Former UNF men’s soccer head coach Jamie Davies will conclude his tenure as an Osprey with a clean sweep of ASUN titles and NCAA tournament appearances.

However, it had to come because Davies’s time at UNF is being cut short. After swiftly turning around the UNF men’s soccer program, UNF athletics announced Thursday evening that Davies will depart UNF for a head coaching job at Grand Canyon University.

“We’re incredibly grateful for Coach Davies’ contributions to our program and the impact he’s had on our student-athletes and our University,” Morrow said in a statement.

In tandem, athletic director Nick Morrow announced the hiring of Marlon Montanella as the program’s fourth-ever coach.

About Montanella

Over the last two seasons, Montanella was the assistant coach on Davies’ staff, playing an important role in North Florida’s postseason runs, according to the press release. Additionally, Montanella built 13 All-ASUN selections. Before UNF, Montanella was an assistant at the University of Bridgeport, helping recruit the top Division Two scorer in 2023.

Montanella is a native of Cannes, France, where he started his soccer years at the A.S. Cannes Academy. For college, Montanella went to Young Harris College, leading the program to back-to-back Peach Belt tournament titles, similar to what he did as a coach at UNF.

Then, he finished his playing days at Bridgeport. There, Montanella guided his team to the ECC Conference title game, earning first and third-team honors.

This will be Montanella’s first time being a head coach.

“I’m honored to be named the head coach for North Florida men’s soccer,” Montanella said. “… I am also incredibly grateful to Jamie Davies, who has been an outstanding mentor to me and has played a significant role in my growth as a coach. SWOOP!”

Pros Produced

Meanwhile, Davies concluded his time at UNF with a historic 12-5-2 record, upsetting teams like Wisconsin, South Carolina, and top-20 FAU. Overall, the London native posted a 19-13-6 record at UNF. Professionally, Davies led many Ospreys to the next level, including Joaquin Acuna, Luc Granitur, and Jaylen Yearwood.

On Thursday, MLS club Orlando City drafted Yearwood 14th overall, marking the highest draft pick in program history. Yearwood is the second Osprey player to be drafted in the MLS. Earlier this week, Sporting Club Jacksonville signed forward Luc Granitur, rostering its inaugural season with some local flavor.

Similar to the women’s team, Sporting Club Jacksonville will play at Hodges Stadium in its first USL Championship season, which is set to begin in early March.

Coaching Turnover

With a new head coach, North Florida’s new season will begin sometime next August. This is the fourth head coach to leave UNF in 2025. During the spring, longtime basketball head coach Matthew Driscoll resigned to take an assistant coaching job at Kansas State. Early December, volleyball head coach Kristen Wright and beach volleyball head coach Doug Wright stepped down.

As of Dec. 18, no replacements have been announced for either volleyball position

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