Ithaca College announced on January 20 that Gabe Kuhn was selected as the new men’s soccer head coach following the resignation of Garrett Eldridge in December 2024. The decision to hire Kuhn was the result of a nationwide search organized by a committee of coaches, athletes, and administrators.
Kuhn’s hiring comes at a pivotal time for the Bombers. The team finished with a 7-7-4 record in 2024 and has been competitive in Liberty League play but has not broken through as title contenders. The last two seasons ended in the conference quarterfinals, fueling the team’s drive to go further.
Kuhn was most recently head coach of Alfred State College and brings a proven track record; he transformed the program from a 1-15 team in 2019 to a 13-3 NCAA tournament contender in 2024. That season, the team went undefeated in conference play for the first time in program history.
The search committee was chaired by Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation, Susan Bassett ’79. The committee evaluated 60 initial applicants in December 2024 and selected four finalists to visit campus in January.
“[Kuhn] was the unanimous choice of everybody who met the finalists,” Bassett said. “We got a lot of feedback, and he was head and shoulders above everyone.”
Ithaca College junior Drew Warren, midfielder and team captain since the 2023 season, was part of the panel that interviewed head coach candidates.
“He completely turned [Alfred State] around with limited resources,” Warren said. “We’re excited to see what he can do when he has the best of the best that we have here.”
Kuhn has already taken notice of the resources available, recognizing these strengths as key to what he can accomplish at Ithaca College.
“The facilities here are [on par with] Division One facilities,” Kuhn said. “The resources that you have here – it’s beautiful, to be honest.”
Junior forward Jack Walker, another player involved in the selection process, said Kuhn stood out among the other candidates.
“He was pumped to talk to us and pumped to be on campus – the most out of any candidate,” Walker said. “He’s super excited and confident about our program and our players.”
Kuhn started in his new role on February 17 to begin offseason work in preparation for the 2025 season.
“I’ll be setting up meetings with the team, getting to know each player and going through our system,” Kuhn said. “We’re playing Brockport for our spring game, so it’ll be a good battle and a good test to prepare us for the fall.”
Warren and Walker are aiming for the Liberty League title in their senior season – it would be the first championship in program history, but they believe it’s within reach under new coaching.
“Our locker room is full of some of the more talented guys in the league,” Warren said. “We just need the right guy to lead us over the finish line, and we’re really confident that [Kuhn] can be that guy.”
Kuhn shares their confidence, emphasizing the importance of setting high expectations for the team.
“You have to have a vision, you have to have goals, you have to aspire to do something,” Kuhn said. “That’s what we’re going to do here. The boys are ready to go, so it’s exciting.”
Warren sees Kuhn’s arrival as a turning point for the Bombers, not a reset – the team is ready to compete.
“He’s not here to rebuild anything,” Warren said. “He’s here to win.”
