With experiences in rebuilding teams, Brandon DeNoyer Aims to Resurge Upstate United FC

While waiting at the airport one day, Brandon DeNoyer casually checked his email. As he looked through the junk folder, an email with the name “Upstate United FC” caught his eye. The club intended to recruit DeNoyer as a head coach with the purpose of rebuilding, which finished last of the 2024 UPSL Northeast season, drawing his interest.

That moment would soon lead to DeNoyer’s decision to join the UUFC as a head coach. With 17 years of coaching experience as an assisting coach, he looks to take on his first-ever head coach role, aiming to resurge the team this summer as he did before.

“It's just a fun challenge that I can do that I haven't really done before, and (it) just getting me out of a norm, which is fun,” DeNoyer said.

Growing up in Scotia, New York, Brandon was surrounded by soccer culture from the beginning. With a grandfather who coached, a mother who played on a men’s team, and an aunt celebrated for her skills, DeNoyer naturally followed the sport’s path. His journey took him to Scotia-Glenville High School and Black Watch Premier, Albany's largest club, where he developed his talent and passion for soccer.

At 15, DeNoyer appeared poised for a bright future after receiving an offer from Crystal Palace FC in the English Premier League. However, his path took a difficult turn with a cancer diagnosis. Although he successfully underwent treatment, the setback caused him to miss key opportunities to demonstrate his skills to leading scouts. Consequently, he transferred to SUNY Old Westbury to further his soccer career.

At SUNY Old Westbury, DeNoyer played Division III college soccer from 2004 to 2008. His leadership emerged when he was named team captain in 2007, guiding the Panthers to a Skyline Athletic Conference (SAC) championship with a 12-4-1 record.

Even during his college years, DeNoyer’s focus was shifting toward coaching. He seized every opportunity to learn from his coaches and gained insights into the game from various positions. He said his interest in coaching ignited during high school. Although he had the chance to pursue professional contracts, an assistant coaching offer from his alma mater drew him toward the coaching challenge.

I love the game. I always wanted to be a part of the game,” He said. “I always wanted to play, but I knew at some point I was going to be a soccer coach.”

After spending three years at SUNY Old Westbury, DeNoyer served as an assistant coach at Siena for six years, where he played a key role in reshaping the team into a conference contender. His innovative strategies, from adjusting formations to utilizing his diverse positional experience, helped the team clinch conference championships in 2015 and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. 

During his tenure, he concentrated on developing goalkeepers, a position he played in high school. Taylor Booth, a past Siena goalkeeper who later joined the coaching staff during the 2015 season, noted that DeNoyer’s energetic training style and supportive communication fostered a positive environment within the team.

“During the game, he would take a step back, and I could feel a lot of trust from him,” Booth said. With DeNoyer's guidance, she was awarded Goalkeeper of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 2014. “He really empowered me to…be confident and do what I needed to do.”

DeNoyer’s career path continued with short tenures at Mississippi State and Richmond. In 2020, he joined Syracuse, where the heightened competition of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) pushed him to strive for excellence. Despite confronting challenges and unfavorable records against top teams, he continually enhanced his coaching abilities, learning lessons from setbacks. One of his key achievements at Syracuse was mentoring Lysanne Proulx, a former Syracuse goalkeeper who now plays professionally in Serie A for Juventus and represents the Canadian National Team internationally. 

“Getting to work with high-level players (was) another reason I came to Syracuse,” DeNoyer said. “Helping them along the way see their dreams is awesome.”

Following his contribution to Syracuse’s noteworthy progress (6-10-2), DeNoyer’s history of restoring and revitalizing teams positions him as an ideal candidate to lead UUFC, which faced difficulties last year. His experience, from guiding SUNY Old Westbury to the playoffs as a player to leading Siena to multiple NCAA tournament appearances and a conference title, underscores his dedication to transforming underperforming teams into competitive forces.

“Our plan is to grow and build and be a little bit better,” DeNoyer said. “I want to win. I want to be the best. I want to win the league.”