John Melody

John came to Erie from Ireland and was a two-sport athlete at Mercyhurst University in the late 1980’s, competing in soccer and golf. From 1997-2001 he served as the men’s and women’s soccer coach at Mercyhurst. The men’s team finished with a 70-21-4 record and had a perfect 27-0 record in the GLIAC. The Lakers won five GLIAC titles and reached the NCAA Tournament in 1998, 2000, and 2001, advancing to the Final Four in 1998. The women’s team had a 72-19-6 record and was 37-4-3 in the GLIAC. The Lakers made the NCAA Tournament in 1999, 2000 and 2001. John was named the GLIAC Men’s Coach of the Year three times and the Women’s Coach of the Year twice and was twice named Regional Coach of the Year for both men and women. He also coached soccer at Gannon in 2007 and 2008 with a 26-9-2 record and a conference championship in 2007. He has remained in soccer as the owner of the Erie Commodores, part of the NPSL, since 2010. He served as the coach of the team for seven seasons with a 55-17-15 record with five conference championships, three regional championships, three national semifinals and one national final appearance.