Named the head coach of the University of Southern Maine men's soccer program in 2023, Jim Hopkins '00 created immediate success during his rookie season leading the Huskies to their first Little East Conference tournament berth since 2018.
With six draws in the 2024 season, Huskies’ men’s soccer continued its outstanding defensive presence, holding their opponents to just 39 goals over the course of the 18-game schedule. Among the notable results were draws against Husson, Maine Maritime, UMFK, Eastern Connecticut, and UMass Dartmouth, and a 1-0 win over Keene State. At the conclusion of the 2024 season, sophomore Liam Conneely was named to the All-LEC team at defense. Additionally, three members of the Huskies’ squad earned Academic All-District honors in Vincent Anderson ’25, Asa Farley ’26, and Kevin Voter ’26, and seven members of the squad earned Little East All-Academic honors.
A three-year captain (1997, 1998, 1999) for the Huskies and an all-conference midfielder, Hopkins earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Southern Maine in 2000. Since then, Hopkins has earned extensive experience in coaching and recruiting at the collegiate, prep and club level, and has earned his United States Soccer Federation A License.
A former Technical Director for Seacoast United SC and the head coach of the Northeast Premier Soccer League's Seacoast United Club (2017-2018), and current operator and co-founder of Top Spot Soccer Academy – a non-profit that specializes in college identification clinics, small group training and college recruiting counsel - Hopkins has a decade of collegiate head coaching experience.
Hopkins led Dean College men's and women's soccer programs from 2007 through 2015, managing the women's team from 2007 – 2008 before taking on the men's program from 2009 through 2015. Hopkins left Dean finishing as second all-time in wins on the men's side. After Dean, Hopkins served as the Huskies' Associate Head Coach for two seasons (2017, 2018) before moving on to lead the Bridgton Academy program in 2019.
In his role as head coach of the Wolverines, Hopkins was responsible for recruiting 22 players from across the country and globe to compete in the highest level of the New England Private School Athletic Conference, and assisting student-athletes in finding the next step in their playing and academic careers at colleges and universities all over the United States. Hopkins program's were nationally ranked in the last two of his three years at Bridgton.
