A veteran of the local high school and club ranks, Anthony Neeson is in third season as a member of the Southeastern Louisiana women’s soccer staff.
In Neeson’s first season with the Lady Lions, Southeastern won the Southland Conference Tournament and earned an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Neeson worked with the team’s goalkeepers, including Southland Freshman of the Year, Southland Tournament MVP and All-Central Region selection Hope Sabadash.
Neeson, who serves as a volunteer assistant coach, worked with Sabadash, a first team All-Louisiana selection, and fellow goalkeeper Casey Jeanfreau in 2014, as the Lady Lions once again advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament for the eighth consecutive season.
Neeson’s previous coaching experience saw him spend eight seasons as the head girls’ soccer coach at St. Michael High School in Baton Rouge. During his time at St. Michael, he was a four-time Division II District High School Coach of the Year, the 2008 State and Baton Rouge All-Metro Coach of the Year, while also earning the LSCAA Milt Gaudet Award in 2009.
He has been a coach for STYSA for the past two seasons and the Baton Rouge Soccer Club the three seasons prior to joining STYSA as well. Neeson was the head boys coach for the U-16/U-17 Red Level Club Team and was the U17 Black Level Club girls’ coach. He possesses his USSF National “D” License and a multitude of NSCAA Licenses including NSCAA Advanced National, NSCAA National, NSCAA GK I, II, III (State, Regional, National), NSCAA Advanced Regional (Junior VI), NSCAA Regional (Junior V), NSCAA Youth IV (Advanced Youth), NSCAA Youth III (Youth) and NSCAA Special Topics: College Recruiting.
In addition to the coaching duties, Neeson is also a certified athletic trainer. His stops as a staff athletic trainer include St. Michael, Southeastern, Baton Rouge USL Capitals, Baton Rouge Soccer Association, St. Charles Catholic High School, University Orthopedics and Oktibbeha County Hospital.
He played two seasons at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education with a concentration in athletic training in 2000. In 2001, he received his master’s in exercise science from Mississippi State. Anthony and his wife, Melissa reside in Hammond. The couple welcomed their son, Jax, in August of 2013.
