Tuesday, July 19, 2022
by Montana State Billings Athletic Communications

BILLINGS, Mont. – Bringing a track record of success to the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer program, Aaron Champenoy was named the program's interim head coach on Tuesday.

“We are excited to have Aaron join the department and lead the men’s soccer program,” said MSUB director of athletics Michael Bazemore, who made the appointment. “He brings a depth of experience with a proven track record of success, which includes a national championship and coach of the year accolades.”

Champenoy was the 2016 NAIA National Coach of the Year after leading Hastings College to the national title with a record of 24-0-1. In his most recent stint as a collegiate head coach, Champenoy compiled a cumulative record of 43-3-2 during his two seasons in charge at Hastings from 2016-17.

“First I’d like to thank MSU Billings and Director of Athletics Michael Bazemore for the opportunity to lead the Yellowjacket men’s soccer program,” said Champenoy, who is a native of Omaha, Nebraska. “I can’t wait to meet the team and get them out on the training pitch this preseason. We have a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time with a very young team. The standard will be simple; I will give the team everything I have and I ask the same in return, and we will do it as a family supporting one another and pushing each other to improve every day on and off the pitch.”

Champenoy’s successful tenure at Hastings included seven All-Americans, 10 United Soccer Coaches all-region picks, four Great Plains Athletic Conference Players of the Year and a dozen first-team all-conference selections.

Prior to his career at Hastings, Champenoy was tasked with starting the men’s soccer program at University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas in the fall of 2007. Eight years later he had compiled a record of 82-61-11, won a pair of Red River Athletic Conference championships, and was twice named the conference coach of the year. Champenoy also served as the strength and conditioning coach during his time at St. Thomas, while directing the soccer program’s fundraising efforts and corporate partnerships.

Champenoy’s collegiate coaching career began at his alma mater in 2003, when he assumed the head coaching position at Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska. In four seasons he compiled a record of 50-27-6, made the postseason each year, and led the team to the 2006 Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference title while garnering conference coach of the year honors.

In total, Champenoy owns a record of 175-91-19 (.647) in his 15 collective seasons as a head coach at the collegiate level.

Success on the field as a player preceded his accomplishments on the sideline, as Champenoy led the Bellevue men’s soccer team to a record of 51-25-4 and a pair of Region IV tournament appearances during his four-year playing career from 1998-2001. An honorable mention All-American selection his senior season, Champenoy was a three-year team captain and two-time all-region and all-MCAC selection playing primarily as a center back and holding midfielder. Champenoy graduated from Bellevue cum laude in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and is currently completing his master’s degree in athletic administration and coaching from Concordia University Irvine.

Champenoy has remained highly involved in the soccer coaching scene for the last five years, working as the club director for the Nebraska Bugeaters since 2017, and serving as the athletic director at Durango High School in Durango, Colo., from 2018-21. He comes to MSUB having spent the past year as the assistant athletic director for external relations at fellow NCAA Division II Fort Lewis College, where he was primarily responsible for the athletic department’s fundraising and corporate partnership efforts.

Champenoy replaces Thomas Chameraud, who announced last month that he would opt to not renew his contract after three seasons in charge of the Yellowjacket men’s soccer program.