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Men's Soccer
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- jmasalin@syr.edu
A veteran of the professional coaching and playing ranks, Jukka Masalin joined the Orange as an assistant coach in January 2010 and was promoted to associate head coach for the program in 2014. Masalin was Ian McIntyre’s top aide for two seasons at Hartwick before teaming up with him again at Syracuse. Masalin assists McIntyre in all facets of the program, including recruiting, player training and development, game preparation and opponent scouting.
Masalin's work was essential to the Orange's breakout 2012 campaign. Syracuse was the most improved team in the nation, posting a 14-6-1 record after going 3-12-1 in 2011. The team earned the program's second NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the Sweet 16 (third round) before being eliminated on penalty kicks by eventual national finalist Georgetown. In addition, the Orange finished the year ranked 17th in the final NSCAA/Continental Tire Poll, the second time in school history Syracuse appeared in the organization's final rankings.
For their efforts, Masalin and rest of the Orange coaches were selected as the 2012 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. Masalin was also named one of the top 15 Division I assistants in the country for 2012 by College Soccer News.
He earned the recognition again in 2015 after helping the Orange to its most successful season in program history at that time. Syracuse won the ACC Tournament title and advanced to the College Cup for the first time in school history.
Masalin was then an integral part of ‘Cuse’s historic 2022 season where the Orange finished with a program-best 19-2-4 record and were crowded NCAA Division I National Champions, ACC Tournament Champions, and ACC Atlantic Division Champions. Throughout the campaign, Syracuse offense recorded its fifth-most goals (48), tied for its seventh-most assists (42), fifth-most points (138) in program history. On the other side of the ball, the Orange defense earned its third-lowest goals against average (0.70) and tied for its third-most shutouts (11) in a season.
For their efforts, Masalin and the other members of the coaching staff were named the National Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.
Masalin’s coaching expertise guided Syracuse to another successful campaign in 2023, as the Orange advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The team secured nine victories, including seven shutouts, showcasing a strong defensive presence under his direction.
In the 2024 season, Masalin played a pivotal role in integrating the talents of Syracuse’s 31-man roster. His coaching efforts contributed to the Orange’s seven-win campaign, highlighted by a 2-0 upset victory over No. 3 Pitt.
Masalin played professionally in Germany, Sweden, Finland and the United States before making a successful transition to coaching. He served as the head assistant coach for the Atlanta Silverbacks in the United Soccer League’s (USL) First Division from 2004-07. During his time with Atlanta, Masalin was also an assistant coach for the Reinhardt College men’s soccer team. In addition, he served as the soccer director for the Decatur-DeKalb YMCA and was co-director of the Silverbacks’ youth soccer program.
Following his stint in Atlanta, Masalin worked as the top assistant coach for the USL First Division’s Rochester Rhinos. Masalin scouted, recruited, and negotiated with players from all over the world and built the professional youth academy infrastructure in Rochester.
In 2008, Masalin joined McIntyre’s staff at Hartwick and helped lead the Hawks to a pair of MAC Tournament appearances and a 10-4-4 overall record in 2009. While at Hartwick, Masalin earned his first head coaching assignment. He served as the head coach of the Maine Sting in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) during the spring of 2009.
Prior to coming to the U.S. in 1995, Masalin was active in the Finnish soccer community. Between 1987 and 1993, he gained international experience as a goalkeeper for the U-16, U-18 and U-21 Finnish national teams. Once arriving stateside, Masalin embarked on a collegiate playing career at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., where he was a two-time All-Peach Belt Conference honoree. With Masalin on the roster, the Bearcats recorded a 60-19-3 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championship in 1996.
Following his collegiate career, Masalin remained at Lander as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s soccer programs and earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the school in 2002.
Masalin holds a pair of UEFA coaching licenses. He earned his UEFA 'B' license in 2005 and his 'A' license in 2007. Masalin also holds a UEFA Fitness Diploma from the German Football Federation.
As a professional player, Masalin made 23 European Cup (Champions League and UEFA Cup) appearances and played in more than 300 top-flight professional games in Germany, Sweden and Finland. During the last 10 years, he has been invited to observe some of the top European clubs train, including Liverpool FC (English Premier League), Bayer Leverkusen (German Bundesliga) and Paris Saint-Germain FC (Ligue 1).
Born in Lahti, Finland, Masalin and his wife, Carmen, live in Liverpool, N.Y. with their dog, Sisu.
