The Brit coaching the world’s game

Now, he is the head coach of the Central Michigan University women’s soccer team, the sport he has followed his whole life. 

“I’m lucky that I get to do it my whole life because it really is my whole life,” Decosemo said. 

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The James from St. James Park

Decosemo was raised a Newcastle United fan in Stokesley, England and became a season ticket holder at age eight. Even with Newcastle having only won one major trophy in recent history, he fell in love with the sport of soccer because of the Magpies. 

In addition to watching legends like Alan Shearer weekly, Decosemo took interest in the manager, Sir Bobby Robson, who also managed Barcelona and the English national team. 

“I think he’s a master of man management,” Decosemo said. “I’d love to get to a point where I’m a master of man management.” 

Newcastle won its first major competition just a year and a half ago, winning the Carabao Cup 2-1 in 2025 against Liverpool. Decosemo said it is one of the reasons why he loves soccer so much. 

“That was an unbelievable moment,” he said. “They hadn’t won one (trophy), obviously in my lifetime, but also in my dad’s lifetime.” 

Although his passion ran deep for the Magpies, Decosemo was presented with an opportunity to leave the country to continue to play soccer. 

“They introduced us through that process to the opportunity to come to the States to play, which got me really excited,” he said. 

The now-Chippewas manager would leave England to go across the pond and into the mitten, attending and playing soccer for Northwood University in Midland, MI. 

Since moving to the United States, he’s only been back to St. James Park a handful of times to support Newcastle, but every time has been memorable for Decosemo. 

“I went back and watched us play AC Milan in the Champions League, which was awesome,” he said. “If we won, we’d have gone through to the Champions League (knockout stages). If AC Milan win, then they go through ... both teams just going at it.” 

Decosemo said that this was the last time he had been back home.

Same sport, new game 

Decosemo met his wife at Northwood. After graduating in 2016, he started his coaching career in Michigan to stay near his wife’s family and the connections he made. 

“Probably in all worlds, but soccer especially, there’s a lot of getting jobs through people,” Decosemo said. 

Coaching in the US showed him the differences compared to the UK, mainly the rules and the athleticism of the players. 

“I think generally, it’s known that the US is more athletic,” he said. “It’s bigger, faster, stronger and the game’s played that way.” 

The rule that was so different to him was about substitution. In European soccer, if a player is subbed off, they cannot come back on the pitch later in the game. However, in college soccer, players can come back. The rule changes the pace of the game, ridding the match of lulls, according to Decosemo. 

“The game never really changes speed,” he said. “That’s something that definitely I had to adapt to as a player for sure and then as a coach, just knowing that it’s probably a more squad game here than it is other places.” 

His first job was at Saginaw Valley State University as a coach for the women’s team, but it wasn’t until his head-coaching job for the women’s team at Aquinas University, that Decosemo was introduced to the difference compared to the men’s game. 

“I think the women’s game is probably a little bit more tactical,” he said. “The coach has a little bit more influence in the moment and that’s the way I played and that’s the way I coached.” 

Decosemo was the head coach for the Aquinas women’s team from 2022 to 2025. In that span, he recorded a 55-5-7 overall record, with an undefeated 31-0-3 record in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference. In addition to winning the games, he also won trophies, with five conference championships, with three won in the regular season. 

Last year, he made the jump to the NCAA and Division I, going to Kalamazoo to be an assistant coach for Western Michigan’s women’s team. The Broncos went undefeated in the Mid-American Conference, winning both the regular season and post-season competitions, while also beating the Chippewas 3-1. 

 After the Chippewas let go of their previous head coach last November, Athletic Director Amy Folan called Decosemo about taking the vacant spot a month later. 

“When I got the phone call, everything was about trying to win,” he said. “A lot of these jobs, especially in women’s soccer, is just be successful, have a good environment, make sure that the students graduate, which, of course, are important that those things still have to happen here. But the drive to be successful on the field was what I wanted because that’s what I want to do.”

“I want to win.” 

The Central focus 

For a manager coming into a new team, it can take a while to adjust the culture and playing style, especially with most of the squad returning. With the team only winning one game last season, the shift was imminent. 

“I got to just start with who I am and who we’re going to be rather than maybe navigating to it over a longer period of time,” Decosemo said. “I purposely didn’t ask too much about the previous program and how it was ran. I just went in with what we’re going to do.” 

The one collaboration he made with the old program was with assistant coach Keyton Wheelock, who has been at CMU since January 2021.  

“We talked a lot about philosophies and the direction he wanted to take the program, and I bought in,” Wheelock said. “I believed in what he was saying and I believed he could make the changes that he said he could make.” 

Not only are the returning coaches buying in, the players are also seeing the change. 

Rachel Jackson is a senior who earned academic all-conference in 2024 and a team captain in 2025.  

“I think we’ve been prepped really well each game knowing what the opponent’s going to do, but always staying true to how we’re going to go with our shape with our attack, with our belief,” Jackson said. “I think we’ve just all been together on the same page from the start of the game to the end of the game.” 

Jackson plays a role that is usually referred to as a wingback, where she plays up and down her side of the field. Decosemo said she is the most consistent player on the team and is one of the most impactful. 

“The difference probably between Rachel and arguably the rest is that her lows haven’t been noticeable,” Decosemo said. “She’s had some really good moments too, got a game-winning goal in our first win and really contributed in big moments.” 

Her game-winning goal was against Charleston Southern University in the second game of the season. Decosemo said the win has been one of his most cherished moments at CMU so far. 

“That’s the big standout moment, getting that first win as a group and seeing them celebrate and even hearing the comments say, ‘We don’t know what to do. We’ve won a game,’” he said. 

As a manager, the Englishman picks the formation and tactics based on the players on the team. He’s had previous success with the 3-5-2, which also fits the Chippewas’ squad the best. The tactic has three defenders, five midfielders and two strikers. With an overflow of midfielders, the wingers play all over their side of the field. 

“The reason that we have wing backs is in my style, our style, the wide players that we have suit that role,” Decosemo said. “They’re physically pretty good at covering ground, but they’re not super crafty or creative in terms of the way they attack, so they’re great at covering, coming from deep and maybe crossing from deep or whatever it is.” 

One of the new faces, that has not only surprised Decosemo, but has kept a consistent role in the team, is freshman defender Claire Bergsma. Decosemo said that she is probably the most developed since the start of the season, which he relishes. 

“The reason I really love doing (coaching) is when you see people progress,” he said. “Just being able to say that I helped her then achieve that and get better in those moments is a sense of pride for me and fuels my ego a little bit.” 

Decosemo is hopeful to improve community involvement in the program and get people passionate about the team. 

“We just want it to feel like something that people are excited about because we know that energy and that noise will only fuel the players to play better,” he said. 

Although the Geordies that support Newcastle are a different kind of fanbase, with shirts off at 2°C, he wants the US to find its own soccer culture. 

“Unfortunately, I think it’s trying to piggyback off others,” he said. “Hopefully somebody steps in and figures out what that looks like.”