Updated August 2023

Martin Desmarais, a five-time NEWMAC Coach of the Year honoree and three-time United Soccer Coaches New England Regional Coach of the Year, enters his 16th season at the helm of MIT’s women’s soccer program in 2023. 

Desmarais first joined the program as an assistant coach in 2005. He became head coach in 2008, since then, he has led MIT to six NEWMAC Championship titles, 10 consecutive regular season crowns and appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history in 2021 and making it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2012 for the first time in program history and repeating that feat in 2017. Desmarais, who has totaled 210 wins over that span, became the first coach in program history to reach 100 career wins after his squad defeated Worcester State on September 6th, 2016. He captured win 200 on September 14 with a 6-1 win over Roger Williams. 

Desmarais led the Engineers to their best seasons in program history over four straight years beginning in 2016. In that span, MIT posted an overall record of 74-12-8 and a mark of 36-1-3 in NEWMAC play. The Engineers took home four NEWMAC Regular Season titles, three NEWMAC Championship crowns and made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament with their best finish coming in 2017 when the team reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history. The 2017, 2019 and 2021 squads became the first teams to reach 20 wins in a single season and the Engineers reached the highest Division III national ranking in program history at No. 5 in November of 2019.

The 2021 team set the program record with 22 wins and hosted the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament as the Engineers advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. 

The 2019 team was crowned the NCAA Division III statistical champions in goals against average (.162), save percentage (.941) and shutout percentage (.833). In 2019, the Engineers also became the first team in the NEWMAC to post an unblemished record in conference play at 10-0-0 since 2007.

With a career record of 210-57-34, Desmarais is the program’s all-time leader in wins and winning percentage (.757) and has the most postseason victories with 25.

Desmarais came to MIT from Framingham State University where he served as an assistant women’s soccer coach. Prior to joining Framingham State, Desmarais worked as a media relations assistant for the Boston Breakers of the Women’s United Soccer Association.

A 1997 graduate of Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass., Desmarais was a member of Stonehill’s ice hockey team. He went on to earn a master’s degree in media studies from The Pennsylvania State University in 1999.

Desmarais has his NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, NSCAA National Diploma, NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma, as well as NSCAA State and Regional Goalkeeping Diploma.

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