NEWARK, NJ--NJIT men's soccer head coach Fernando Barboto announced the hiring of John Velasco as Assistant Coach.

  "John arrives in Newark with an extensive background in coaching, recruiting, and player development," said Barboto. "His experience recruiting at institutions with profiles similar to NJIT gives him a strong understanding of the type of student-athletes who can thrive both academically and athletically here. We are thrilled to welcome John to our staff and are excited about the impact he will have on our program moving forward."  

Velasco joined the NJIT men's soccer program as an assistant coach in June 2026 after serving three seasons as the top assistant at Temple University.

During his tenure at Temple from 2023-25, Velasco played a key role in rebuilding the Owls' roster, helping grow the program from 13 student-athletes in Spring 2023 to a 15-player recruiting class for Fall 2023. His efforts contributed to Temple earning an American Athletic Conference Tournament berth in 2024, the program's first postseason appearance since 2020.

Prior to Temple, Velasco spent two seasons (2021-23) as head coach at King's College (PA). In his first season leading the Monarchs, he guided the program to a 9-6-1 overall record and a 6-2 mark in MAC Freedom play, earning a berth in the MAC Freedom Tournament semifinals. Following the standout campaign, Velasco was named the 2021 MAC Freedom Coach of the Year.

Before joining King's, Velasco gained head coaching experience at both Kean University and Marywood University. He served as Kean's interim head coach in 2016, leading the Cougars to a 14-6-1 overall record and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in six years. He later coached at Marywood from 2018-21 before accepting the head coaching position at King's.

Velasco also brings professional soccer experience to the collegiate ranks. From 2014-16, he worked with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew as a member of the first team support staff and assisted with the academy as a coach.  During his time with the organization, the Crew advanced to the 2015 MLS Cup Final.

As a player, Velasco earned four-time New Jersey All-State, All-Middlesex County, and All-Conference honors during his high school career. He was also selected to the New Jersey State and Region I Olympic Development Programs. 

Velasco played collegiately at East Stroudsburg University and Montclair State University.

 

Updated May 2026