Vermont soccer’s Rob Dow reportedly eyeing move to Big Ten program

Vermont soccer head coach Rob Dow appears to be headed to a bigger conference.

The longtime Catamounts head coach who guided Vermont to the 2024 NCAA championship in historic fashion is reportedly set to be hired by Penn State, according to Jon Sauber of Centre Daily Times. Shortly before Sauber’s online report on Wednesday, Dec. 11, WCAX-TV’s Jack Fitzsimmons and Michael Dugan broke news that Dow and the Nittany Lions were in “deep negotiations.”

UVM athletics officials declined to comment until there is an official announcement. 

Dow’s ninth season at Vermont ended with an upset loss to Hofstra in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Virtue Field. The Catamounts had entered this year’s tournament unbeaten and as the top overall seed. They also started 2025 as the top-ranked team in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll.

Under Dow, the Catamounts have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in five straight seasons (2021-2025). They reached the NCAA quarterfinals in 2022, the third round in 2023 and then last year’s unseeded run to capture their first national championship with an overtime victory over Marshall at the College Cup in Cary, North Carolina.

Through his nine seasons at Vermont, Dow has gone 109-41-21 with four America East tournament crowns and three conference regular-season titles. His 11 NCAA Tournament wins are a program record. He stands five wins shy of matching Cormier and Ron McEachen for most victories in program history.

Dow spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Vermont before earning a promotion to head coach in 2017 following the departure of Jesse Cormier.

According to UVM’s salary records online, Dow’s current base salary is $200,000. In 2017, in his first year at the helm, it was $80,000.

If hired, Dow would be taking over at Penn State following Jeff Cook’s exit. Cook stepped down in November after an eight-year run and three NCAA Tournament appearances. The Nittany Lions went 5-8-4 this past season.

Penn State’s operating budget for the 2024 fiscal year for men’s soccer was 10th in the country at $2,099,653, according to data collected by Matt Brown of Extra Points. Vermont was slotted 28th in Brown’s story.

Rob Dow: Season-by-season record with Vermont soccer

2025: 14-1-5 (NCAA second round)

2024: 16-2-6 (national champions)

2023: 13-6-2 (NCAA third round)

2022: 16-4-2 (NCAA quarterfinals)

2021: 13-5-2 (NCAA first round)

2020-21: 5-2-1 (America East final)

2019: 11-6-1 (America East semifinals)

2018: 11-7-1 (America East quarterfinals)

2017: 10-8-1 (America East semifinals)

Total: 109-41-21

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.