which time he recruited some of the most well-known names in Pace football history, including Jalen Bien-Aime, JahŮٱƵSheem Martin, and Prince UnaegbuŮٱƵreturns to lead the team for the 2025 campaign.

ŮٱƵWe are fired up to come back home to ŮٱƵ, a place that we hold dear to our hearts,ŮٱƵ Walker said. ŮٱƵI've always believed that ŮٱƵ was one of the most underrated universities in the country and has so much to offer studentsŮٱƵfrom diverse academic curriculum and career preparation to internship opportunities and the best location in the world.ŮٱƵ

Pace football will kick off the fall season for the department with a nonconference matchup against Saint Anselm College at Northwell Stadium on August 30 at 5:00 p.m. Looking ahead to the season, Walker shared his vision: ŮٱƵThis season is about raising our standardŮٱƵnot just talking about excellence but living it every day. IŮٱƵm most looking forward to seeing our guys grow as athletes, teammates, and men.ŮٱƵ

ŮٱƵ Soccer coaches, Brittany Soto and Edward Evans
Coaches Brittany Soto and Edward Evans

On the soccer side of Pace Athletics, Edward EvansŮٱƵwho was part of the womenŮٱƵs coaching staff for eleven seasonsŮٱƵwas named head coach of the menŮٱƵs program in January 2025. Brittany Soto, previously associate head coach for womenŮٱƵs soccer, has been promoted to lead the womenŮٱƵs team.

Evans and PaceŮٱƵs first official menŮٱƵs soccer roster in thirty-five years will compete in a full eighteen-game Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference schedule. Their first contest is scheduled for September 4 at 3:30 p.m. at Northwell Stadium against Goldey-Beacom College.

ŮٱƵI am excited to bring back the menŮٱƵs soccer program for the first time since 1990,ŮٱƵ said Evans. ŮٱƵItŮٱƵs an honor to be a part of it, and the support weŮٱƵve already received from the soccer community has been incredible.ŮٱƵ

Soto joined Pace in fall 2024 as associate head coach for the womenŮٱƵs soccer program. As of January 2025, she has been promoted to head coach and will make her debut on September 5 at 5:00 p.m. at Northwell Stadium against Georgian Court University.

She brings with her a résumé spanning fifteen years at the club and high school levels. In 2021 and 2022, she led the Hopkins School team in Connecticut to the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) quarterfinals, and in 2015, was named Head Coach of the Year with the Knoxville Crush.

Northwell logo
The Athletics section of Pace Magazine is proudly sponsored by Northwell Health

ŮٱƵI am truly honored for the incredible opportunity to lead the womenŮٱƵs soccer program and deeply grateful to Coach Evans for his mentorship this past season,ŮٱƵ Soto said. ŮٱƵWith a rich history and a strong foundation laid by those before me, this program stands on a legacy of excellence. I look forward to building upon that tradition, working closely with our players, and guiding the team toward continued success.ŮٱƵ

For full schedules and updates, visit the .

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