Patrice Gheisar has joined Scrosoppi to become the club’s new Director of Football Operations and head coach of the men’s first team. 

The 50-year-old has more than two decades of coaching experience and has spent time with York University Lions, SC Toronto, Ryerson University Rams, and Vaughan Azzurri since stepping up to first-team positions in 2010. In 2019 he became the head coach of Seneca College Sting and Vaughan Azzurri, before moving to Canadian Premier League side Halifax Wanderers. 

His rise to the professional game followed a series of successes in League1 Ontario. He won the Men’s East Division with Vaughan Azzurri in 2021 and was named the division’s Coach of the Year, then a year later claimed the same award for the Men’s Premier Division after winning the overall league title. 

He hit the ground running in his first job in the Canadian Premier League, and was Manager of the Month for June. He went on to guide Halifax to the CPL Playoffs twice in his three seasons at the helm, and set club records across goals and points scored. 

Gheisar has a reputation for developing rising stars in the game, and his move to Milton is the start of a new opportunity – one which will see him provide guidance and leadership across all soccer pathways at Scrosoppi.

He said: “After speaking to Scrosoppi and understanding their vision, I saw enormous potential which really attracted me to this role. 

“I’m grateful for everything that Vaughan Azzurri gave me personally and professionally, and for the trust Halifax showed in me to lead their CPL team. I’m hoping to bring similar success I had at those organizations to Scrosoppi, who are giving me the opportunity to tackle a new role in soccer.

“It’s really important for me to culturally develop a very healthy off-field environment and establish men’s and women’s teams that will be sustainable on their own for the next three to four years – not only building for now, but building for the future.

“The club is in a key area of Ontario where there is a lot of talent, and as the club grows, I expect our youth teams to grow and feed into our men’s and women’s teams.

“I’m drawn to working with the adult and youth teams, supporting players and coaches in their development and pursuing opportunities, and establishing a club which will be known as a powerhouse in years to come.”

Scrosoppi’s Executive Director, Shayne Griffin, emphasized that Gheisar’s appointment is about putting culture before results, and people before processes.

He said: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome Patrice Gheisar as Director of Football Operations at Scrosoppi FC. His passion for the game, his belief in building a strong, values-driven culture, and his football intelligence are exactly what we stand for. 

“In a short time Patrice has already made a lasting impact at the club, and this is only the beginning. The future of Scrosoppi FC is in outstanding hands.”

Scrosoppi’s General Manager, Sara Raulino, added, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Patrice to Scrosoppi FC. As we continue building our academy and putting the right pieces in place, having a leader of Patrice’s caliber to guide both our senior and youth players is truly exciting. His influence will be felt not only technically on the field, but also through the systems and standards being developed off the field.

“Patrice’s resume speaks for itself. He has an important role ahead as he helps build our academy, shape our pillars of growth, and drive our aspiration to become a destination for aspiring soccer players.

“Although Patrice has only been working with us for a short time, his leadership, direction, and vision have already begun to positively influence our programs. It’s exciting to see that vision coming to life, and we look forward to what’s ahead.”