Hofstra University Athletics

Stephen Roche enters his 10th season on the Hofstra men's soccer coaching staff in 2025. He came to Hofstra in June 2016 and was promoted to associate head coach on April 30, 2021. In September 2024 he was named the program's head coach in waiting. 

In his nine seasons on the staff, Roche has helped the Pride to CAA Championship appearances each year, with Hofstra winning the title in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The Pride advanced to the finals in 2018 and 2020-21, and the semifinals in 2016 and 2019. The Pride claimed the CAA regular season title in Roche’s first season (2016), posting a 7-1 conference record, its best CAA winning percentage since joining the league. In 2021, Hofstra won a program record 18 games en route to the NCAA Third Round and finished the season with a national ranking of 13 and a No. 8 showing in the NCAA RPI. In 2023 Hofstra earned a national seed (#13) for the first time in program history and advanced to the NCAA Third Round once again. The 2024 season saw the Pride earn a No. 7 national seed and a final ranking of No. 23.
 
During his tenure with the Pride, Roche has been responsible for tactical approach and implementation, recruiting, scheduling and scouting. The team has posted a 100-42-30 record over the last nine seasons, and has a 42-13-14 mark in league play during that time as well. He has assisted in the development of some of the top players in program history with Joseph Holland, Sean Nealis, Matthew Vowinkel, Ryan Carmichael, and Eliot Goldthorp each drafted by Major League Soccer teams, while Hendrik Hebbeker was an All-American in 2021, Eliot Goldthorp in 2022, and Carmichael, Goldthorp, and Pierce Infuso in 2023. 

A native of Dublin, Ireland, Roche has also served as head coach of the Long Island Rough Riders in USL2 and is now the organizations sporting director.

As a player, Roche competed professionally with the University College Dublin Football Club in the League of Ireland Premier division from January 2009 through November 2010. He joined FC New York of the United Soccer League in 2011. 

Roche holds a bachelor’s degree in retail and services management from Dublin Institute of Technology. He also owns a National Diploma and an Advanced National Diploma from the United Soccer Coaches and a USSF 'D' license. 

Roche and his wife, Jess, have two sons, Jack and Leo.