Michael O'Connor begins his first year as a volunteer Assistant Coach for Vermont State University Castleton in 2026.
A native of Rutland, VT, O’Connor is a 2026 graduate of VTSU-Castleton and former captain for the Spartans. He was a four-year starting central midfielder, playing in 73 career games, scoring 8 goals and 4 assists for 20 points. He was a 3-time member of the Little East Conference All-Academic team and Co-Sida Academic All-District Academic teams for his performance in the classroom. As a senior in 2025, he was voted team MVP, named to the LEC All-Conference 2nd team and was selected to the prestigious New England Intercollegiate Soccer League (NEISL) Senior All-Star game.
Prior to Castleton, O’Connor was a standout player and captain at Rutland High School where he was a Southern Vermont League first team selection as a senior. He played club soccer for Summit FC and was also a member of the Vermont Olympic Development Program. This past summer he was the captain for the UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) Vermont Clover franchise in their inaugural season where he was named to the New England Conference First 11 team.
Coach O’Connor earned his undergraduate degree in Health Sciences with a minor in nutrition, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 3.93 GPA. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Vermont.
Michael was active on campus working as a lifeguard, was a member of the health sciences club, as well as coached in the community with Summit FC. He is the son of VTSU-Castleton head coach John O’Connor, and his mother Sheila is the Aquatics Coordinator for the Castleton campus.
