Paul Leese

Head Coach

Paul Leese is the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Carthage College and oversees the camps. Leese is from Liverpool, England and has coached at the professional level in the USL Championship, as well as at NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III. Leese has built multiple teams from the ground up and taken them to national rankings.

His 2023 Carthage squad has already broken into the Top 4 of the  NCAA Regional Rankings.

His 2011 Coker College squad earned an NCAA Division II ranking of 5th in the nation and was inducted into the Coker Hall of Fame; his 2019 UTRGV squad were ranked in the top 25 in the nation at Division I, boasting a #8 shutout ranking and a #18 goal scoring ranking; and his 2021 USL Academy squad at New Mexico United finished 3rd in the nation in the inaugural USL Academy League.

Leese has won 4 collegiate conference championships, 3 Coach of the Year honors, and has developed 7 MLS Superdraft and USL Championship selections. His teams are recognized both for their successful and attacking soccer, as well as for their character and academic achievement.

Leese focuses on a holistic team developmental model, building the technical, tactical, physical and psychological elements of his players, while also teaching life values through soccer. He holds a United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma, the United States Soccer Federation National Coaching License and the English F.A. Coaching Badge.