Draft:Gabe Mejaíl

GABE MEJAÍL

Recognized as one of the most successful coaches in NCAA women's soccer history, Gabe Mejaíl takes on his 41st season at the helm of the Merrimack College women's soccer program in 2024.

The only head coach that the program has ever known, Mejaíl has enjoyed a long and decorated career – now in his fifth decade with the Warriors – and has guided the program from its inception in 1984 into the perennial regional and national contender that it is today.

The MIT graduate has led the program over all 40 seasons of existence and boasts an all-time coaching record of 517-268-69, including a 487-245-62 all-time mark at Merrimack.

Mejaíl's milestones are plentiful, but the most notable include his being the winningest active coach (total victories) in NCAA Division II women's soccer, as well as ranking 4th in all NCAA division active coaches, and 2nd all-time in number of seasons coached (all Divisions) behind Anson Dorrance of UNC.

An orchestrator of one of the most consistent programs across the country, Mejaíl has led the Warriors to eight Northeast-10 Conference regular season championships, six NE10 Tournament titles, two ECAC titles and 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament – including an appearance in the Elite Eight in 1996. The Warriors have also excelled in the academic front, receiving the USC (United Soccer Coaches) Academic Award 18 consecutive seasons, they received Team Academic Excellence Awards by having the highest team GPA (3.7) of any team in the NE10 conference as well as having the top GPA in the NEC.

Mejaíl recorded his 500th career victory as a head coach on Sept. 21, 2022, as the Warriors downed Vermont 3-1 in North Andover. On Oct. 1, 2011, Warrior Field was renamed Martone-Mejaíl Field, honoring Mejaíl and long-time coaching colleague Tony Martone, the head coach of the Merrimack College men's soccer team.

In 2023 Merrimack finished the season in 1st place in the NEC by winning their last two games, both coming back from 0-2 deficits in the second half and winning 3-2, and 4-2 securing their first Division 1 Regular Season Championship. Merrimack finished the 2022 season in 2nd place in the NEC with a 6-2-1 record and a winning record for the 36th time in the 39 years of program history.

In 2017 Merrimack qualified for the Northeast-10 playoffs in dramatic fashion by winning 5 of their last 6 games. Along the way, Mejaíl led the team to wins over two top-10 nationally ranked teams, #7 LIU Post in September, while also knocking off #6 Adelphi, the #1 NE10 seed in the first round of the playoffs, thus advancing to the NE10 Semifinals for a record 26 times. Mejaíl has overseen the development of 101 all-conference performers, and 27 of his players have earned All-America honors.

The Warriors' play within the NE10 has been nothing short of dominant, as Merrimack stood at 267-99-31 (.712) in league play since 1985. Over that same time, Mejaíl has coached his club to six Northeast-10 tournament titles, eight Northeast-10 regular season crowns, 11 appearances in the ECAC tournament – including the 1988 and 2000 championships – and 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Along with the victories and championships have come the coaching accolades for Mejaíl. He was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year on eight occasions: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2003 and 2008. In addition, he was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional and New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2002 and 2003 and the National Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1996. Mejaíl also received NEWISA's Service Award in 1992. In the past two seasons he received the 2022 and 2023 NEC Coach of the Year award as well. Mejaíl started his coaching career at Wheaton College, coaching there from 1979 to 1982.

Born and raised in Argentina, Mejaíl moved to the United States in 1967, gaining citizenship in 1974. He studied Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and earned his degree in 1978. He earned his master's degree in education from Harvard University in 1989, teaching for 35 years at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass.

Mejaíl resides in Medford, Mass. His twin sons Matthew and Jonathan are in college, Matthew attends UMass Amherst and Jonathan attends Merrimack and is a member of the Track & Field team, while his daughter Emily is also a recent graduate of Merrimack College.