LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell Senior Associate Athletic Director
Sandra Niedergall has announced the appointment of
Mira Novak as interim head coach of the River Hawks' women's soccer program for the upcoming season. Novak joined the River Hawks in 2017 as an assistant coach.
"Coach Novak was key to the program's foundation that was created last year," Niedergall said. "He knows the game, and what it takes on and off the field to build a successful program. We know he will continue the progression with his leadership skills and commitment to his players."
In 2017, Novak helped the team earn its best finish in Division I competition with a 5-6-6 record. The squad also completed a strong conference season with a .438 winning percentage in America East action.
"I would like to thank Senior Associate Athletic Director
Sandra Niedergall and Deputy Athletic Director
Peter Casey, as well as the rest of the search committee for their trust in me to take this program forward and build a something that the UMass Lowell family can be proud of," Novak said. "It is an honor and privilege to be given the chance to write our own history with this program at the Division I level. I am excited to continue working with the student-athletes and staff at UMass Lowell, who all take pride in working hard and achieving great things."
Prior to his arrival at UMass Lowell, Novak served one season as an assistant coach at Merrimack College, where he helped the Warriors to a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance, after a second-place, regular-season finish in the Northeast-10. Novak assisted with leading the squad to a 13-4 record.
He also served as the associate head coach for the men's and women's soccer programs at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada. There, he helped turn around the women's program and led the men's team to the conference playoffs. Novak also received the Nova Scotia Coach of the Year award after leading the XFC senior club team to its first-ever playoff appearance at the Tier 1 level.
Novak has also worked for the Scottish Football Association in elite talent programs, and, as the head coach of the regional performance program, coached a number of youth national team players. He also worked as a coach educator, running coaching courses and helped establish an innovative coach mentoring program. He led the men's soccer team at the University of Stirling to a second-place finish in the highest division of university sports in Scotland, as well.
Novak played at a semi-professional level in the Czech Republic, as well as successfully competing as a student-athlete at St. Francis Xavier University. During his time with the X-Men, he led the team as a co-captain to its first-ever No. 1 national ranking, and earned All-Canadian and Conference Rookie of the Year honors.
Novak holds a UEFA A coaching license, and earned degrees in kinesiology and coaching soccer from St. Francis Xavier University (Canada) and Charles University (Czech Republic), respectively. He is a holder of the Chartered Professional Coach designation, and is currently completing his master's degree in high performance coaching and technical leadership at the University of British Columbia.
Novak currently lives in Reading, Mass., with his wife Tory.
