Posted: May 17, 2016

Soccer program undergoes changes for 2016-17

Recently there have been some improvements made to the Holmes Community College soccer coaching staff. After starting the soccer program in 2010 and coaching the team to playoff berths in 2011 and 2012, Head Men's Soccer Coach Matt Convertino has been reappointed to head women's soccer coach in addition to his head men's soccer coaching duties. Wesley Noble has recently been named associate head women's soccer coach/assistant men's soccer coach, Ousmane Coulibaly has been named associate head men's soccer coach/assistant women's soccer coach. In addition, there is also a men's and women's goalkeeper coach to be named in the near future.

"We are extremely excited about the expansions to our men's and women's soccer staff," Convertino said. "These changes will benefit both Holmes Community College as well as its student-athletes. This restructuring will allow us to do a more efficient job of recruiting and coaching our student-athletes on the field and mentoring them off the field. It will also put us in a better position to fundraise and develop our Ridgeland Campus facilities. I am looking forward to returning as head women's soccer coach. Having started the program years ago it is near and dear to my heart and my family and I are personally invested in its success."

Wesley Noble

Noble, 24, was formerly the assistant women's soccer coach has been promoted to associate women's soccer coach/assistant men's soccer coach.

Originally from Brandon, Noble played for Brandon High School, where he was All -Division his sophomore, junior, and senior year. He was also All-State selection, All-District Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and team captain. Following high school, Noble went on to play for Francis Marion University in South Carolina, Holmes Community College, and Mississippi College.

At Holmes, Noble was captain, the team's Most Valuable Player, an NJCAA All- Region selection and the all-time assist record holder for the program. He was also a part of the team that won the program's first-ever North division title.

While at Mississippi College, the team won the first ever conference championship. He was also a student assistant for the Mississippi College Men's Soccer team and is currently the Director of Coaching for Brandon Futbol Club, where he has coached since 2010.

Additionally, Noble currently holds his USSF "D" license and his NSCAA level 5 and 6 Diploma.

Ousmane Coulibaly

Coulibaly, formerly the assistant men's soccer coach, has been promoted to associate men's Soccer coach/assistant women's soccer coach. He is originally from Burkina Faso, West Africa, where he earned over 20 caps for the full National Team including qualification matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He graduated from the University of Mobile with a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems.

Playing for Mobile, Coulibaly received 1st Team Gulf Coast Athletic Conference All-Conference and NAIA 1st Team All-American Honors. Coulibaly played both semi-professional soccer United States for the Jackson Chargers, Michigan Bucks and Mississippi Brilla as well as professional soccer in Africa for Union Sportive Des Cheminots De Bobo-Dioulasso and Racing Club De Bobo-Dioulasso. He is also a staff coach with the Mississippi Rush youth soccer club. Coulibaly has obtained the USSF D License and National Youth License.

He can also be found as a player for Burkina Faso on the FIFA '98 video game by EA Sports.

Matt Convertino

Coach Convertino took over coaching the men's soccer team in 2002. Since that time, he has guided the team to its finest seasons in school history. Holmes has seen itself rise from a last place MACJC finish in 2002 (1-11-1, 12nd out of 12 teams) to MACJC finalist in both 2012 (13-4-2, 2nd out of 12 teams) and 2006 (13-4-1, 2nd out of 12 teams).

In doing so, Convertino's teams have rewritten the Holmes' record books posting the program's most shutouts, highest goals-for and lowest goals-against average, as well as the most goals scored and least goals ever allowed in a season. 2011 was a milestone for Convertino as he earned his 100th NJCAA win as well as recording the Bulldogs best regular season record in school history (11-2-1, 3rd out of 12 teams). Under Convertino, the Bulldogs were back-to-back MACJC North Division Champions in 2011 and 2012 in addition to MACJC North Division Runners-up in 2006 and 2010.

Since 2002, the Holmes soccer program has been awarded 31 MACJC All-State awards, 12 NJCAA Region 23 selections as well as 9 NJCAA Academic All-American and 7 Distinguished Academic All-American Awards. The team has had over 150 Holmes Dean's and President's list award recipients.

A native of Utica, New York Convertino played two years at Herkimer County Community College in New York, where he helped the Generals win the 1994 NJCAA National Championship as well as two Mountain Valley Conference Championships and two NJCAA Region III Championships.

After Herkimer, he went on to the University of Mobile where the Rams won the University of Mobile's first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship and NAIA Southwest Regional Championship. Convertino played semi-professional soccer for the Jackson Chargers.

For more information about Bulldog soccer, visit http://www.holmesathletics.com/.