UIU Men's Soccer Camps

Head Coach Jason Carlson

Jason Carlson is in his third season of his second stint as the head coach for the Peacock men’s soccer program in 2024. Carlson returned to Fayette, Iowa prior to the 2022 season after five years split between Florida and North Carolina at NCAA Division II institutions.

Carlson led Upper Iowa University to an overall record of 39-27-5 in his first four seasons with the Peacocks. Upper Iowa had their best season in 2015 (13-4-1, 6-2 MIAA) when they claimed the program’s first conference regular season title (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association). The 2015 season came to an end with a loss in the NCAA Division II Central Region Finals where they finished as the runners-up. UIU reached as high as No. 12 in the NSCAA national poll that season and ended the year ranked No. 19. Nine Peacocks earned a place on the All-MIAA Team, including five First Team selections. Carlson was also named the 2015 MIAA and Central Region Coach of the Year after the season.

Carlson left Upper Iowa to become the head men’s soccer coach at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida for three seasons and then moved to University of Mount Olive for two seasons in Mount Olive, North Carolina. Both the FSC Moccasins and UMO Trojans are NCAA Division II members and compete in the Sunshine State Conference and Conference of the Carolinas, respectively.

At Mount Olive, Carlson led the Trojans to a massive improvement between his first and second seasons going from a 3-5-1 record to a 12-6 mark this past fall which also included a 9-2 record in conference play.

Prior to Mount Olive, Carlson led the men’s soccer program at Florida Southern for three seasons. The Mocs posted a 24-18-5 overall record over the three seasons. In his second year at FSC, he guided the Moccasins to one of their best seasons in team history. The Moccasins fell just one win shy of the school record with a 12-5 mark overall. Their Sunshine State Conference record of 6-4 was the best in the school's 62-year history, and they achieved the highest national ranking in team history too by reaching No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. 

Florida Southern's 2018 season included six games against top-25 teams, tying a school record. At the end of the 2018 season, the Moccasins had put together a 1.06 goals-against average that was the fourth lowest in their 62-year history. The 39 goals were the most scored by the Mocs since 2004. Three of Carlson's players made both the All-SSC and All-South Region teams, the most all-conference selections for the Mocs in 12 years, and their most all-region picks in 22 years. He also had one player earn CoSida Academic All-District and All-American.

Prior to Upper Iowa, Carlson spent one season as the head coach of Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa where he led the Crusaders to a 10-7-1 record that was the best in the team's 29-year history. 

In addition to his experience as a head coach, Carlson had stops as an assistant coach at Hope International University in California (2005-06), Trinity International University in Illinois (2006-08), and the University of Dubuque in Iowa (2008-11). He helped the Dubuque men's team post four 10-win seasons and had three more with the women's team.

Carlson also has extensive experience at the club level and with the Olympic Development Program. He was head coach of the Wisconsin ODP '99 team from 2012-14, and from 2008-11 was a head coach with the Dubuque Soccer Club (boys and girls). His 2009 boys' team was a State Cup finalist and won the Indoor State Cup. He had previously coached club soccer in California and Illinois as well, and served as a head coach at Apple Valley High School in California (boys) and Dubuque High School in Iowa (girls).

Carlson played collegiately at Victor Valley Community College in California for two years before transferring to Hope International for his final two seasons and was a team captain at both schools. He helped Victor Valley win its first conference championship in 31 years as an honorable mention All-Foothill Conference selection, and went on to earn all-region honors at Hope International where he led the team in scoring as a senior.

Carlson earned his Bachelor's degree in general studies from Trinity International University with a concentration in human performance and wellness, history, and religious studies. He later earned his Master's degree in communication from the University of Dubuque. He also holds both a USSF Coaching License and NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma.