Bowling Green State University men’s soccer head coach Eric Nichols has announced three additions to his coaching staff. Keelan Barker, Sergi Martinez and Andrew Mathys have joined the Falcons.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the group of coaches we have assembled on our staff,” said Nichols. “These guys possess vast experience and knowledge, they are high in character, and they are extremely eager for success. Our players, program and community will have benefit greatly with these additions.”
Barker joins the Falcons from Coffeyville CC in Coffeyville, Kansas, where he was head men’s soccer coach during the 2022 season. He led his alma mater to a 9-8-1 overall record last fall.
He was promoted to the head-coaching spot in January 2022, after serving as assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s programs in the 2020 and ‘21 seasons. Barker helped lead the Red Raven men’s team to an 18-3-1 record and a number-10 seed in the NJCAA National Tournament in 2021.
“I am really grateful for the opportunity Eric has given me to join such a top program,” said Barker. “The culture and environment here is something special, and I cannot wait to use my experiences to help it continue to grow. We have big ambitions as a group and I am looking forward to the challenge of achieving the goals we have set.
“My family and I feel blessed to call Bowling Green our home. I can’t wait to get started.”
Barker began his collegiate coaching career at Eastern Oregon University, where he helped the Mountaineers advance to the postseason for the first time in program history in 2018, his first season with the program. The team went 11-4-4 that fall and advanced to the Cascade Collegiate Conference semifinals.
The next season (2019), Barker helped the Mounties advance to the conference final as well as the NAIA National Tournament, achieving both milestones for the first time in program history.
Barker played two seasons at Coffeyville CC, captaining the team and earning all-conference honors in both years. Barker helped the team to a 15-5 overall record and a conference co-championship in 2013, and a 14-6-3 overall mark and a second-place league finish in ‘14. The Red Ravens also won a regional title and made the program’s first-ever national-tournament appearance during his playing career.
Barker then played two seasons at Purdue Fort Wayne, where he again was a team captain. He started 35 of the Mastodons’ 36 matches during his two years in Fort Wayne, with seven points on three goals and an assist. He was named to the Summit League Academic Honor Roll in both years.
Barker, a native of Nottingham, England, graduated from Purdue Fort Wayne in 2018, with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He earned an MBA from Eastern Oregon in 2019.
Martinez joins the BGSU coaching staff after completing a stellar playing career with the Falcons last fall. He wore the Orange and Brown for two seasons after joining the program as a graduate transfer from Hartford.
In those two seasons at BG, Martinez had 30 points in 36 matches, with eight goals and 14 assists. He recorded totals of 14 goals, 21 assists and 49 points in his collegiate career.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity Coach Nichols and the university have given me,” said Martinez. “My goal is to bring my experience, passion, and knowledge to help develop the players and support the head coach in game strategies and preparation.
“I believe in creating a positive and competitive environment where the players can thrive both on and off the field. Building strong relationships with the team, providing guidance, and helping them reach their full potential are my priorities. Together with the coaching staff, I’m excited to continue the program’s success and work towards new achievements in the upcoming seasons.”
Martinez led the Falcons in both assists and points last season, and finished second on the team in goals scored. His 18 points included five goals and eight assists this fall. He had 13 points in the eight Mid-American Conference matches, with three goals and seven assists, and was named to the All-MAC First Team.
His final career match saw him explode for two goals and two assists in a 6-0 win over Northern Illinois (Nov. 6). He was named MAC Player of the Week two days later.
A 2022 team captain, Martinez also earned All-Ohio First-Team honors and Academic All-MAC accolades last fall. He started all 16 matches, playing 1,416 of the season’s 1,440 total minutes.
Martinez fell just one assist shy of the school single-game record when he assisted on every goal in BG’s 3-0 win at Chicago State. He had two-assist games in each of the Falcons’ 2022 wins over NIU, adding the two goals in the latter match.
In 2021, Martinez started all 20 of BGSU’s matches, tying for fourth on the team in scoring. His 12 points included three goals and six assists, ranking him second on the Falcons in the latter category. He had a goal and an assist in BGSU’s win over nationally-ranked FIU at Cochrane Stadium that fall, and several days later he was named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week.
Martinez and the Falcons advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships that fall, posting a road win over Louisville in the first round.
Martinez played three seasons at Hartford, where he was named to the All-America East Conference First Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-Northeast Region Second Team in the 2020-21 season. He was named to the America East’s All-Tournament Team in 2019, as he helped the Hawks reach the conference tourney final.
Martinez was a league All-Rookie Team selection in 2018, and he was named to the America East Academic Honor Roll on multiple occasions.
A native of Barcelona, Spain, Martinez earned his undergraduate degree as a finance major from Hartford in 2021. He received his master’s degree in data analytics from BGSU in December of 2022.
Mathys joins the Falcons after serving as assistant coach and goalkeeper coach for the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Wisconsin-Platteville since 2021.
“I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to join the BGSU men’s soccer program,” said Mathys. “The culture and winning standard that has been set forth by Eric and the former players of the program is something I am extremely excited to be a part of.
“I can’t wait to get started and help these young men achieve their goals.”
Mathys spent the past two years at Wisconsin-Platteville, helping the 2022 men’s team reach the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Pioneers finished with a 12-5-3 overall record, and the staff was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year. That came on the heels of a 13-5-2 season for the men’s program in 2021.
On the women’s side, Mathys helped the team improve from two wins before joining the staff to 9-6-3 in 2021 and 12-6-2 with a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament appearance in 2022.
At Wisconsin-Platteville, Mathys was responsible for recruiting for both the men’s and women’s soccer programs, primarily focusing on the state of Illinois. He also ran the social media accounts for both soccer programs.
Prior to his time in Platteville, Mathys spent one season as assistant coach and goalkeeper coach at Dekalb High School in Illinois.
Mathys attended Central College (Iowa), where he was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Third Team as a senior in 2019. He also earned All-American Rivers Conference First-Team honors after winning 14 games in goal with a 1.17 goals against average.
He started all 20 matches in that 2019 season as the Dutch finished with a 14-4-2 record. Mathys was named to the USC Scholar All-Region Second Team (2019), and was named the conference’s defensive player of the week three times that season after earning the honor once in 2018.
Mathys holds the school record for wins in a season (14), and he ranks fourth in shutouts in a season (six) and seventh in seasonal GAA (1.17). Mathys finished his career ranked fourth program history in career GAA (1.27).
Mathys, a native of Elburn, Ill., earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a political science minor at Central in 2020. He earned his Master of Science in sport administration from UW-Platteville in the spring of 2023.
