Josh Pransky returns to the team as an assistant coach for the men's soccer team beginning in August of 2018. He guided the program as its head coach from 2013-2018 before stepping down due to another job opportunity. Pransky took over as the head men's soccer coach at Yeshiva University prior to the 2013 season, after guiding the team on an interim basis for the latter portion of the 2012 campaign. He had previously served as the assistant coach since 2010.
His time as interim coach began three games into the 2012 season. This marked a positive turn in Yeshiva soccer as the team ended the season by winning consecutive matches and one of his players, rookie Leon Aboudi, was named a second team All-Skyline Conference member, after ranking 38
th in NCAA Division III in goals per game (0.73). Pransky opened up an offensive-minded tactical approach to matches after taking over the interim title, and YU’s goals per game spiked to near school record highs.
In 2013, Pransky’s first full season, the Maccabees broke school records with five wins, at the time the most in program history. One of his student-athletes, Itamar Ben David was named a Skyline Conference second team All-Conference member that year after leading the team and conference in points per game (2.47) and goals per game (0.94). Ben David's 2.47 points per game was sixth highest in NCAA Division III in 2013. He was named a Jewish Sports Review All-American.
In 2014, Pransky led Yeshiva men's soccer to the best season in team history in several ways after finishing 10-7-1 overall. The team's 10 wins was the most by a Yeshiva men's soccer team in one season, and the Maccabees .583 win percentage marked the first time in program history it finished above .500. Two of his players, Ben David and Aaron Braun were named first team All-Skyline Conference, marking the first time in YU men's soccer history more than one player made the All-Conference team in one season. Aaron Braun was also selected as the Skyline Conference Men's Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year and Ben David was further honored as the Jay Fiedler Outstanding Jewish College Soccer Player of the Year by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association. Ben David and Braun were named Jewish Sports Review All-Americans.
2015 set new highs again for Yeshiva soccer as the Maccabees made the Skyline Conference Playoffs for the first time in school history. Ben David was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year for leading the conference in goals scored and for the third year in a row he ranked in the top 10 nationwide in points per game. Braun and Daniel Amar were named as Skyline Conference All-Conference second team for their 2015 performances as well. Ben David and Amar were named Jewish Sports Review All-Americans.
In 2016, the student-athletes continued to thrive under Pranksy's leadership. Ben David was named to the Skyline All-Conference second team, as well as the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team. Ben David and Albert Dichy were named Jewish Sports Review All-Americans, with the former earning the honor for all four years of his collegiate career. For his career, Ben David set the school record for most points (153), goals (58), assists (37), and game-winning goals (eight).
Pransky has been coaching since 2007. Before taking charge at Yeshiva, the Philadelphia native served as a senior coach for the Legends Soccer Club. At the start of his career, he spent three years under the mentorship of Tony Elmore as well as time studying from various professional coaches. Coach Pransky also served on the coaching staff of the NY Cosmos Training and Development Program. In 2015 he coached the Maccabi USA U16 Soccer Team at the Maccabi Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile and in 2017 he coached the Maccabi USA U18 at the World Maccabiah Games in Haifa, Israel. He has received his coaching certifications from both the NSCAA and the USSF.
Pransky received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yeshiva and a master's degree in kinesiology from Montclair State University. He is the 2010 awardee of the YU Athletics Aaron Meyer Memorial Award.
Career Coaching Record:
| Year |
Record |
Pct. |
Post Season |
| 2017 |
5-11-0 |
.312 |
DNQ |
| 2016 |
5-11-2 |
.333 |
DNQ |
| 2015 |
7-8-2 |
.471 |
Quarter Finals Skyline Conference Playoffs |
| 2014 |
10-7-1 |
.583 |
DNQ |
| 2013 |
5-13-0 |
.278 |
DNQ |
| 2012 |
3-5-0 |
.375 |
DNQ |
| Total |
35-55-5 |
.395 |
|
