Ron Celestin joined Leone's staff in May of 2019 as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He is in his third season at Maryland.
Celestin made an immediate impact for the Terrapins during the 2019 season, helping Maryland to its best season since joining the Big Ten. The Terps finished sixth in the conference standings, while the team qualified for its first-ever Big Ten Tournament. The Terps finished 9-8-3 overall, the program’s first winning season since 2012, and finished with the team’s best home record (7-1-2) in nine seasons.
Celestin came to Maryland after a three-year stint as the Associate Head Coach at Northeastern. The Huskies saw immediate success in Celestin’s first year in 2016, as he helped lead the program to a 14-win season and both the regular season and tournament CAA Championships. The Huskies followed it up with a 13-win campaign in 2017, the most wins in a two-season stretch in school history, while finishing as the CAA runner up.
“Ron has been successful every place he has been,” said Leone. “He has an excellent ability to coach and develop players at every level, and has deep ties to the soccer community throughout the country. Ron has coached on the big stage, guiding a team to the Final Four while producing player of the year and professional caliber student-athletes during his career.”
Prior to his time at Northeastern, Celestin was an assistant coach at Princeton from 1995 to 2016. During his 21-year tenure with the Tigers, Celestin was heavily involved in all aspects of the program, including on-field training, recruiting, scouting, and mentoring student-athletes. Celestin helped Princeton to seven Ivy League Championships and nine NCAA tournament appearances, including a run to the Women's College Cup in 2004.
“I am incredibly humbled to join a university and athletic department with so much tradition and championship prowess,” said Celestin. “I am blessed and thankful to be afforded the opportunity to join Coach Leone’s staff. I’m looking forward to collaborating with Ray and the rest of the coaching staff in providing the best possible experience to our student-athletes.”
Celestin has garnered honors as an AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003 and the Princeton Unsung Hero Award for Community Service in 2005, while being an inductee of the Princeton High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
While coaching at Princeton, Celestin also managed the New Jersey Wildcats women's soccer club (W-League) from 1996-98 and served as an assistant with the team in 2008-09. Celestin was a co-founder and technical director of the FC Magic United Soccer Club, and served as the head coach of the boys' soccer team at Princeton High School from 1986-96, during which time he led the squad to a New Jersey state championship. Celestin was also involved with the New Jersey ODP program at numerous levels.
Celestin played collegiately for West Virginia Wesleyan College–culminating his career with an NAIA national championship in 1985–before playing semi-professionally within the New York/New Jersey region.
Celestin graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education.
