Jonathan Cross Named Men’s Soccer Head Coach at Rivier University

NASHUA, N.H. – Director of Athletics Jonathan Harper is pleased to announce that Jonathan Cross has been appointed the eighth head men's soccer coach at Rivier University. 

"I am pleased to welcome Jon Cross as the head men's soccer coach at Rivier. Coach Cross has demonstrated his ability to recruit and retain high-level student-athletes at one of the premier Division III New England soccer programs," said Harper. "He has a keen affinity for the student-athlete experience and is eager to get started in Nashua. I have no doubt that Coach Cross will build the Rivier men's soccer program into a successful program in the conference."

Cross spent most of his career at Saint Joseph's (Maine), a fellow Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) institution, where he helped the Monks men's soccer program as an assistant coach and head recruiter from 2017-20 and then again for the last two seasons. During the 2017 season, the team finished 19-0-2 with a loss coming on penalty kicks to Tufts in the NCAA Second Round to finish ranked 17th in the country.

While assisting the Monks, Cross was the head recruiter, initiating and maintaining contact with high-level recruits to help build the program. He also assisted with training sessions, facilitated group activities to build team culture, and acted as a liaison between the international student-athlete population and school personnel.

In between stints in Standish, Cross was appointed the Associate Head Coach for the University of Southern Maine from 2020 to 2022 where he helped the team to its first winning season since 2008 after joining a program that had gone winless in 18 games the previous year. During his short stop in Gorham, Cross brought in 12 recruits to help USM toward a competitive future in the Little East Conference (LEC).

"It is with honor that I accept the role of Head Coach for Rivier men's soccer," said Cross. "This opportunity is the result of years of dedication, and I want to express my sincere thanks to the University and everyone who has contributed to my journey in reaching this milestone. I am genuinely excited about the prospect of building the program and fostering a new era of success, on and off the field."

Cross got his start in collegiate soccer in the LEC as a two-year member of the men's soccer team at UMass Boston from 2008-10.

He transferred to USM in 2015 after five years away from the game and became a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and has continued to give back to those struggling with substance abuse as a counselor at Westbrook High School in Westbrook, Maine.

In 2015, Cross began his own venture called Cross Wellness which serves to educate students on wellness through meditation, yoga, and group facilitation. Additionally, he co-founded the Kennedy Park Football Club in 2020 to provide a mentorship program that empowers aspiring members of the youth community through the universal love of soccer.

Cross earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from UMass Boston in 2010 before receiving a Master's degree in Education from Saint Joseph's in 2020.