Northwood University Names Steve Bushre Head Men’s Soccer Coach

MIDLAND, MICH. — Northwood University Athletics has announced the hiring of Steve Bushre as the third Head Coach of the Timberwolves men's soccer program Friday, March 6.

Bushre brings nearly a decade of collegiate coaching experience to Northwood, including head coaching success and a track record of academic achievement. He arrives from Southwest Baptist University (Mo.), where he led the Bearcats to their second-most wins in the program's DII history and the most conference wins since joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in 2019. Under his leadership, he helped the team excel on and off the field, with a team GPA of 3.54 in the Fall 2025, and 10 of his student-athletes had a perfect 4.0 GPA.

"We are excited to have Coach Bushre join Northwood," said Northwood Athletic Director Jeff Curtis. "Steve has demonstrated the ability to build competitive programs while maintaining a strong commitment to academic excellence and team culture. We believe he is the right leader to guide our men's soccer program forward."

Before his time at Southwest Baptist, Steve Bushre served as head coach at NCAA DIII Bluffton University. Bushre has also held assistant coaching roles at Indiana University East and Anderson University, serving as a recruiting coordinator and helping build competitive rosters. In addition to his collegiate experience, Bushre coaches with Toledo Villa FC in USL League Two. He holds a U.S. Soccer National "B" License, an Advanced National Diploma, and a Goalkeeping Level 2 Diploma from United Soccer Coaches. Bushre also holds an International Society for Performance Analysis of Sport (ISPAS) Level 1 Accreditation.

"It's an incredible honor to be chosen to lead this program.  I want to thank Jeff Curtis and the hiring committee for the opportunity to represent Northwood University. From the first conversation, it was clear the university is fully committed to building a championship-caliber program while prioritizing the academic and social development of our student-athletes," said Head Coach Bushre. "This program has a tradition of success, and I am excited to get to work."

Bushre earned his bachelor's degree in business administration management from Cedarville University in 2008 and a master's degree in recreation and sport sciences from Ohio University in 2019.

Bushre will begin leading the Timberwolves immediately as the program prepares for the upcoming 2026 season.