Luke Staats

Biography

Luke Staats is the Associate Head Coach for Cornell University's men's soccer program, entering his first season in this role after serving two seasons as an assistant coach. Prior to Cornell, Staats spent four years at Chowan University, serving as both assistant and associate head coach. In 2021, his first season as associate head coach at Chowan, he helped lead the Hawks to a historic season with 13-4-2 record, Conference Carolinas Tournament championship, NCAA Tournament bid and Sweet 16 appearance. During his tenure at Chowan, the program compiled a 42-15-6 overall record. Before his coaching career, Staats played professionally in the Netherlands for SV Spakenburg and FC Volendam as a defender, and played four seasons at Lees-McRae (2008-12), where he earned All-America honors and helped guide the team to three conference titles, four consecutive NCAA appearances, and a national championship finalist appearance. A native of Almere, the Netherlands, Staats holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Lees-McRae (2012) and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Chowan (2022).