Jesse Zafiratos returns for his second season with the Griffins in 2025. In year one the Griffins won three games, and tied five others; which included a tie against #20 Jefferson University. In the classroom the Griffins maintained a 3.28 GPA. The Griffins have high hopes for 2025 as they return a key number of players who missed last season due to injury, and welcome 17 newcomers to join the current team. Zafiratos is very excited about the potential of the team when all put together.
Zafiratos comes to Chestnut Hill sporting an outstanding career record of 77-33-8. His .719 winning percentage is one of the top records among all college soccer coaches over the last six years. In his last stop before Chestnut Hill, Zafiratos was the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Cedar Crest College for one season where he compiled an impressive 12-4-2 record.Â
In his only season at Cedar Crest, he led the Falcons to the Colonial States Athletic Conference regular season championship and arguably their best season in program history, finishing as the #1 overall seed while compiling a 12-4-2 overall record, and going undefeated in conference play with an 8-0-1 mark. The Falcons also were regionally ranked in the Mid-Atlantic Region for the first time in program history. The Falcons scored a program record 71 goals in 2022, and senior forward Taylor Wolf was the nation’s leading goal scorer tallying a single season program record with 30 goals; Division I transfer Ashley Whittaker scored 11 goals, and added a program record 15 assists as well. Along with that, nine players earned CSAC All-Conference honors, and for his efforts Zafiratos was named CSAC Coach of the Year and Lehigh Valley Press Coach the Year.
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Prior to Cedar Crest, Zafiratos spent one season at the helm of the Hood College men's soccer program. During his time with the Blazers, Zafiratos led the team to the most wins for a first-year head coach in program history with eight. He was also responsible for the recruitment of a program record 21 student-athletes. Off the pitch, Zafiratos' team collected a team grade point average of 3.30.
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Zafiratos also spent two years as the head men's soccer coach at Rosemont College. In 2019, he took over a team that hadn't made the playoffs in seven years and guided the Ravens to the conference championship game and doubled Rosemont's win total from the year before. Once again, Zafiratos brought in a large recruiting class, matriculating 14 student-athletes into the program.
Prior to his stop at Rosemont, Zafiratos turned in an impressive three-year run as the head men's soccer coach at Penn State Brandywine from 2016-18, culminating in the Lions' first United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship. He compiled a 50-10-3 overall record, including a perfect 27-0 in the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) and three straight conference titles. His 2018 team won a school record 16 straight games and upset No. 1 ranked Johnson and Wales University (N.C.), 1-0 in overtime to win the department's only national championship. He coached 22 All-PSUAC selections and 10 USCAA All-Americans, including Bill Walleekendeh who scored 44 goals in 2016 to lead all levels of collegiate soccer. His 2018 team led all levels of collegiate soccer with 102 goals scored. Zafiratos was named the 2017 PSUAC Coach of the Year and the 2018 Philadelphia Inquirer Small College Coach of the Year. He left Brandywine as the most decorated Men’s Soccer Coach in their program’s history.
Before taking over the program at Penn State Brandywine, he spent four seasons as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Widener University. Zafiratos helped the team increase its win total each season, including a berth in the ECAC South Region Semifinals in 2014, and a MAC Commonwealth semifinal playoff berth in 2015.
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Zafiratos began his collegiate playing career at Kutztown University before transferring to La Roche University in Pittsburgh, Pa. He was a three-year starter and senior captain, helping the Red hawks qualify for three Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference playoff appearances. He scored 21 goals and had 13 assists during his Red hawk career. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education, and earned all-tournament team honors at the Herb Laufer Penn State Behrend tournament as a senior.
The Glenolden, Pa. native tallied 51 goals during his scholastic career at Interboro High School in Prospect Park, Pa. He was a three-time All-Del Val first team selection and earned All-Southeastern Pennsylvania Honors from the Philadelphia Inquirer as a senior. He led the Bucs to two PIAA Class AAA district playoff berths, and still stands as one of the all time leading scorers in the teams history.
On the club side, Zafiratos currently coaches with the Radnor Soccer Club where he leads the 2007 and 2009 elite boys teams. Prior to that he was at the Sporting Athletic Club where he coached in their academy. He was named 2022 Lower Merion Soccer Club Girl's Travel Coach of the Year as his LMSC Swarm team was ranked in the top ten nationally. He was a full-time administrator and senior staff coach for five years, serving as the Regional Assistant Director of Coaching and also ran the College Advisory Program. His LMSC 2004 boy's Invictus team went to three straight state championship games from 2017-2019 against PA Dominion and were crowned state champions. His Invictus side won in 2017 before falling in penalty kicks and overtime, respectively, the next two seasons. The 2017 team lost in overtime in the regional finals against Real NJ 2004. They had a USYS top five national ranking for three straight years.
Zafiratos currently resides in Newtown Square, Pa and is an avid Philadelphia Sports fan. His favorite athlete is Stephen Curry.
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