Women's Soccer
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- mpoller@princeton.edu
- Phone:
- 609-258-4921
Mike Poller, who has extensive coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels, joined the Princeton women's soccer program in August 2014 and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in October 2021.
After one season as a volunteer assistant coach under previous head coach Julie Shackford, Poller joined the staff of new head coach Sean Driscoll, and prior to the 2016 season, Poller was designated the program's recruiting coordinator.
Princeton has won four Ivy titles during Poller's time on staff, in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2024 and added two NCAA at-large bids, in 2021 and 2023, winning a first-round NCAA match four times and advancing to the quarterfinals in 2017, including an historic upset of No. 2 North Carolina in the third round. Driscoll and Princeton have been named Ivy League Coach or Coaching Staff of the Year three times with Poller on staff.
In 2021, Princeton earned an NCAA at-large bid, an NCAA first-round win, and shut out 11 opponents in 19 chances to mark the third time in four competitive seasons that Princeton earned at least 11 clean sheets. Princeton earned another at-large bid two years later, in 2023, advancing to the second-round again and shutting out No. 4-ranked Texas Tech before a penalty-kick shootout. In 2024, Princeton added an Ivy League title and won the Ivy League Tournament in its second year in its current incarnation.
Poller has a U.S. Soccer Federation "A" coaching license. Before Princeton, he served as the volunteer assistant coach for the Seton Hall University women's soccer program beginning January 2014. Prior to that, Poller was at Summit High School in northern New Jersey, where he was the program's head coach from 2011-13, and at Match Fit Chelsea FC Academy, where he has coached since 2009.
Poller's first collegiate soccer coaching experience came at Arcadia University outside Philadelphia, where he was an assistant coach for two seasons from 2009-11. Prior to that, he served as the executive director of the Princeton Soccer Association and held coaching positions at The Hun School in Princeton, McCorristin High School in Hamilton, N.J., and Spotswood High School in Spotswood, N.J. Poller also has coaching experience in the New Jersey Olympic Development Program and with the South Jersey Soccer League Select team.
Poller played two seasons at Central Connecticut State and two seasons at The College of New Jersey, where he helped the Lions to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division III tournament.
Poller holds a bachelor's degree in education from The College of New Jersey.
