ANGOLA, Ind. – Assistant Vice President for Athletics Matt Land has announced that Mike Avery will serve as Interim Head Coach for the Trine University men's soccer team.

"Coach Avery puts us in a fantastic position to continue our recent success during the 2024 season," said Land, "He brings valuable experience at all levels of soccer and a cool head for leadership to the program. I expect he will be a huge asset for the program going forward."

Avery will take on the interim role at Trine while continue to work with Fort Wayne FC, where for the past four years he has served as the sporting director and head coach. In the past two seasons he has led the team to a pair of Valley Division Championships while posting an overall record of 27-12-11 during his tenure.

"I want to thank the Coach Land and the Trine University administration for placing their trust in me," said Avery, "In addition I want to express my gratitude to my ownership group from Fort Wayne FC for their support."

Before moving to the professional ranks, Avery accumulated two decades of experience as a collegiate coach. His longest and most recent tenure was as the head coach at Valparaiso University. In his 13 seasons, Avery transitioned the program from one of the weakest in the country to a viable contender for conference championships, postseason tournament bids, regional and national rankings. He posted a program record 91 wins, reaching the record mark six years and 100 games faster than the previous holder.

"I am happy to be in the position to be able to offer services as interim coach. I hope to offer stability and support through this transition," continued Avery, "College was a very important time in my life and my college soccer team played an influential role in who I am. It's an honor and privilege to be able to work with the student-athletes at Trine to maximize their college experience with lessons that the game has to offer."

Before Valparaiso, Avery had assistant coaching stops at the University of Louisville, the University of Notre Dame and San Diego State University. He was also the director of soccer at California State University, San Bernardino, serving as the head coach for both the men's and women's teams.