Central Michigan University Athletics
Staff Directory
James DeCosemo
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Year at CMU:
- 1st Year at CMU
- Hometown:
- Stokesly, England
- Alma Mater/Year:
- 4th Year as Head Coach
- Experience:
- Northwood '16
James DeCosemo was named the seventh head women’s soccer coach at Central Michigan University by Zyzelewski Family Vice President/Director of Athletics Amy Folan on December 10, 2025.
DeCosemo brought an extensive background in collegiate coaching across multiple levels, all in the state of Michigan, upon arrival in Mount Pleasant.
The Stokesley, England-native logged three dominant years at the helm for NAIA Aquinas College, where he posted a 55-5-7 overall record, an undefeated 31-0-3 record in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference, and five total WHAC Championships—three regular season, two tournament.
DeCosemo’s leadership at Aquinas led to the program’s best finish in the NAIA national tournament as the Saints reached the national quarterfinals in both 2022 and 2023. Aquinas defeated eight nationally ranked teams during his tenure, four times doing so in the NAIA tournament.
The Saints racked up 10 NAIA All-America nods as well as 25 all-conference selections, 19 of which were first team. Aquinas appeared in the NAIA national rankings wire-to-wire in his tenure and was a top-10 mainstay for the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
Directly prior to CMU, DeCosemo was an assistant coach at Western Michigan, which swept the Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles in his lone season in Kalamazoo in 2025. He has also been an assistant coach for the Aquinas men (2019-21) and NCAA II Saginaw Valley State women (2017-18).
As a player, DeCosemo was a three-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champion at NCAA II Northwood University, where he earned all-conference and United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors and led the Timberwolves to the NCAA Midwest Regional Final (round of 16) in his 2015 senior season.
He graduated from Northwood in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, focused in marketing, and a minor in management.
DeCosemo competed for Lansing United in Lansing, Mich. from 2014-17, then again when the team was reprised from 2022-25 for eight total seasons of semi-professional competition in the Lansing area. In the meantime, he played for Grand Rapids FC in Grand Rapids, Mich.
He has also been the Director of Coaching for Nationals Capital Area Soccer club in Lansing since 2016.
DeCosemo is joined by his wife, Allison, and their son, Oliver.
THE DECOSEMO FILE
Birthdate: Nov. 19, 1992
Hometown: Stokesley, England
Family: Allison (Wife), Oliver (Son)
Education
Northwood University ‘16
Bachelor’s degree, Business Administration/Marketing
Collegiate Coaching Career (Women’s unless otherwise denoted)
Head Coach, Central Michigan University, Dec. 10, 2025-current
Assistant Coach, Western Michigan University, July 2025-Dec. 9, 2025
Head Coach, Aquinas College, July 2022-July 2025
Assistant Coach, Aquinas College (men), Aug. 2019-July 2022
Assistant Coach, Saginaw Valley State, July 2017-Aug. 2019
Other Coaching Positions
Director of Coaching, Nationals Capital Area, 2016-current
Playing Career
Lansing United, 2014-17, 2022-25
Grand Rapids FC, 2019-21
Northwood University, 2012-15
Coaching Accomplishments
55-5-7 overall record in three seasons at Aquinas (MI)
Five Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Championships (three regular season, two tournament)
Ranked 17th or higher in NAIA national poll for entire tenure, top 10 all of 2023 and 2024 seasons, high of 4th
10 NAIA All-American selections
25 All-WHAC selections (19 first team)
2025 Mid-American Conference Season and Tournament Champion (as assistant)
DeCosemo brought an extensive background in collegiate coaching across multiple levels, all in the state of Michigan, upon arrival in Mount Pleasant.
The Stokesley, England-native logged three dominant years at the helm for NAIA Aquinas College, where he posted a 55-5-7 overall record, an undefeated 31-0-3 record in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference, and five total WHAC Championships—three regular season, two tournament.
DeCosemo’s leadership at Aquinas led to the program’s best finish in the NAIA national tournament as the Saints reached the national quarterfinals in both 2022 and 2023. Aquinas defeated eight nationally ranked teams during his tenure, four times doing so in the NAIA tournament.
The Saints racked up 10 NAIA All-America nods as well as 25 all-conference selections, 19 of which were first team. Aquinas appeared in the NAIA national rankings wire-to-wire in his tenure and was a top-10 mainstay for the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
Directly prior to CMU, DeCosemo was an assistant coach at Western Michigan, which swept the Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles in his lone season in Kalamazoo in 2025. He has also been an assistant coach for the Aquinas men (2019-21) and NCAA II Saginaw Valley State women (2017-18).
As a player, DeCosemo was a three-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champion at NCAA II Northwood University, where he earned all-conference and United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors and led the Timberwolves to the NCAA Midwest Regional Final (round of 16) in his 2015 senior season.
He graduated from Northwood in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, focused in marketing, and a minor in management.
DeCosemo competed for Lansing United in Lansing, Mich. from 2014-17, then again when the team was reprised from 2022-25 for eight total seasons of semi-professional competition in the Lansing area. In the meantime, he played for Grand Rapids FC in Grand Rapids, Mich.
He has also been the Director of Coaching for Nationals Capital Area Soccer club in Lansing since 2016.
DeCosemo is joined by his wife, Allison, and their son, Oliver.
THE DECOSEMO FILE
Birthdate: Nov. 19, 1992
Hometown: Stokesley, England
Family: Allison (Wife), Oliver (Son)
Education
Northwood University ‘16
Bachelor’s degree, Business Administration/Marketing
Collegiate Coaching Career (Women’s unless otherwise denoted)
Head Coach, Central Michigan University, Dec. 10, 2025-current
Assistant Coach, Western Michigan University, July 2025-Dec. 9, 2025
Head Coach, Aquinas College, July 2022-July 2025
Assistant Coach, Aquinas College (men), Aug. 2019-July 2022
Assistant Coach, Saginaw Valley State, July 2017-Aug. 2019
Other Coaching Positions
Director of Coaching, Nationals Capital Area, 2016-current
Playing Career
Lansing United, 2014-17, 2022-25
Grand Rapids FC, 2019-21
Northwood University, 2012-15
Coaching Accomplishments
55-5-7 overall record in three seasons at Aquinas (MI)
Five Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Championships (three regular season, two tournament)
Ranked 17th or higher in NAIA national poll for entire tenure, top 10 all of 2023 and 2024 seasons, high of 4th
10 NAIA All-American selections
25 All-WHAC selections (19 first team)
2025 Mid-American Conference Season and Tournament Champion (as assistant)
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