Duke Cochran, a former Bulldog player and assistant coach, was named as the eighth head coach in the history of its men’s soccer program in 2005.

 

In his first year, the Bulldogs 17-3-2 and advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament, where the team reached the regional finals before being eliminated by penalty kicks.

  

Since 2002, Cochran has served as the Director of Coaching/Player Development for Valley AFC, an instructional youth soccer program in Roanoke, Va. He also currently serves as an Olympic Development (ODP) coach in Virginia and is on the Virginia Youth Soccer Association Coaching Education staff.

 

Prior to working at Valley AFC, he was the Director of Coaching/Player Development from 2000-2002 for the Springfield (Va.) Youth Club and from 1997-99 for Ankeny (Iowa) Soccer Club.

 

Cochran has collegiate coaching experience as well, being an assistant coach at Central College (Iowa) in 1997 and an assistant coach at Truman from 1995-97. While at Truman, he helped the Bulldogs win conference titles in 1995 and 1996 and advance to the NCAA Tournament in 1995.

 

Cochran’s playing experience includes being a midfielder for Truman from 1991-94. As a senior, he helped Truman win a MIAA title and he was named to the all-MIAA second-team. He won the team’s Bulldog award that season, given to the player who shows commitment to excellence on and off the field.

 

Truman’s best season while Cochran was playing came in 1993 when it went 13-4-1 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. For his career, he played in 51 games, including 36 starts, and recorded two goals and eight assists.

 

Cochran also played for the Des Moines Menace in the United Soccer Leagues for three seasons. He led the Central region in assists in 1996 and helped the team win the South Central Conference championship in 1997.

 

Cochran graduated from Truman in 1995 with a bachelor of science in psychology. He and his wife, Stephanie, have a four-month old daughter named Ella.