FAYETTE, Iowa - Jeancy Matumona-Bau has been announced as the next head coach of Upper Iowa men's soccer by Vice President of Athletics Rick Hartzell. Matumona-Bau earns the promotion after two years as an assistant coach for the program.
"I am very excited to have Jeancy as our new head men's soccer coach," Hartzell said. "I think he has a wonderful coaching career ahead of him, and I am glad he can start that journey here with us at Upper Iowa. His enthusiasm, work ethic and love of the game of soccer give him a chance to succeed and to help our young men achieve a high level of success."
Matumona-Bau joined the staff as a volunteer assistant coach in 2024 before becoming a graduate assistant this past season. During the 2025 campaign, he helped coach a D2CCA Second Team selection in Alejandro Sanchez.
He also guided the team through the spring season while the national search was underway, and Matumona-Bau hopes to continue building on the foundation that was established during the spring.
"I want to build a strong family culture within our team," Matumona-Bau said. "Our goal is to excel in the classroom academically while building a team that can be a contender for the postseason. We want to put Upper Iowa men's soccer back on the map and create something our players, alumni and community can be proud of."
The Antwerp, Belgium native previously coached as a student assistant for Ferrum College. Before that, he spent two seasons as a midfielder for the Panthers, as he appeared in 15 games with three starts.
Matumona-Bau also played at NJCAA Division I Murray State College in Oklahoma from 2018-20. He won the international cup with KFC Lint in 2017 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as his team defeated Werner Bremen (Bundesliga), and he contributed with one assist in a penalty shootout victory. He also played with Royal Antwerp FC U17 in 2016-17 in Belgium.
"I would like to thank God for leading me to Upper Iowa and giving me the opportunity to become a head coach," Matumona-Bau said. "I'm grateful to Rick Hartzell and Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Business Services Willie McGowan for their trust in me. I also want to thank former coach Jason Carlson for bringing me in and guiding me over the last few years. He prepared me well for this role. I'm thankful to Ferrum College coaches Matt Cureton and James Morgan for giving me my start as a student assistant coach. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Jakila, as this opportunity means everything for my family and me."
