Kevin Varnado is entering into his third season as head men's soccer coach, and seventh year overall, at Francis Marion University. He succeeded long-time head coach Murray Hartzler in 2006, who retired to concentrate on his duties as director of athletics.

In only his second year, Varnado guided the Patriots to a 14-5-3 record, the Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships, and an appearance in the second-round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.  For his accomplishments, he was named the 2008 PBC Coach of the Year.

That 2008 squad produced six All-Conference selections and three All-Region picks, in addition to earning the PBC Team Sportsmanship Award for men's soccer.  The Patriots also made their first appearance in the Top 25 poll in five seasons.  After opening the campaign 1-4-1, FMU put together a 15-match unbeaten streak, second-longest in team history.

In his first season as head coach, the Patriots finished 2007 with a 5-12-1 record that included seven one-goal losses. The squad finished the regular season strong with a 2-1 win over Catawba College and 1-1 tie on the road at 13th-ranked Clayton State University. That squad produced three Peach Belt Conference All-Conference performers and one Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Team (second team) member.

Varnado joined the FMU staff in 2002 as an assistant coach and as the university's equipment manager. As an assistant, his primary coaching responsibilities included recruiting, on-field coaching, individual player workouts, pre- and post-season workouts, and helping in the area of academic support for team members. During his four years as assistant coach, FMU posted a 40-36-2 record.

He has also been instrumental in the program's particiption in The Passionately Pink for the Cure^TM program, organized by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure group, and held in conjunction with the observance of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Varnado came to Francis Marion from St. Andrews Presbyterian College where he served as assistant men's coach during the 2001 season. He earned a B.S. degree in exercise science from St. Andrews in 2000. He was a three-year letterman on the Knights' soccer team, earning team MVP honors each season and twice being named to the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference first-team All-Conference Team. He played one season at the University of Central Florida before transferring to St. Andrews.

Following his graduation, he spent one year as assistant athletic trainer at Alabama State University. He holds a USSF "B" license, and has served as a member of the South Carolina Olympic Development Program (ODP) coaching staff, most recently with the 1990 State Team. He also directs the annual summer Patriot Soccer Academy camps.

He is the first  African-American head coach for a men's sport at FMU.

Tony Falvino is beginning his first year at Francis Marion as assistant coach for men's soccer and equipment manager for the university's athletic department.

Falvino's primary coaching responsibilities will include recruiting, on-field coaching, individual player workouts, pre- and post-season workouts, and helping in the area of academic support for team members.

A native of Johnsonville, New Zealand, he comes to Francis Marion after working one year in the Wingate University athletic department, while also working on his master's degree in sports administration.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Greensboro College, where he was a four-time All-Conference selection on the soccer field.  He was named the USA South Conference Rookie of the Year in 2002 and later earned conference Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2005.

Falvino also played two seasons with the Premier Development League's Carolina Dynamo squad.

He served as an assistant coach at High Point University for two seasons (2006, 2007) prior to taking a position at Wingate.

He has worked three years with the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association as an Olympic Development Program (ODP) scout and coach, and has coached with the Twin City Soccer Association in Winston Salem, the Greensboro Soccer Club, and the Carolina Dynamo.  He has been on summer camp staffs at Wake Forest University, Elon University, and Roanoke College.

He was a member of the New Zealand Under 17 and 20 squads before attending Greensboro.