LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University men's soccer and head coach Scott Gyllenborg announced multiple staff updates as the Bearcats head into the 2027 campaign with Erik Rajoy being promoted to Associate Head Coach and Sam Gomez joining as the Assistant and Goalkeeper Coach. Gyllenborg also announced the return of Michael Bayer as a program assistant and Kai Gaither as a Student Assistant. The Bearcats jumped into preseason on August 10 and prepare for their season opening road trip in Oklahoma at the end of August with two strong region games against Rogers State and Sothern Nazarene.

RAJOY ELEVATED TO ASSOCIATE HC
Rajoy, who enters his fourth season with the Bearcats, shifts upwards as Associate Head Coach under Gyllenborg after helping the Bearcats reach three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a National Semifinal run and a Round of 16 berth. Playing an instrumental role, Rajoy has helped drive the Bearcats forward to continuous success beginning in his first season during the 2023 campaign, where McKendree clamped Sothern Nazarene to make its way to Indianapolis and the Round of 16. Following the historic run, Rajoy and the Bearcats moved forward with a new precedent in 2024 where they minced adversaries to claim the NCAA Regional title over top-seeded Saginaw Valley State and make the program's first National Semifinal. The 2025 campaign saw the squad reach a third-straight NCAA Tournament and the Great Lakes Valley Conference Title game. During his time, the team has seen 16 All-GLVC selections, two GLVC major award winners, 12 All-Region selections, and three All-American nods. Rajoy, who was born in Argentina and grew up in Spain, earned his MBA from McKendree in 2025 and a Master's in Performance Psychology in 2026. Prior, he was a two-time All-American with two Final Four appearances while earning his degree in Sports Management and Business Administration in 2023 at Columbia College (Mo.).

GOMEZ JOINS STAFF TO LEAD GKs
Sam Gomez comes to the Bearcats following stints at the professional level, including with STL City 2 and Monterey Bay FC following a strong collegiate career. The St. Louis-native collected 10 professional appearances following collegiate experience at Syracuse and SIUE, which saw him earn the OVC's Goalkeeper of the year in 2023, a All-OVC First Team nod, and All-North Region selection. Gomez brings over nearly a decade of coaching experience, stretching from collegiate down through youth soccer with St. Louis Soctt Gallagher, Webster University, and private lessons for multiple age groups. He graduated from SIUE with a Bachelor's in Finance while earning his MBA with the Cougars as well. Gomez earned his laurels early in his career with two Missouri State Championships in 2014 and 2015 while being named Missouri's Class 3 Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017 and competing for SLSG ECNL. Gomez will also be serving as an assistant and goalkeeper coach for McKendree women's soccer, which comes off its 10th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. 

Additionally, Gyllenborg announced men's soccer alum Michael Bayer will be returning to the staff after a short hiatus while Kai Gaither will serve as a student assistant with the program. 

McKendree men's soccer (RV) will be kicking off its season with a road trip down to Oklahoma to face off against a pair of familiar foes in Rogers State (8/27) and Southern Nazarene (8/29) before knotting up its non-conference slate at Cedarville on September 3. 

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