Cristian Neagu enters his second year as the head coach of Triton men's soccer.  Neagu became the ninth head coach in the program's history in July 2014.

Neagu's team showed marked improvement throughout the season in his first year, as the Tritons closed the regular season with wins in two of their last three contests followed by a narrow 1-0 loss to higher-seeded Florida Tech in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference tournament.

He arrives at Eckerd following extensive success as head coach at NJCAA-affiliated Louisburg (N.C.) College, a post which he had held since 2012.  As head coach of Louisburg, Neagu navigated the Hurricanes to consecutive Region X titles, a remarkable run highlighted by a runner-up performance in the 2012 NJCAA national championship game in his first year at the helm.

He was also tabbed as the NSCAA's South Coach of the Year and the Region X Coach of the Year in 2012 as the Hurricanes averaged over five goals per game while  assembling a 21-1 overall record and a 12-0 mark in Region X.

A successful 2013 campaign saw nine more wins added to his team's total as his program has developed into one of the top junior college programs in the country.

His playing background originated as a first team All-American at Bryant & Stratton (N.Y.) College before he helped Virginia Commonwealth University to two straight Colonial Athletic Association crowns on the pitch.

He also has a runner-up placing in the NJCAA national championship game as a player (2000 with Bryant & Stratton) to his credit.

Neagu has two different connections with a pair of prominent Eckerd men's soccer alumni, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill head coach Carlos Somoano and Virginia Commonwealth University head coach Tim O'Sullivan.

He has been working with Somoano, an Eckerd Hall of Fame inductee in 2013, for the past year in the CASL Academy Program -- arguably the highest level of youth soccer in the country. Additionally, he coached on the same staff as O'Sullivan in 2006 and 2009 in the midst of pursuing his professional playing career.

Neagu translated his college skills to the professional level with respective stints with the United Soccer League (F.C. Syracuse), Player Development League (Richmond Kickers), United Soccer League (Richmond Kickers) and Major Indoor Soccer League (Baltimore Blast).

He has also served in player development director roles for different clubs in Washington D.C. and Virginia.

Neagu's coaching credentials also include a USSF "A" license and a UEFA "A" prep license.

Neagu earned his Bachelor's of Science degree in sports management from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2006. He is married to his wife, Natasha, and together they have a daughter, Isabelle.