John Sanchez will enter his eighth season at the helm of the Hunter College men's soccer program after becoming the head coach at the start of the 2013 season.
The 2019 season saw an overall record of 8-8-2 with a 6-1 CUNYACÂ record. They earned the #2 seed in the CUNYAC Tournament and defeated #3 Baruch by a score of 2-0 in the semi-finals. In the finals, they played #5 John Jay to a tie through regulation and two overtime periods before moving to a shootout where they ultimately fell in a tightly contested 7-6 final. Sanchez had five earn post-season honors including Jesus Patino-Munoz who was named the Player of the Year.Â
2018 proved a down year for Sanchez and his team after suffering several key injuries. However, they still managed to secure a 5-8-3, 3-3-2 CUNYAC mark and earned a spot in the post-season tournament as the #6 seed. In the quarterfinals, they were pitted against #3 Lehman and wound up going to overtime but were eventually out-kicked in penalty shots. Sanchez had two earn CUNYAC First Team All-Star status, on earn a Second Team nod and one featured on the Sportsmanship Team.
In his first four years, Sanchez increased the team's win total steadily and his 10 wins during the 2016 campaign was the most in six seasons. He has brought his team to the CUNYACÂ Tournament quarterfinals four times, the semifinals once and was the Tournament runner up in 2016. To date, there have been 16 CUNYAC All-Stars under his tutelage.
Coming off one of the strongest years in recent program history, the 2017 squad was plagued with injuries all season long. Despite five starters sidelined, Sanchez still guided his squad to a post-season appearance, snagging the #6 seed in the tournament. Although they made an early exit, the CUNYACÂ named two Hawks to the All-Star Second Team.
In just four seasons, Sanchez has turned around a team that won only two games in 2013 to reaching the finals of the CUNYAC tournament last year. In 2016 he led the Hawks to ten victories, the most wins the program has seen since 2010, while the team competed in the CUNYAC championship game for the first time in seven years.
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Sanchez began his coaching career at his alma mater King’s College in 1990. At King’s College, Sanchez initiated and directed the institutions first ever women’s soccer program and guided his team to the NAIA conference playoffs in 1990 and 1992. After two years at his alma mater, Sanchez went on to become the head women’s soccer coach at Manhattanville College from 1993 to 1997. He won 30 games in three seasons, increasing the program’s competitive level.
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In 1997, he served as head women’s soccer coach at Manhattan College. Sanchez led the Jaspers to the MAAC semifinals in 1998 and 2001, had 35 All-Academic Conference Team members, and 20 All-MAAC players. In 1998, he coached the MAAC Rookie of the Year while having a player named to the Soccer Buzz Regional Soccer Team. From 1998 to 2004 his players received NSCAA All Academic Awards and in 2000 the Jaspers were named to the NCAA Verizon Academic All-American Second Team. In 2003 one of his student-athletes won the New York Lottery Scholar Athlete of the Year for the MAAC.
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Sanchez received his bachelors of science degree from King’s College in 1988 and a master’s degree from East Stroudsburg University in 1996.  As a student-athlete from 1984-88, Sanchez played mid-field on a  consistently regionally and nationally ranked King’s team in the NAIA.
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Sanchez currently holds licenses as a USSF- A License and NSCAA-Advance National License soccer coach. A native of South Korea, Sanchez now resides in Tuckahoe, NY.
