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Head Coach
First season at NU: 2005
Alma mater: Fairleigh Dickinson '87
Brian Ainscough continued the upward trend as he finished his best season with the Huskies in his fourth season at the helm of the men's soccer team in 2008. The team finished with an overall record of 7-5-9 and made it to the CAA Finals where they lost to George Mason. Ainscough led a young squad to the best defensive season in program history as the team recorded 10 shutouts and gave up a scant 17 goals, both Husky records. The team battled through tough injuries to several key players throughout the season, but Ainscough was able to keep the team on track to finish the program's best season in the CAA to date.
In 2007, Ainscough led the Huskies to their second CAA playoff appearance with a 6-4-1 CAA mark and an 8-10-2 overall record in 2007. Under Ainscough, Northeastern has made the CAA playoffs twice in the three years it has been a part of the ultra-competitive conference. Ainscough has led his team on two impressive late-season runs over the last two years. Last year, Northeastern went 6-2-1 in its final nine regular season games to earn a playoff berth. In 2006, the Huskies ran off six straight victories in October to get into the playoffs. The team’s improvement from 2005 to 2006 was its biggest single-season improvement since 1990.
Ainscough has had a lot of success at NU developing the talent on his squad. Northeastern has had two All-CAA first teamers, two on the second team and one on the third team over Ainscough’s three seasons. In addition, four of Ainscough’s first-year players have received CAA All-Rookie honors. Last February, Ainscough was recognized as College Coach of the Year by the Eastern Massachusetts High School Soccer Coaches Association.
Before arriving on Huntington Avenue, Ainscough spent five years at Div. III powerhouse Bowdoin College and five at Providence College. At Bowdoin, Ainscough’s team ranked No. 1 in New England and captured the NESCAC regular season crown and a playoff bid in 2002. In 2003, he led the Polar Bears to a top-10 national ranking, a second-place finish in the NESCAC Tournament and a bid to the NCAA Div. III Tournament.
While coaching at Bowdoin, Ainscough also coached for the U.S. Soccer Olympic Development Program for teams in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine. He has held Brian Ainscough Soccer Academy camps in New England since 1993.
Prior to Bowdoin, Ainscough was head coach at Providence and turned a losing program into a .500 team (9-9-1) in four seasons. In 1998, PC had a winning record (6-4-1) in conference play and earned a Big East Tournament bid for the first time since 1987. Ainscough started his coaching career at Villanova as an assistant in 1991. In 1992, he joined his former coach, Ed Kelly, as an assistant at Boston College for three seasons.
A native of Dublin, Ireland, Ainscough played for the 1983 Irish Youth National team before coming to the U.S. to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University. He earned All-Mid Atlantic Conference honors all four years and graduated in 1987. After college, Ainscough was a first round pick in the Major Indoor Soccer League’s annual draft. He played five years in the American Professional Soccer League for the New Jersey Eagles, Penn-Jersey Spirits and Boston Bolts, earning APSL All-State honors in 1988-90.
Ainscough currently resides in Canton, Mass., with his wife, Victoria, and sons, Alexander and Nicholas.
