Michele Canning, who served as the head coach of New York University's women's soccer team since 2011, began a new role as the Department of Athletics' first-ever Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Initiatives and Student Development in June 2023.
In her new position, Canning is responsible for the coordination, strategic planning initiatives, assessment of student outcomes, and student-athlete development for the Department of Athletics. She will be advising NYU's Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics, Stuart Robinson, as well as the Department's senior administrative team on recommendations that promote and ensure efficiency and effectiveness optimizing the use of available resources.
Canning will be serving as a liaison within offices of NYU's Division of Student Affairs and the University to ensure coordination and prioritization of activities that are necessary to move the department's strategic plan forward, managing student-athlete community service and engagement partnerships, supporting onboarding training for students and staff, and partnering with campus counterparts to promote GIDBEA (Global Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Access) programming for students and staff.
During Canning's tenure as head coach, the Violets posted an overall 121-66-26 record, making six postseason appearances and recording 10 winning seasons, including a 9-3-5 mark in her final 2022 campaign.
A 1998 magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Women's Studies, Canning was a member of the Pirates' inaugural women's soccer team. She finished her four-year career tied for fifth in scoring (21 points) and goals (8), which included netting the program's first-ever goal in 1994.
After graduating, Canning served one season (1998-99) as an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic University. In 2008-09, she returned to FAU and earned a Master of Arts degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies. While there, Canning also taught undergraduate courses and served on the University's inaugural Women's Leadership Forum Committee and the Women's Studies Center Strategic Planning Committee.
Also a graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy class #41, Canning holds a professional diploma in Leading Spiritual Diversity in Higher Education from NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
A native of Philadelphia, PA, Canning resides in Scarsdale, NY.
