Hired at Buffalo State:

Summer 2018

Prior to Buffalo State:

Assistant Coach - Buffalo State (2015-17)

Alma Mater:

Buffalo State '15

Francesco Cardillo has led the Bengals to a record of 54-28-11 in six seasons at the helm. His teams have earned SUNYAC playoff berths in four of his five seasons (excluding the COVID-19 season), including back-to-back trips to the semifinals in 2019 and 2021, and a return to the semifinals in 2023. His 2019 team matched a school record for wins in a season with a final mark of 15-4.

Cardillo has coached 21 All-SUNYAC selections in his six years, including two SUNYAC Rookie of the Year winners in Theo Pencic (2018) and Abdi Salim (2019). Salim was also named the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.

Prior to being promoted to the program's head coach, Cardillo spent the previous three seasons at Buffalo State, including the two years as the lead assistant on the men’s staff after one year as the top assistant on the women’s staff. Cardillo was part of the staff that earned United Soccer Coaches East Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2017 after pacing the Bengals to a 14-3-3 overall record, just one win shy of matching a school record for wins in a season. Buffalo State was ranked as high as 13th in the nation. Buffalo State also qualified for the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 1984.  In two seasons with the Bengals staff, his teams combined to post a record of 25-10-4 and in his one season with the women’s team, the Bengals were 15-4-1.

Cardillo was also a key part of the men’s program’s turnaround during his playing days.  A tough midfielder, he transferred from SUNY Canton in 2013 and was named All-SUNYAC in both seasons at Buffalo State, leading the Bengals to 15 wins in two years, a marked improvement for a team that won just one game in 2012.

A native of Oakville, Ont., the dual citizen completed his bachelor’s degree from Buffalo State in business administration. 

SUNYAC Tournament Appearances

4: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023

SUNYAC All-Conference Selections:

21

SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year:

1: Abdi Salim (2019)

SUNYAC Rookie of the Year:

2: Theo Pencic (2018), Abdi Salim (2019)

United Soccer Coaches All-Region Honors:

2: Theo Pencic - 2nd (2018), Diego Rivera - 1st (2023)

College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Selections:

7

Buffalo State

Overall Record

SUNYAC Record

Year-End Finish

2023

11-5-3

5-3-1 (4th)

SUNYAC Semifinalist

2022

4-8-5

2-5-2 (7th)

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2021

13-6-1

5-3-1 (4th)

SUNYAC Semifinalist

2020

0-0

0-0

NO SEASON – COVID-19

2019

15-4

6-3 (3rd)

SUNYAC Semifinalist

2018

11-5-2

5-3-1 (5th)

SUNYAC First Round

Overall at Buffalo State (6 years)

54-28-11 (.581)

23-17-5 (.511)

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Cardillo starred in the 2004 Euro Cup promotional video with Nelly Furtado:

UPDATED 12/7/2023