HAMPTON, Va. – Virginia Peninsula Community College on Thursday named Albert Cousineau its new men’s soccer coach. Cousineau is the director of soccer operations at HR Sportsplex in Newport News.
“My biggest task as the athletic director here at Virginia Peninsula Community College is to make sure that we recruit quality coaches (who) are connected in the community,” Chris Moore said. “I do think Albert is extremely connected to not only players, but also coaches, (officials) and community advocates in the soccer community.”
Cousineau is a 1984 graduate of Denbigh High School and has been with the Sportsplex since 2021. He was the executive director and director of coaching at Newport News FC from 2003-18. He also started the women’s soccer program at Stratford University and was there from 2018-19.
He was straightforward in explaining why he wants to coach at VPCC.
“The opportunity to really make a difference in Hampton Roads,” he said. “The (junior college) program is a perfect opportunity for many of the players that play travel (ball) in and around the area to have a chance to get to the next level, wherever that is. Whether it’s stopping at juco or going on to a higher level of competition at a four-year university, we’re going to give them a chance to do that.”
Coming out of high school, he was in that same position when he traveled across the country to attend San Diego State University (SDSU).
“I was the guy that tried to walk on and realized I needed a year of development,” he said.
He transferred to Grossmont College, a community college in El Cajon, Calif., where he redshirted. After earning an associate degree in communications from Grossmont, he returned to SDSU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. Although he never played collegiately, he did play in a semi-professional league in Mexico for a few years.
Hampton Roads, he said, is a “soccer hotbed” so he’s hoping to tap into that market. First on his to-do list is solidifying commitments from players, which includes “getting the word out that we’ve become a viable option for the kids that are really college-bound athletes.”
Cousineau has history with VPCC, having taken a few classes at the College in summer 1984. He has bachelor’s degrees from San Diego State University (Public Administration) and Grossmont College (Communications).
He succeeds Kevin Darcy, who led the VPCC program in its first two seasons.
“I’m very, very excited because I think with his energy, his commitment to Virginia Peninsula … that’s all going to be components to him driving this program forward,” Moore said. “We’re very thankful for what’s happened so far, but I do think he’s going to do a good job of making sure it continues to go in the right direction.”
Cousineau has two sons and one daughter and lives in Newport News.
For more information on VPCC sports, visit www.vpccgators.com.