Michael O’Connor became the goalkeeper coach for the Garnet in 2011. A veteran of the University of Pennsylvania's soccer program, O’Connor was a goalkeeper during his time in the Red and Blue uniform, and worked as the goalkeeping coach with the Quakers for six years before joining Swarthmore.
O'Connor has worked with all of Swarthmore's current goalkeepers, and even coached 2011 Academic All-America David D'Annunzio as a high school senior at the Elite 300 Soccer Academy before he entered Swarthmore. In 2011, D'Annunzio broke the career record for shutouts by a Garnet goalkeeper, and became the first Swarthmore player since Reuben Heyman-Kantor in 2005 to be selected to the Academic All-America team. In 2005-06, O’Connor coached Penn goalkeeper Dan Cepero to two outstanding seasons that included sixteen shutouts in the two seasons, and led to him being drafted by the MLS’ New York Red Bulls.
O’Connor brings a wealth of collegiate and professional soccer experience to the Garnet. He played at Penn from 1996-99, earning All-Ivy honors all four years and capturing the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award in 1996. An All-Mid-Atlantic Region selection that year as well, O’Connor went on to be a two-year captain and Academic All-Ivy honoree. He still holds Penn goalkeeping records for career saves and minutes played.
Following graduation, O’Connor signed with the Hershey (Pa.) Wildcats of the A-League, and had a successful run, earning A-League Goalkeeper of the Month honors in July 2000.
In 2001, he left professional soccer to work in advertising sales at Madison Square Garden, and later became Manager of Corporate Partnership Sales for the (then) NY/NJ MetroStars of Major League Soccer. In addition to his duties with the Garnet Soccer program, he is currently a Senior Advertising Executive with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia.
