PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's soccer program and James C. Gentle head coach, Brian Gill, have announced another addition to their coaching staff, welcoming back Matt Poplawski W'17 as an assistant coach.
 
"First off, I would like to thank Jon Delano for all of the hard work he put in during his time here at Penn," said Gill. "He did a lot for our program, but we wish him and his family the best at his new position. In turning the page and getting a chance to rebuild our staff coming into this new season, I am thrilled to have Matt joining us."
 
"I want to thank Coach Gill for giving me the opportunity to join the staff," said Poplawski. "Penn is a second home for me, and I'm extremely excited to be back on campus. I look forward to doing everything I can to continue to build on this program's great tradition."
 
A two-time captain for the Quakers, Poplawski had a successful playing career with Penn, totaling six goals and five assists for 17 points while capping off his time in the red and blue with a first-team All-Ivy recognition and ECAC All-Star nod. Over the course of four seasons, he started in 47 of the 57 games played in. Additionally, his first two years at Penn, he walked on to the men's basketball team. In his sophomore year, he played in 17 games with three starts in Ivy League play, registering 23 points and five assists.
 
"This is a great opportunity for us to bring someone back to Penn with a high level of passion for both the university and the program," continued Gill. "He understands what success in the Ivy League and beyond looks like, which will be a major boost for our players."
 
Following graduation, Poplawski went right into coaching Division I soccer, moving down to North Carolina to work with Wake Forest as a volunteer assistant. Assisting in all the daily operations, he was a part of teams that won the ACC regular-season title in 2018 and the ACC tournament in 2017. Securing two NCAA tournament berths in 2017 and 2018, the Demon Deacons entered both tournaments as the overall No. 1 seed and advancing as far as the quarterfinals. He was a part of a coaching staff that was named the 2017 United Soccer Coaches South Region Coaching Staff of the Year, while the program had five players drafted to the MLS over two seasons.
 
After a two-year stint with Wake Forest, he headed further south for an assistant coaching position with South Florida in Tampa. During his tenure with the Bulls, the team secured an NCAA tournament berth in 2019 for the first time in three seasons, finishing the year with an 11-7-1 overall record. That season, two seniors signed professional contracts in the USL. In the most recent MLS SuperDraft, two players were picked up, while another player singed a professional contract in USL League One.
 
"Matt is a bright coach with a good eye for talent," said Gill. "He has had the fortune of working in some of the best environments in college soccer and I am excited to see what he can bring back to Penn!"
 
Poplawski currently has his U.S. Soccer "C" coaching license.