Bio

2017 PSUAC Coach of the Year Jesse Zafiratos returns for his third season at Penn State Brandywine in 2018.

Zafiratos earned coach of the year honors after leading Brandywine to an undefeated conference season for the second-straight year, winning all 11 matches by at least two goals, en route to a second conference title in as many years. After finishing the season with a 16-5 overall record, six student-athletes were named all-PSUAC, including freshman Chris Riebman, who garnered first team accolades and was selected as the PSUAC Newcomer of the Year. Riebman and classmate Rajbit Lohat both earned all-American honors from the USCAA.

Zafiratos’ first season was a memorable one as he directed Brandywine to one of the finest seasons in school history. Brandywine captured the PSUAC Championship and advanced to the USCAA Tournament for the third time, finishing the year with a 15-3-1 record. Seven players were named all-conference, including First Team All-American and PSUAC Player of the Year Bill Walleekendeh, who led all collegiate levels of men’s soccer with 44 goals. As a team, Brandywine scored a program-record 92 goals, which was good for fourth in the country. 

Zafiratos joined the Brandywine coaching staff after spending one season as the head soccer coach at Valley Forge Military College. At VFMC, Zafiratos was responsible for all aspects of running the team, including recruiting, on- and off-field coaching and scheduling, while also serving as the college's equipment and facilities manager.

Prior to being appointed head coach at Valley Forge, Zafiratos spent four seasons as an assistant men's soccer coach and recruiter at Widener University. With the Pride, Zafiratos helped the team increase its win total each season, culminating in a berth in the ECAC South Region Tournament semifinals in 2014.

Zafiratos also has five years of head coaching experience with the West Chester United Soccer Club where he has guided his squads to numerous tournament and Delco Soccer League championships.

A native of Delaware County, Zafiratos was a three-time All-Del-Val performer at Interboro High School and earned All-Southeastern PA honors as a senior. He led the Bucs to a pair of PIAA Class AAA district playoff berths and still stands as one of Interboro's all-time leaders in points and goals.

After beginning his collegiate career at Kutztown University, Zafiratos transferred to NCAA Division III La Roche College in Pittsburgh where he was a three-year starter and team captain. He graduated in 2006 with a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education.

Along with his coaching duties at Brandywine, Zafiratos works full time within the prestigious Lower Merion Soccer Club. There, he serves as boy’s assistant director of coaching and was recently named director of camps and clinics. On the coaching side, he serves as a senior staff coach, leading the elite '01 Galaxy boys, and Invictus '04 boys, who were 2017 Pennsylvania state champions and finished as regional runners-up in 2018, while boasting a top-10 national ranking.

Zafiratos holds a USSF “C” Coaching license, and has worked numerous college camps around the region at Pittsburgh, Slippery Rock, Temple, Widener, and Gettysburg, among others.

Zafiratos currently resides in the Main Line section of Ardmore.