YEARS AS THE OWLS HEAD COACH IN 2023-24: 2nd

Mississippi University for Women announced veteran coach BJ Pheasant as its head men’s soccer coach in the Summer of 2022. Pheasant brought better than 12 years of coaching experience on the collegiate level to the Owls’ program.

In his first season in Columbus, Pheasant's Owls were 6-8-3, overall. In all, four MUW players were selected as USCAA All-Americans: Hagan Roberts (1st team), Graham Rodney (1st team), Jacob Vickers (2nd team), and Tres Ray (HM). Vickers, Ray, and Pedro Santana were all USCAA All-Academic Team award winners, as well.

Before coming to The W, Pheasant spent four seasons (2018-21) guiding the women’s team as the head coach at Defiance College (Ohio). His teams earned the Team Academic Award from the Heartland Conference each season, as well as the Platinum Team Ethics Award of Merit from the United Soccer Coaches.

In 2018, he was the men’s soccer assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Baldwin-Wallace College. He served as the Yellow Jackets’ academic coordinator while spearheading the team’s social media efforts, as well.

The previous season, Pheasant served in the dual capacity of both men’s and women’s assistant coach for Thomas More College. While at TMC, he was a part of the 2016 NSCAA Regional Women’s Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year, as the team reached the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 for the fourth-straight year.

Pheasant also served in similar capacities at Manchester University, Concordia University-Chicago, and Franklin College between 2010-2016.

Concurrently, Pheasant has served as the commissioner of the Lutheran All-American Association, which recognizes high school athletes from both the United States and Canada for their accomplishments. Additionally, he has been a contributing columnist for the D3Soccer.com website. Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Pheasant coached high school teams for eleven years, club teams for nineteen years, and in the Olympic Development Program (ODP). All told, teams, where Pheasant has been on staff, have a 436-199-79 aggregate record.

Pheasant has both NSCAA Advanced National and Level 3 Goal Keeping Diplomas, as well as, a Director of Coaching Diploma. He earned degrees in business and agricultural economics from Purdue University in 2002. He completed his master’s degree in Athletic Administration & Sports Management from Indiana University in 2009.