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MSOC Michael Bruce Headshot 2022

Michael Bruce

Michael Bruce was named the head coach of the Montreat College men's soccer program prior to the start of the 2017 season. He enters his ninth season as head coach of the Cavaliers during the 2025-26 academic year.

YEAR-BY-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

2024

  • Went 3-4-1 (2-1-1 AAC) during the hurricane-shortened regular season.
  • Captured the program's first point from a match at Tennessee Wesleyan since Sept. 20, 2008.
  • Scored a season-high five goals versus Pikeville during Homecoming & Family Weekend.
  • Athlete achievements: 1 AAC Offensive Player of the Week, 4 CSC Academic All-District® Team honorees, 8 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 10 AAC All-Academic Team members.

2023

  • Went 6-10-2 (5-7-1 AAC) and ended ninth in the AAC regular-season standings.
  • Notched a 4-match win streak from 9/13 to 9/23 while outscoring opponents 23-2.
  • Athlete achievements: 1 Second Team All-AAC, 3 CSC Academic All-District® Team honorees, 6 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 10 AAC All-Academic Team members.

2022

  • Went 6-10-2 (5-7-1 AAC) during his sixth season at the helm.
  • Finished ninth in the AAC regular-season standings.
  • Erased 2-0 deficit in final 15 minutes to defeat Faulkner and claim season's initial victory (3-2 win on 9/3).
  • Athlete achievements: 1 AAC Offensive Player of the Week, 1 AAC Defensive Player of the Week, 1 CSC Academic All-America® Second Team, 2 CSC Academic All-District® Team honorees, 11 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 14 AAC All-Academic Team members.
2021
  • Went 8-10-1 (7-6 AAC) on the year, tied for the most AAC wins in a single season under Bruce.
  • Secured the No. 7 seed entering the AAC Tournament and advanced past 14th-ranked Milligan via PKs in the AAC Quarterfinals before falling to Point, the eventual AAC Tournament Champion, in the AAC Semifinals.
  • Won a thrilling double-overtime contest at Truett McConnell for the squad's initial AAC triumph of the season (2-1 win on 9/11).
  • Athlete achievements: 3 Second Team All-AAC athletes, 2 AAC All-Tournament Team nods, 3 AAC Offensive Player of the Week awards, 1 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Second Team, 2 CoSIDA Academic All-District® First Team members and 9 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
2020
  • Went 6-6 (5-5 AAC) during the season.
  • Athlete achievements: 1 AAC Offensive Player of the Week, 3 AAC Defensive Player of the Week awards, 1 CoSIDA Academic All-District® First Team and 12 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
2019
  • Went 11-6-1 (7-3-1 AAC) on the year, Montreat's best overall and AAC winning percentages under Bruce.
  • Captured the No. 5 seed entering the AAC Tournament before falling at No. 4-seeded Union in the AAC Quarterfinals.
  • Athlete achievements: 4 Second Team All-AAC athletes, 2 AAC Defensive Player of the Week awards, 8 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 10 AAC All-Academic Team members.
2018
  • Went 6-9-2 (3-5-2 AAC) during his second season as head coach.
  • Claimed the No. 7 seed entering the AAC Tournament before losing at No. 2-seeded Reinhardt in the AAC Quarterfinals.
  • Athlete achievements: 1 Second Team All-AAC, 2 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 6 AAC All-Academic Team members.
2017
  • Went 11-9 (4-6 AAC) in his first season as head coach.
  • Collected the No. 8 seed entering the AAC Tournament and upset top-seeded Reinhardt in the AAC Quarterfinals before falling to Union in the AAC Semifinals.
  • Athlete achievements: 2 AAC All-Tournament Team nods, 1 AAC Offensive Player of the Week, 1 AAC Defensive Player of the Week, 1 NAIA Champion of Character, 4 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 7 AAC All-Academic Team members.

PRIOR TO MONTREAT

Prior to being named the Montreat men's soccer head coach, Bruce joined his alma mater's coaching staff as an assistant following his graduation in 2013.

During his first season with the Cavaliers in the fall of 2013, the assistant coach and goalkeeper coach helped goalie Lucas Carvalho to his second straight First Team All-AAC selection. Under Bruce’s guidance, Carvalho had a career season in shutouts (6), goals against (17), goals against average (1.02) and wins (7) while playing a career-high 1,494 minutes.

Bruce made nine starting appearances for the Cavaliers in 2010 before injuries cut his career short. In his lone season in a Cavalier uniform, the East Kilbride, Scotland native allowed just 1.02 goals against, ranking him 41st in the NAIA.

Before starting his Montreat playing career, Bruce played two seasons at Shorter (Ga.) where he appeared in 19 matches for the Hawks. He also competed for Alloa Athletic FC of the Scottish Second Division where he played as a youth.

Bruce graduated from Montreat College in 2013 with a degree in business administration and a concentration in sports management.

COACHING RECORD
 
Year School Overall Record Conference Record
W L T Pct. W L T Pct.
2024 Montreat 3 4 1 0.438 2 1 1 0.625
2023 Montreat 6 10 2 0.389 5 7 1 0.423
2022 Montreat 6 10 2 0.389 5 7 1 0.423
2021 Montreat 8 10 1 0.447 7 6 0 0.538
2020 Montreat 6 6 0 0.500 5 5 0 0.500
2019 Montreat 11 6 1 0.639 7 3 1 0.682
2018 Montreat 6 9 3 0.417 3 5 2 0.400
2017 Montreat 11 9 0 0.550 4 6 0 0.417
8 seasons 57 64 10 0.473 38 40 6 0.488