Staff

Rob Ferguson

Rob is a co-founder and director of Elite Soccer Ithaca.
Rob was hired as head coach for the Cornell Women's Soccer program in February 2020 after serving as an assistant coach for the Big Red during the 2019 season. In his first two seasons leading the program the Big Red made significant strides. In 2021 they registered their first Ivy League win in 5 years, while 2022 was their best season in 25 years, by most metrics, including wins over Princeton, Dartmouth, Colgate & Villanova,

In his first year on East Hill, as an assistant coach, he helped guide the Big Red to four consecutive victories to start the season – including three straight clean sheets against Siena, Bucknell and St. Bonaventure. Cornell ultimately finished the season with a 4-10-1 record after the rigors of one of the strongest Ivy League competition seen in recent years. Rob helped get the Big Red’s impact freshman class acclimated to collegiate competition, a group that includes 2019 All-Ivy League honorable mention selection Ashley Durik.

Rob first joined the Big Red after a very successful stint as the Director of Coaching with the WNY Flash Academy. He helped turn the program into a player development leader in Western New York, expanding the program's footprint from 15 teams to 34 teams and moving them into national recognition in Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Under Rob's leadership at the Flash their 03G ECNL and Flash 02G ECNL advanced into the Elite 8 in June 2018, and the club had their first US Youth National Team Camp call-up.

Before joining the WNY Flash Academy, Rob was the head coach of both the men's and women's soccer programs at NAIA Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. Prior to that, he served as the Executive Director of Business for Lonestar Soccer Club from 2008 until 2015. One of the largest and most successful youth soccer clubs in the country, He advanced the 95G Red to the USYSNC Region III Championships in June 2013 and 2014 and assisted the 96G ECNL in their ECNL National Championship in 2011.

Previous stops for Rob included a stint as the head coach with Albion Hurricanes FC in Houston, where he guided the AHFC 94G Blue to the USYSNC Regionals for the first time in their history. Before that, he was the Director of Coaching for FC Arsenal for three years in Bastrop, Texas.

Kelsey Ferguson

Kelsey is a co-founder and director of Elite Soccer Ithaca.

Kelsey currently coaches with the SDA Soccer Club in Syracuse, NY where she works with players and teams competing in the Girls Academy.

Kelsey completed two seasons as an assistant coach with the Big Red, helping the squad start the 2019 season with a four-game winning streak. She joined the Big Red after three years as an assistant coach at Buffalo State and head coach of ECNL teams at the WNY Flash Academy. Before joining the WNY Flash Academy, Kelsey spent seven years with Lonestar Soccer Club, one of the largest and most successful youth soccer clubs in the country. She served as a head coach to several teams and was the S2/D2 South Assistant Director of Coaching.

A collegiate competitor herself, and captain, on the women’s soccer team at the University of Richmond, Kelsey also had stints with the WPSL’s SoccerPlus Connecticut Reds and W-League’s Vermont Voltage. She started her coaching tenure as a volunteer assistant coach with St. Edward’s University.

Originally from Saranac Lake, Kelsey earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a minor in studio art. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Sports Management with an expected completion date of December 2019. She holds a USSF ‘B’ Coaching License, a USSF National Youth License, and a La Liga Formation Methodology-Level 3 qualification.