Bret Boylan enters his fourth season as Head Men’s Soccer Coach at the University of Tennessee Southern in the 2026 season, after initially serving as interim head coach during the fall of 2023.
In 2024, Boylan guided the Firehawks to a 10-6-2 record, highlighted by a thrilling 3-3 regular season draw against #1-ranked Dalton State and a dramatic 7-6 penalty shootout victory over Life University in the SSAC Quarterfinals to advance to the conference semifinals.
In his first season leading the program in 2023, after being elevated from assistant coach, Boylan led UT Southern to a 9-6-2 finish and an appearance in the SSAC Championship Quarterfinal.
Boylan originally joined the Firehawks as an assistant coach in the summer of 2023 following a successful tenure as an assistant with Carson-Newman University. At CNU, he helped lead the Lady Eagles to three consecutive conference tournament appearances and consistent regional rankings, while playing a key role in recruiting internationally—including several student-athletes with national team experience.
Before his time at CNU, Boylan spent six seasons as an assistant coach for the Martin Methodist (now UT Southern) men’s soccer program. In 2019, he helped the Firehawks reach the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2013. Simultaneously, he served as the head coach of the Fayetteville High School boys' soccer team, becoming the winningest coach in program history.
Boylan also coached at the University School of Jackson, where he led the middle school boys’ and girls’ teams to a combined 86–10 record and captured a state championship with the high school girls' team.
In addition to his school-based roles, Boylan has served on the Tennessee Olympic Development Program (ODP) coaching staff, contributing to the development of elite youth soccer players across the state.
A former collegiate athlete, Boylan played four years of soccer at Lambuth University, where he was a two-time All-Conference performer and helped lead the program to its only NAIA National Tournament appearance, as well as two conference titles. He also played one year of basketball at Lambuth.
Coach Boylan is the proud father of his daughter, Riley, who is four years old.
