Dave Bontempo has overseen the Gwynedd Mercy University men's soccer program for over two decades and led the Griffins to nine postseasons, including Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Championship Tournament appearances in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023. Since 2003, Coach Bontempo mentored countless all-league and all-state student-athletes, including six All-Americans and a Philadelphia Soccer 7 College Player of the Year. Six former players have played professionally, and many others have gone on to coach at the high school and collegiate level. Between 1991 and 2002 he was the Head Coach at Father Judge High School where he led the Crusaders to five consecutive postseason appearances and was voted the Philadelphia High School Coach of the Year. In 2024, Coach Bontempo was one of 11, 2024 inductees to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame.
In his first season at Gwynedd Mercy University, Coach Bontempo improved the Griffins' record from 2-16 to 7-10-1. In his third year, the Griffins set the school record for most wins in a season as they finished the year with a 10-6-2 record. That year, Gwynedd Mercy University also set records for most conference wins (5-4), most goals scored (29) and fewest goals allowed (28). Over the last eight years, the program has strengthened their schedule and has traveled far and wide to play the top National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III teams from New York to Virginia.
Coach Bontempo led Gwynedd Mercy University to their first postseason appearance in program history with a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship Tournament berth in 2009. He directed Gwynedd Mercy University returned to the playoffs in 2010 and 2011, where the Griffins enjoyed a quarterfinal upset of Cabrini University (W, 3-0), before pushing eventual conference champion, Neumann University to a 2-1 double-overtime decision.
In 2014, the Griffins secured their first-ever home playoff game and took the defending league champion, Centenary College to an 3-2 overtime decision. Gwynedd Mercy University also qualified for the playoffs in 2016 for the inaugural AEC Championship Tournament.
The 2023 Gwynedd Mercy University men's soccer season was one of new beginnings as the experiment of blending 15 newcomers with 12 experienced student-athletes resulted in a welcomed 4-8-6 overall record and a 2-3-1 AEC standing. As the sixth seed in the 2023 AEC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament, the Red and Gold traveled to #3 Marywood University (Oct. 28) for an AEC First Round contest; unfortunately, the Pacers advanced to the league's semifinals with a 3-0 victory.
Coach Bontempo's teams garnered AEC Team Academic Awards in 2019, 2020, and 2022, while earning United Soccer Coaches Association (USCA) academic honors in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Dave holds a National Coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation and comes from the highly regarded Philadelphia Catholic League having coached at two high schools for a total of 27 years. He is very proud of the fact that nine former players became college head coaches and 14 have become college assistants including five at Gwynedd Mercy. One of his former players is currently coaching in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a member of the 2006 United States World Cup squad. Additionally, Coach Bontempo served as a staff coach for the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA) for 10 years and was an instructor for the State-level Coaching License. He has twice served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Region for the Keystone State Games and his teams have won two Gold medals.
Bontempo was an all-league forward for one of the top programs in Pennsylvania at Archbishop Ryan High School; he was elected to the Ryan Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009. After an injury cut short his playing career at LaSalle University, he turned to coaching. In 1976 he began coaching at Ryan as an assistant coach. As the defensive coordinator, Coach Bontempo helped the Raiders to a National High School record of 119 consecutive games without a loss (6 seasons) and a #4 National ranking. During his 15 years at Ryan, the Raiders won the Catholic League Championship eight times, and six consecutively.
|
Overall |
|
Conference |
|
|
| Year |
W |
L |
T |
|
W |
L |
T |
|
Notes |
| 2003 |
2 |
16 |
0 |
|
2 |
6 |
0 |
|
- |
| 2004 |
7 |
10 |
1 |
|
1 |
6 |
1 |
|
- |
| 2005 |
10 |
6 |
2 |
|
5 |
4 |
0 |
|
Most wins in school history |
| 2006 |
8 |
9 |
1 |
|
3 |
6 |
0 |
|
- |
| 2007 |
5 |
9 |
5 |
|
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
- |
| 2008 |
4 |
11 |
1 |
|
3 |
5 |
0 |
|
- |
| 2009 |
8 |
10 |
3 |
|
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
CSAC Semifinalists |
| 2010 |
4 |
16 |
0 |
|
3 |
6 |
0 |
|
CSAC Tournament |
| 2011 |
7 |
14 |
0 |
|
4 |
5 |
0 |
|
CSAC Semifinalists |
| 2012 |
6 |
12 |
2 |
|
2 |
5 |
2 |
|
- |
| 2013 |
6 |
13 |
1 |
|
2 |
7 |
0 |
|
- |
| 2014 |
7 |
12 |
0 |
|
5 |
4 |
0 |
|
CSAC Tournament |
| 2015 |
6 |
13 |
1 |
|
3 |
5 |
1 |
|
- |
| 2016 |
9 |
11 |
0 |
|
5 |
4 |
0 |
|
CSAC Tournament |
| 2017 |
2 |
15 |
1 |
|
1 |
8 |
0 |
|
|
| 2018 |
1 |
15 |
1 |
|
0 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
| 2019 |
5 |
15 |
1 |
|
1 |
5 |
0 |
|
AEC Tournament (#6) |
| 2020 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
AEC Tournament (#7) |
| 2021 |
1 |
18 |
0 |
|
0 |
6 |
0 |
|
AEC Tournament (#7) |
| 2022 |
1 |
16 |
1 |
|
0 |
6 |
0 |
|
|
| 2023 |
4 |
8 |
6 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
AEC Tournament (#6) |
| Total |
103 |
251 |
27 (.306) |
|
48 |
101 |
12 (.355) |
|
|
