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Ottawa University

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James Cottage

  • Fourth season as head coach of the OU men's soccer program
  • Overall coaching record of 89-75-17 and a OU coaching record of 36-17-9. He has a KCAC mark of 26-5-7 at OU.
  • Cottage serves on the NAIA National Executive Committee and is the men's soccer chair of the KCAC.
  • In 2023, led OU to its first NAIA National Tournament appearance since the 1971 season and its most victories (15) since the 2003 season.
  • Has coached two NAIA All-Americans, one KCAC Freshman of the Year, 21 All-KCAC performers, 25 Daktronic Scholar Athletes, 22 KCAC Scholar Athletes, four CSC Academic All-District selections, and one CSC Academic Second Team All-American while at Ottawa University.

Cottage came to Ottawa from familiar Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Bethel College, completing his fourth season at the helm for the Threshers in 2021. During his tenure, Cottage coached eight All-KCAC athletes while improvements were made each year including reaching the KCAC playoffs each of the last two seasons. In 2021, the Threshers recorded their highest win total in over a decade while stringing together five straight wins along the way. 

Prior to Bethel, Cottage was an assistant at NCAA Division II California State University - Monterey Bay for one season before becoming a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Oklahoma women's soccer team under head coach Matt Potter. 

Cottage has spent most of his playing and coaching career in the Sooner State. He took over as the head coach of his alma mater Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Okla. shortly after the 2014 season, coaching for two seasons. In 2016, SCU finished the season 15-5-5 and went onto win the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament, with Cottage being named NCCAA Coach of the Year. Four players were placed on the All-Tournament Team, while Cottage led Chad Dennis to winning Player of the Tournament and NCCAA National Player of the Year.   

A native of Thrapston, England, Cottage moved to the United States in 2007 and attended the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha, Oklahoma. After his sophomore year, he transferred to SCU. 

Captaining the Eagles in the midfield during the 2009 season, Cottage led SCU to a 16-5 season that saw his team finish as ACCA National Champions and NCCAA Southwest Regional Champions. In 2010, Cottage led the Eagles as captain again during his senior year, scoring eight goals and adding three assists on the way to a 20-3 record.  

Cottage graduated from SCU in 2010 with a degree in sport management, and immediately took a position as an assistant soccer coach at SCU. He received a master's degree in Sport Administration in 2018 from East Central University.Â