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  Mike Bristol
Mike Bristol

Last College:
Western Illinois (1999)

Position:
Assistant Coach

Experience:
4th Season

Email:
mbristol@fsu.edu


05/11/2012

Seminole Soccer Summer Camps

The Mark Krikorian Soccer Academy is offering two unique camp opportunities for the summer.

12/01/2011

FSU At College Cup

Pre-Tournament press conference, practice, ESPN interviews and championship banquet highlight day one.

Mike Bristol enters his fourth season at Florida State where his primary responsibilities with the Seminoles include the training of the goalkeepers and team defense. He also assumed the role of recruiting coordinator in 2012. Bristol joined the Seminole coaching staff after spending five seasons as an assistant coach with the Eclipse Select Soccer Club in Libertyville, Ill.

Since his arrival in Tallahassee, Bristol has helped guide the Seminoles to three consecutive trips to the Elite Eight, a berth in the 2011 College Cup and the school's first ACC Championship in 2011. In his first three years, the Seminoles have compiled an overall record of 53-18-3 while claiming the ACC regular season title in 2009 and finishing in a tie for second place in 2010. Bristol has coached six All-Americans, four Freshman All-Americans, the 2011 ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player and a handful of student-athletes who have competed internationally.

In overseeing the team defending, Bristol has led the Seminoles to a goals against average of 0.92 over his first three years. The Seminole backline has averaged over 11 shutouts a season under Bristol reaching double-digits all three years. In 2010, Florida State gave up a league-low five goals during conference play en route to leading the ACC with 13 shutouts. A combination of great defense and goalkeeping resulted in FSU's first league championship in 2011. Kelsey Wys was named MVP of the ACC Tournament after finishing the championship with a 0.59 GAA and 10 saves as she allowed just two goals in over 300 minutes of action. Wys was outstanding in net in the finals making four saves and then three more in penalty kicks to help FSU secure its first ACC title.

Following his first season in Tallahassee, the Seminole defense turned in the third lowest goals against average in school history at 0.85 allowing 22 goals in over 2,300 minutes of action. Under the direction of Bristol, Florida State reached double figures in shutouts for the fifth straight year blanking opponents 10 times in 2009. In the ACC, the Seminoles finished the year fourth in GAA, tied for fourth in goals allowed and fifth in shutouts.

Bristol's work with a very young defensive squad, comprised of two sophomores and two freshmen, was on full display right from the very beginning as the defensive unit opened the season posting three consecutive shutouts. The Seminoles allowed just seven shots through the first three games including three shots on goal. The three shutouts to open the season marked the first time such a feat occurred in school history. The stifling defense was at it again in the ACC Championship in Cary, N.C., with the Seminoles recording consecutive shutouts in the first two matches of the tournament for just the second time in the program's existence.

His second season in Tallahassee was just as impressive transitioning Kelsey Wys into one of the most dominant goalkeepers in the nation during her freshman campaign in 2010. Wys started 22 matches between the posts for the Seminoles tallying 2004 minutes while registering a 16-5-1 record, 91 saves and 12 shutouts. She allowed just 17 goals including five during the ACC regular season en route to a goals against average of 0.76 on the year. Wys finished the season leading the ACC in saves, shutouts, shutouts per game and save percentage (.843). She would go on to earn a spot on the All-ACC Second Team, All-ACC Freshman Team and garner second team Freshman All-America honors from Soccer America. The Seminole defense went on to lead the ACC in shutouts (13), while ranking second in saves and goals allowed with 20.

Florida State has been recognized nationally for their defensive efforts in the first three years under Bristol with two Seminole defenders being honored as semifinalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy. Ines Jaurena made her first ever appearance on the list in 2011 joining Becky Edwards (2009) as the only defenders in Florida State history to be recognized as Hermann Trophy semifinalists.

During his time with the Eclipse, Bristol led the club team to four national championships; had five goalkeepers selected as pool members of national teams and eight goalkeepers named to regional teams. In 2008, Bristol tutored Alexa Gaul (University of Texas) and Taylor Vancil, a two-year member of the Seminole soccer team (2011-12), who both served as goalkeepers on the United States U-17 National Team that finished second at the 2008 FIFA Youth World Cup in New Zealand. Four of his goalkeepers received the Golden Glove Award at the USYSA National Championships, presented to the tournament's most outstanding goalkeeper. Vancil was one of the Golden Glove Award recipients as she was recognized as the best goalkeeper at the 2008 World Cup.

Bristol has spent part of his coaching career as a goalkeeper coach at the collegiate level as well. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State University from 2002-04 where he was in charge of the goalkeepers and the backs. During his time at Illinois State his goalkeepers ranked in the top 12 nationally in goals against average. Following his time at Illinois State, Bristol served as the goalkeeper coach for the women's program at the University of Maryland.

His coaching background also includes stints with the Region II ODP and Illinois ODP programs. Bristol also traveled to Germany as the goalkeeper coach with the 1992 Regional ODP team. During the 2009-10 season, he was named the Region III ODP Goalkeeping Director. Bristol has earned a level 3 goalkeeping diploma as well as a premier diploma both from the NSCAA. The Granite City, Ill., native is also on the NSCAA goalkeeping instructional staff for state and regional diplomas. Bristol earned his national goalkeeping license from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

As a player, Bristol was a four-year starting goalkeeper at Western Illinois University (1995-99). During his freshman season, he was voted team most valuable player and earned first team All-Mid-Continent Conference honors. Bristol served as team captain for three years and was selected to numerous all-tournament teams. Following his collegiate career, Bristol played for the PDL Cocoa Expos soccer team in Cocoa Beach, Fla., during the summer of 1999.

Bristol graduated with a degree in Secondary Education and a master's degree in Sports Management from Western Illinois University.

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