Gabe Mejail - The Winningest Soccer Coach in NE10 History

Posted: Sep 15, 2020

A leader on and off the pitch, a career of success in the game and in the classroom are synonymous with Gabe Mejaíl’s program and culture in his 38 years at the helm of the Merrimack College women’s soccer program.

As the head coach since the program’s founding, the Warriors' play within the NE10 was nothing short of dominant, with Merrimack tallying a 267-99-31 (.712) record in league play since 1985. In the Warriors’ time as Northeast-10 competitors, Mejaíl coached his club to six NE10 Tournament Titles, eight NE10 Regular Season crowns, 11 appearances in the ECAC tournament – including the 1988 and 2000 championships – and 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. His 491 career wins ranks second in Division II women’s soccer history and ranks ninth all-time regardless of division. Mejail is also the winningest men's or women's soccer coach in NE10 history.

In the final season competing at the Division II level, Merrimack finished the 2018 season with a winning record for the 34th time in the 35 years of program history. The team’s success over Mejaíl’s time leading the club featured dramatic moments of success. In 2017 Merrimack qualified for the NE10 Tournament by winning five of their last six games, as Mejaíl led the team to wins over two top-10 nationally ranked teams, #7 LIU Post in September, while also knocking off #6 Adelphi, the #1 NE10 seed in the first round of the playoffs. The appearance in the postseason brought the Warriors to the NE10 Semifinals for a record 26th time.

Mejaíl has overseen the development of 92 all-conference performers, the most of any NE10 team, and 26 of his players have earned All-America honors. Along with the victories and championships have come the coaching accolades for Mejaíl, as he was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year eight times, in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2003 and 2008. His honors went beyond the conference, as he was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional and New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2002 and 2003 and the National Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1996. Mejaíl also received NEWISA's Service Award in 1992.

Mejaíl recorded his 400th career victory as a head coach on Sept. 10, 2010, as the Warriors downed Adelphi in North Andover. Then, on Oct. 1, 2011, Warrior Field was renamed Martone-Mejaíl Field, honoring Mejaíl and long-time coaching colleague Tony Martone, the head coach of the Merrimack College men's soccer team. Born and raised in Argentina, Mejaíl moved to the United States in 1967, gaining citizenship in 1974. He studied Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and earned his degree in 1978. He earned his master's degree in education from Harvard University in 1989. He continues to coach the Warriors and hold his job as a teacher to this day.

Gabe Mejail Links of Note:

ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.