Jonny Black enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Hilbert Men's Soccer program in 2025 after leading the team to the AMCC playoffs in each of his first three campaigns.
After a pair of playoff appearances as the sixth seed in 2022 and 2023, Black's 2024 squad earned the conference's fourth seed and the right to host the first home playoff game in program history. The Hawks were led by a trio of All-Conference honorees, the most in a single-season since 2013-14. Carter Burke (led team with 15 points on five goals and five assists), Jason Vullo (tied Burke with team-leading five goals), and Cam Murdie (recorded two goals and two assists as a defender) were all named to the Third-Team.
Black guided the 2023 team back to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference postseason for the second consecutive time in his short two-year stint. Black continues to change the culture and processes in the men’s soccer program and has developed three all-conference selections.
The 2023 Hawks picked up two more conference victories improving to 4-5 while repeating as the No. 6 seed in the AMCC postseason tournament. Sophomore forward Jason Vullo was named a Second Team All-Conference selection after lead the Hawks in scoring with eight goals and shared team-high honors with sophomore midfielder Carter Burke in points (16).
The 2022 team was picked to finish eighth in the coaches’ pre-season poll as a result of previous win-less seasons; Black’s Hawks shifted gears and finish 5-10-2 overall and earned the No. 6 seed in the post-season tournament. Two Hilbert players were recognized for their efforts earning Third Team All-Conference recognitions. Senior attack Hector Harris and freshman midfielder Carter Burke were both placed on the Third Team marking the first year a men’s player earned all-conference honors dating back to Hall of Famer Jon Davidson in 2016.
Black, a former professional footballer with the Tottenham Hotspurs FC (2001-2004) and Coleraine Football Club (2004-2006), began his coaching career with Spurs. He then moved back home to coach in the Academy at Larne Football Club (Northern Ireland), formerly Larne Youth, in 2006 but made the decision to jump the pond in 2014 and landed in New York State.
He served as the Technical Director of both the Rochester Futbol Club (RFC) and Global Premier Soccer New York (GPS NY).
As Technical Director, the UEFA A licensed football coach oversaw a program that won the US Club National Championship with the Rochester Futbol Club U16’s in 2017 and won 11 New York West State Championships in five seasons. Concurrently, Black helped grow GPS New York from 36 to 127 teams in five major cities, stretching from Binghamton through the NYS I-90 corridor from Albany to Buffalo while creating a clear development pathway to either the professional game or the collegiate level. The 2020 GPS New York Boys Regional Program was ranked 42nd overall in the nation by SoccerWire.
Since 2020, the Northern Ireland native has coached in and served as the Boys ECNL Director for the WNY Flash Academy. In the 2020/21 season, Black coached two out of the six Boys ECNL teams to the ECNL National Playoffs. In the 2021/22 season he doubled the club’s representation on the national stage with four out of the six boys ECNL teams qualifying for the ECNL National Playoffs in San Diego. This has helped solidify the WNY Flash Academy Boys ECNL program as a powerhouse in the region.
A year after moving to Rochester, Black served as an assistant coach at Monroe Community College for one season and helped guide the Tribunes to a NJCAA Region III, Division I Championship in 2015.
As a player, Black joined Tottenham Hotspur Football Club at the age of 14 and spent time competing for Northern Ireland’s youth national teams. In addition to earning 27 youth international caps, he captured the Northern Ireland U14 Player of Year award as well as the nation’s first Victory Shield Championship (U16 British Championship). On his 17th birthday, Black signed a professional contract with Spurs and would go onto spend two more years playing for the club before an injury abruptly ended his career.
Black has a bachelor’s degree in Coaching for Development in Football from Anglia Ruskin University.
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Anthony Smith
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Phone: (O) 716-926-8794
Email:
1st Season at Hilbert
@Hilbert_MSoccer |
Anthony Smith joined the men’s soccer program staff in September 2025.
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David Cappuccio
Volunteer Goalie Coach
Phone: (O) 716-926-8794
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David Cappuccio rejoined the Hilbert Soccer program as a volunteer goalie coach in March 2025 after having served as a goalie coach during the 2020 and 2021 men's soccer seasons.
Cappuccio, a 4-year goalkeeper and 3x All Patriot League selection, will support MacLean in game and training sessions while focusing on the goalkeepers development.
After graduating from Colgate in 2009, Cappuccio earned a DDS degree from the University Of Buffalo School Of Dental Medicine in 2013 and a master’s degree in business administration from St. Bonaventure University in 2017.
Once he completed his Ellis Hospital General Practice Residency in 2014, Cappuccio returned to the pitch and served as an assistant girls’ soccer coach at Franklinville High School and a Southern Tier Soccer Club Assistant coach since 2015.
He continues to play in high-level recreation soccer leagues in the cities of Buffalo and Rochester. He was a United States Soccer Federation referee and earned his Level 6 ‘State Referee” certification.
Cappuccio was named to the All-Midwest Region team and earned Academic All-American honors as an undergrad at Colgate. He graduated holding various NCAA and Colgate Goalkeeping records.
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Scott Graham
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Phone: (O) 716-926-8794
Email:
4th Season at Hilbert
@Hilbert_MSoccer |
Scott Graham joined the men’s soccer program staff in the Fall of 2022.
In addition to his role at Hilbert, Scott will continue to coach with Rhode Island Surf Soccer Club and their national Surf Select Program.
Graham began his coaching career in his native Northern Ireland. He coached Greenisland Football Club, 2008-2011 and Linfield Football Club, 2011-2014. He led his Linfield side to two National League titles during the three seasons.
He has coached in the US since 2014, largely with Rochester Futbol Club, Rochester N.Y.. He coached the Boys U16s to the clubs first National Title in 2017, winning the US Club Soccer National Cup. In addition, he has led several other teams to State Cup titles in New York.
Scott has previous collegiate experience with SUNY Geneseo and has helped coach at Greece Arcadia High School and Aquinas in Rochester, N.Y.
He currently holds a UEFA B License.
He studied at South Eastern Regional College in Northern Ireland.
updated August 2025