Tom Buckner enters his first season as an associate head coach with Jacksonville University men's soccer in 2021. He has been part of the program since 2018, formerly serving as the assistant coach. The former NCAA Division I goalkeeper brings a wealth of playing a coaching experience at a variety of levels with him to the River City, where he will assist Head Coach Mauricio Ruiz with coaching and recruiting duties. 

Buckner comes to Jacksonville after serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Hartwick College, in Oneonta, New York. While at Hartwick, he assisted with the team's day-to-day operations, and was the head of goalkeeping training.

Prior to his tenure in the Empire State, Buckner spend two seasons at Western Illinois University as a graduate assistant coach, while working to earn a master's degree in sports management with a 3.9 GPA. He helped the Leathernecks become Summit League semi-finalists in 2016 and 17, and pick up seven Summit League All-Conference awards, eight Player of the Week accolades and a First-Team Academic All-American selection.

Buckner spent summer 2017 as an assistant coach with the Myrtle Beach Mutiny of the Premier Development League, helping the team post a 10-2-3 record in their first campaign, and win a South East Division Title. The Mutiny were voted the Top New Franchise of 2017, while their goalkeeper, working directly under Buckner, was a one-time PDL National Player of the Week.

His coaching experience began in 2016, when he served as the head coach of the Hunter's Creek U19 Boys Global Premier Soccer Club in Orlando, Fla. He also served as the club's Head of Media Relations and Camps during his time.

A native of England, Buckner was a four-year letterwinner at Hartwick from 2011-15, and served as the starting goalkeeper during the entirety of his college career. A team captain his senior year, he helped the Hawks capture the 2014 Sun Belt Regular Season and Tournament Championships, and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He was a Sun Belt Second-Team All-Conference selection in 20015, and earned a pair of Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Buckner earned a bachelor's degree of arts in journalism from Hartwick in 2015.