Pitt extends Jay Vidovich through 2025 season

After leading the Pitt men’s soccer team to its most successful season to date, Jay Vidovich earned a contract extension from Pitt on Wednesday that will keep him in place as the head of the program through 2025.

“Under the leadership of Jay Vidovich, our men’s soccer program has undergone an extraordinary transformation,” Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said in a statement. “The team’s run to this year’s College Cup was truly remarkable, especially considering where the program was upon his arrival just five years prior. The University of Pittsburgh is thrilled to have Coach Vidovich leading our program well into the coming decade. Given his incredible track record, we know more historic successes are on the way.”

Last season, Vidovich guided the Panthers to a 16-4 overall record, which included a dominant 9-1 showing in ACC play. The team also climbed to No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll for the first time in its 67-year history, won its first ACC Coastal title and entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed. In the tournament, Pitt went on a dominant run, reaching the national semifinals and outscoring the opposition 13-2 over a span of four rounds.

The 2020-21 campaign also saw Pitt players and staff achieve unprecedented success at the individual level, as Valentin Noel and Jasper Löeffelsend became the program’s first All-Americans in addition to being named the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. They were joined as ACC honorees by Bertin Jacquesson, who was named Freshman of the Year, and Vidovich, the ACC's Coach of the Year.

Of course, Pitt’s recent success was years in the making, as Vidovich was brought on as the program’s coach in 2016, when the Panthers were coming off a 5-9-3 record under Joe Luxbacher. And prior to last season, Vidovich guided Pitt to its first ACC victory in 2017, its first ACC tournament win in 2018 and its first NCAA tournament berth in 2019.

“My family and I are excited that Heather Lyke has provided us with the opportunity to continue our project with the Pitt men’s soccer program,” Vidovich said. “It’s an honor to lead Pitt men’s soccer and to represent our jersey. I appreciate the leadership and support within the university and our athletic department. I’m excited to continue our work alongside such a talented staff and of course leading a group of hard-working, committed student soccer players as we strive to win on and off the field. Our challenge now is to continue to push to improve and evolve as a program as we pursue future success for the university. I look forward to the next chapter in Pitt Soccer history.”

Five years into his tenure at Pitt, Vidovich has earned a 44-44-6 record and gone an impressive 26-12-2 over the last two seasons. He has also seen three Pitt players drafted by MLS clubs, with the most recent being Edward Kizza to the New England Revolution in 2021. In his career, Vidovich holds a 316-165-56 record, and he will look to add to his win total with plenty of talent set to return in 2021.