Derek Marinatos

FOUNDER: ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT UNF / FORMER UNF MEN’S SOCCER HEAD COACH

After 13 years, Coach Marinatos wrapped up his college coaching career at the end of 2023.  Derek Marinatos transformed the Ospreys into a formidable power in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Ospreys burst onto the national scene in 2015 after capturing the school’s first ever conference championship and a berth into the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament. Coach Marinatos was also named the 2015 & 2016 Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year.  Under his tenure, UNF has seen 11 ASUN All-Academic selections, 12 ASUN All-Freshman picks, 10 First Team All-ASUN honorees, 17 Second Team All-ASUN nods, 12 National Soccer Coaches of America Association All-Region picks and three College Sports Information Directors of American All-District selections, and two Academic All-Americans. 

The Ospreys were also donned with five ASUN superlative honors between ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year, ASUN Tournament MVP, ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, ASUN Freshman of the Year and ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year, twice. Coach Marinatos helped produce notable pros in Kyle Nasta, Alex Morrell, Jay Bolt, and Josh Castellanos, in addition to a few others.

Additionally, 205 Ospreys have been named to the ASUN Honor Roll for their work in the classroom during his tenure and the team won the NSCAA Team Academic award for a team GPA over 3.0 for 12 straight years. 

  • UNF Head Men's Soccer Coach (13 years)

  • 2016 ASUN Regular Season Champions & Top 25 Ranking

  • 2016 Coaching Staff of the Year

  • 2015 ASUN Regular Season and Tournament Champions

  • 2015 NCAA Championship birth

  • 2015 ASUN Coach of the Year

  • UNF Men’s Soccer 2013, 2014, & 2015 Conference Finals

  • 27 years of camp experience and founder of "The Derek Marinatos Soccer Academy" and "The Derek Marinatos Goalkeeper Academy"

  • Certified USSF "A" license national coach

  • U.S. National Team Scout

  • 2009 United States U-20 women's national team staff

  • Former Furman University Associate Head Coach and Assistant Coach (5 years)

  • 2010 So-Con title and Conference Final appearance

  • 2007 NCAA Tournament appearance (2nd Round) following a 19-4-0 finish, Top 20 national ranking, and undefeated Southern Conference regular season and tournament championship.

  • Three recruiting classes at Furman earned high national rankings with his 2008 group listed 17th, the 2009 class ranked 27th, and the 2010 class receiving a five star rating, and ranked 3rd in the Country

  • Multi-year Georgia and South Carolina ODP staff coach

  • 2006 goalkeeper coach and advance scout for the United States U-21 women's national team that participated in the prestigious Nordic Cup

  • Six-year stint as an assistant and goalkeeper coach at his alma mater, Emory University, with two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances

  • 1999 Professional with the Atlanta Silverbacks of the United Soccer League's having returned from a tryout with AC Milan in the Italian Seria A

  • As a two-year team captain at Emory, three straight NCAA Tournament appearances

  • Three time first-team all-conference and two-time All-South Region

  • Marinatos holds a bachelor's degree economics from Emory and earned his masters in sports administration at Georgia State University

  • 1994 graduate of the Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL