SUNY Broome Athletics is ecstatic to announce the hiring of Joe Picco as the Head Coach of the men’s soccer program.
Picco’s name is one that should be well recognized and highly regarded within the local soccer community. Joe has spent nearly the last two decades building and coaching high-level and championship-winning youth and high school programs in the New York and Pennsylvania areas on both the boys/men’s and girls/women’s sides.
Picco will bring a skill set and background ideal for developing a successful collegiate soccer program. Many of the school and club teams that Joe has coached have produced collegiate soccer players, and Picco has spent several years developing private training for the best soccer players in the area, having trained numerous players who experienced collegiate careers at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels.
Picco was the Head Coach of the Modified Girls soccer team at Waverly Central School from 2012-2014 and went a combined 20-0-1 across those seasons, winning the Interscholastic Athletic Conference (IAC) Championship each year. He was also the Varsity Girls Assistant Coach from 2010-2014. From 2015-2018, Picco headed the Varsity Boys soccer team and transformed the program, beginning with delivering a winning season for the first time in program history with an 11-2 record, then leading the program to its first-ever Section IV playoff game, and then winning the first Section IV playoff game in program history. Subsequently, Picco was named the IAC Coach of the Year in 2015.
Picco then led the Varsity Girls program at Towanda High School from 2018 to 2020. In 2018, his team qualified for District play for the first time in 12 years. In 2019, the group again qualified for Districts and was a Semi Final participant for the first time in school history, achieving a 14-3 record. While with Towanda, Picco was named the Northern Tier League Coach of the Year and the Northern Tier Regional Coach of the Year for Northern Pennsylvania.
Picco’s most recent Head Coaching stop at the high school level came with Elmira Notre Dame. Appointed in 2020, his team went 7-1 and was the IAC Champion in the Spring of 2021 as Fall 2020 competition was canceled due to COVID. In the Fall of 2021, Picco led the team to another IAC Championship, a Section IV Championship, a Regional Championship, and a New York State Final Four appearance by playing to a 15-1-2 record. In 2024, Picco’s team went 12-2 and was the Section IV Class C Champion and a Regional Finalist. His team was a Sectional Finalist in 2025. While at Elmira Notre Dame, Picco received the New York State Southern Tier Coach of the Year and Regional Coach of the Year recognitions, in addition to being named the Mike D’Aloisio Coach of the Year by Elmira Notre Dame.
Picco has developed just as extensive and successful of a coaching career at the club level as he has at the high school level.
As the Head Coach of the 00/01 Girls Premier team within the Vestal Youth Soccer Association, Picco earned multiple State Cup berths and a Regional Soccer Federation bid, won a NEWSS Tournament Championship, and won the NYS Thruway League Championship in 2016 and 2019.
Having been involved with the BC United soccer organization for numerous years, Picco has coached several high-level girls club soccer teams. Serving as the Head Coach of the 07 Girls team from 2018-2020 and then taking over again in 2022, Picco improved the club’s national ranking from 565th to 74th and won countless league, showcase, and tournament championships in 2022 and 2023. As Head Coach of the 03 Girls team from 2021-2022, Picco improved the group’s national ranking from 341st to 31st and won the Jefferson Cup, the Louden Cup, and the State Cup. Leading the 10 Girls team in 2023, the club qualified for the Development Player League (DPL) Nationals. His 12 Girls team in 2023 was a Finalist for the Jefferson Cup and Louden Cup.
Joe has garnered a long list of coaching educations, certifications, and licenses throughout his career. He holds D and E licenses from the United States Soccer Federation. He also holds a Level Five Diploma, a Level Six Diploma, a National Diploma, and an Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
SUNY Broome Athletics is eager to see Picco continue his reputation as a program builder and championship orchestrator. The department is especially proud to welcome a coach with a reputation of creating an environment where all individuals are driven to success while developing leadership, character, and integrity.
Welcome to SUNY Broome Athletics, Joe Picco!
Submitted by: Logan Brown
