Jason Green

Jason Green enters his 12th year as an assistant with the University of Colorado soccer team in 2023. He was promoted to associate head coach in August 2015 and serves as the Buffaloes’ goalkeeper director.

In his first 11 seasons with the Buffs, he helped the team to a 120-76-31 (.597) combined record, six NCAA Tournament appearances, and its best defensive seasons in program history. Green was a key contributor to the development of CU goalkeeper Jalen Tompkins. Tompkins set CU records in wins (49), saves (369) and save percentage (.841). She signed her first professional the spring of 2020, joining Vålerenga Fotball Damer in Norway.

In 2012, the Buffs set a record with three shutouts at the start of the season. In 2013, the Buffs shattered that record by shutting out their first five opponents, on their way to nine total clean sheets (tying for fifth-best all-time). In 2014, CU’s defense was clutch once again, tying a then-program record with 12 shutouts. The Buffs again broke the school record with 14 clean sheets in 2017. Altogether, in his six seasons, CU has shut out 56 opponents, an average of over nine per season.

Green helped CU to its best defensive season in school history in 2017 as the team broke the records for goals-against average (0.61), shutouts (14) and longest shutout streak (621:10). The defensive success led the Buffs to a 12-6-4 record that included a 5-4-2 mark in Pac-12 play as they reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Goalkeeper Jalen Tompkins was an All-Pac-12 and all-region selection, breaking individual CU records for GAA, save percentage and longest shutout streak. She ranked second in the Pac-12 in save percentage and third in GAA. Her efforts helped the Buffs open the season with a school-record six consecutive clean sheets.

In Green’s fifth season in 2016, Colorado completed perhaps its best season in school history. The Buffs tied the school record for wins in a season, going 15-6-1 overall and 8-2-1 in the Pac-12 for a second-place finish in the conference. It was the best single-season turnaround in Pac-12 history as CU went from 12th place in 2015 to second in 2016, an improvement of 10 places. The Buffs also reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked No. 23, the first time they have been ranked in the final poll since 2008.

Tompkins was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and set Colorado freshman records for save percentage, goals-against average, saves, shutouts and wins, while ranking fifth in the nation among freshmen in save percentage. The Buffs also broke the school record for save percentage (.847) and had the fifth-best GAA ever (0.88).

Green also helped the Buffs to back-to-back 14-win seasons and two straight NCAA Tournament appearances in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the Buffs matched their best postseason finish, defeating back-to-back ranked opponents on their way to the Sweet 16. In 2014, CU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating 15th-ranked BYU 2-0 in cold, snowy conditions at Prentup Field.

As the goalkeeper director, his goalies combined for a stellar 0.76 average in 2014. Green’s work solidified Annie Brunner as one of the program’s best keepers in her final two seasons in 2012 and 2013. In his two seasons working with Brunner, her stats drastically improved in every category. Her GAA went from 1.69 in 2011 to 1.11 in 2013 and her save percentage increased from .635 in ’11 to .770 in ’13. Brunner also more than doubled her total saves from 40 in 2011 to 87 in 2013. With Green’s assistance, Brunner claimed two Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors and earned a spot in the top five of every career goalkeeping statistical category at CU.

In 2014, Green helped develop Kate Scheele into one of the top goalkeepers in the Pac-12 during the 2014 season. Scheele shut out 11 opponents, third-best in the conference and ranked in the Pac-12’s top six in save percentage (.821), saves (22), and goals-against average (0.76). Scheele moved on to a professional playing career, signing with the Houston Dash of the NWSL in 2016 after a brief stint in Sweden.

In Green’s 11 seasons with the Buffaloes, CU has won the Colorado Cup six times, finishing the best in a competition among Colorado’s six NCAA Division I colleges and universities. The Buffs have won it in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2022 and 2023.

“Because of Jason’s complete understanding of the game, he brings a refreshing perspective to goalkeeping,” Brunner said. “Too many coaches these days focus on just the technique of our position and end up losing sight of the bigger picture – keeping the ball out of the net. While those coaches end up criticizing your every move, Jason uniquely understands that with repetition and feedback I’ll make the most progress. He offers advice based off his knowledge of field player behavior combined with goalkeeper technique, which together elevate my understanding of the position and help me to perform my best on game day.”

Prior to joining the Buffs, he was an assistant for Danny Sanchez at the University of Wyoming. In Green’s four-year tenure at Wyoming, the Cowgirls were 36-34-11. He helped coach 18 Academic All-Mountain West Conference and nine conference scholars. In 2011, he helped coach the Cowgirls to a school record-12 wins and the program’s first-ever spot in the MWC Tournament championship match.

At Wyoming, Green brought the goalkeeping position to a new level, as almost every record was broken while he was training the goalkeepers. Under Green’s tutelage, Courtney Merkle ended her collegiate career ranked at the top of school season and career record books for GAA and minutes played. Merkle also ranked second all-time in saves.

Green was also on Sanchez’s staff at Mesa Community College and the duo has worked together on a number of club teams and summer camps.

He has held two high school head coaching jobs, the first at Skyline High School in Mesa, Ariz., and the second at Chandler (Ariz.) High School. Green was named region coach of the year at both posts and at Chandler his teams won three straight NSCAA national academic awards.

In his 20--plus years coaching in college, high school and club soccer, Green has coached five state championship teams, six region champions, four district champions and five conference titlists.

He was mentored by Aidan Davison, a former goalkeeper in the English Premier League a coach for Wrexham AFC.

“Having worked with Jason, I have seen firsthand the quality he brings to the program. He has an added dimension of understanding the goalkeeping role and the requirements of the position,” Davison said. “Jason is a bright young coach with a big future.”

Green holds a United States Soccer Federation “A” License and a USSF National Goalkeeping License. He also has attended the Manchester United Coaches Symposium.

Green started his collegiate playing career at Mesa C.C. under Sanchez where they were ranked as high as second in the nation. He continued his career at Grand Canyon (Ariz.) University, where he helped lead the team to a No. 2 national ranking and to the championship game of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament.

He earned his bachelor’s in physical education from Ottawa (Ariz.) University in 2003 and completed his master’s in physical education from Arizona State University in 2008.