Bryan Harkin will enter his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Harvard men’s soccer program in 2024-25.

The Crimson sustained its rise up the Ivy League standings during the 2023 season, finishing in second place in the conference – its highest finish since 2015 – after coming in third in 2022 and fourth in 2021. Harvard qualified for the inaugural Ivy League Tournament behind its second-place finish. Alessandro Arlotti ’25 earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors while the Crimson totaled five All-Ivy honorees and six Academic All-District selections.

Harvard continued its upward ascent during the 2022 season, posting a 9-4-4 record and challenging for a berth in the NCAA tournament. Harvard closed the season unbeaten in its last eight games (5-0-3) and undefeated in its last six Ivy League contests (3-0-3). The Crimson claimed third place in the Ivy League standings with 12 points, marking its highest finish in the conference table since 2015. Harvard concluded the season with a 7-1-1 record at home.

As a team in 2022, the Crimson ranked second in the NCAA in assists per game (3.00), eighth in points per game (7.35), fifth in shots on goal per game (7.71), sixth in shots per game (16.35), 10th in total assists (51), and 17th in goals per game (2.18).

In his first season with the team in 2021, Harkin helped lead the Crimson to eight more wins than the previous competitive season as Harvard finished above .500 (8-5-3, 3-2-2 Ivy) for the first time since 2016, placing fourth in the conference standings. Harvard closed the year on a three-game Ivy League winning streak and went 4-1-1 in its last six games. He helped guide Ivy League Rookie of the Year Alessandro Arlotti as one of four All-Ivy selections.

Prior to Harvard, Harkin spent four seasons (2017-20) as the head coach of the Emerson men’s program with a previous stint as an assistant coach at Tufts. While with the Jumbos, he had a hand in the program’s first ever DIII national title in 2014, a Sweet Sixteen bid in 2015, and the program’s second national championship in 2016.

The Derry, Northern Ireland native first came to the U.S. in 1999 when he accepted an offer to play at Fairfield University, where he contributed to a conference championship and regular appearances in the national top-25 rankings. In 2001 and 2002 he earned All-Conference honors and was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region Team in 2002.

Prior to his time at Fairfield, Harkin played with Liverpool FC youth and reserves, while representing Northern Ireland at various age groups.

Harkin began his post-college career with the Cape Cod Crusaders in the USL’s Premier Development League, helping the team to the 2002 national title. He continued his playing career with Crystal Palace Baltimore FC, making 48 appearances in the USL Second Division and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup during the 2000s.

While in Baltimore, Harkin was a member of Loyola University’s coaching staff, helping the Greyhounds to a conference title and NCAA College Cup bid in 2009 and a league title in 2012. He also coached the U16 Olympic Development Program (ODP) to the national championship game in 2014. Upon moving back to Massachusetts, he continued his work with the ODP, guiding the U17 state team and contributed as a Northeast scout for US Soccer’s youth national teams.

Harkin graduated from Fairfield University and earned his MBA in Marketing at Mount St. Mary’s University.