Mike Shearon enters his 11th year as head coach of Trinity Western University’s men’s soccer program in 2026. Since taking over in 2016, he has guided the Spartans to seven Canada West playoff appearances, three conference Final Fours and a fourth-place finish at the 2018 U SPORTS championship. His teams have earned Canada West silver medals in 2017 and 2018 and bronze in 2016.
Through the 2025 season, Shearon has compiled a 67-54-31 record in Canada West and U SPORTS championship competition, including a 60-45-31 Canada West regular-season record. These totals exclude exhibition and spring matches and count postseason shootout victories as wins. The 2026 campaign marks his 10th Canada West competitive season following the cancellation of conference play in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shearon became head coach after serving as the Spartans’ associate head coach from 2010 to 2015. His connection to the program began in 1998, and his work across multiple coaching roles has contributed to TWU’s success at both the conference and national levels.
In 2025, Shearon guided Trinity Western to a 5-6-4 Canada West record and a third consecutive postseason appearance. The Spartans finished fourth in the Pacific Division and closed the regular season unbeaten in four matches, recording victories over Fraser Valley and Thompson Rivers and draws with Fraser Valley and UBC Okanagan. TWU’s season ended with a 2-1 quarterfinal loss to Prairie Division champion Mount Royal. 2025 schedule | Quarterfinal recap
In 2024, Trinity Western finished 6-6-3 in Canada West play and secured fourth place in the Pacific Division. The Spartans put together a six-match unbeaten stretch during the second half of the regular season, highlighted by a sweep of UNBC, a 3-1 victory over UBC Okanagan and a 1-0 road win over Fraser Valley. The season also included a 3-1 victory over No. 9 Mount Royal. TWU advanced to the conference quarterfinals, where it fell 3-0 to Alberta. 2024 schedule
Shearon led the Spartans back to the Canada West playoffs in 2023 after a 6-4-5 regular season. TWU opened conference play with an eight-match unbeaten run, including victories over Thompson Rivers, UBC Okanagan and UNBC and a 1-1 draw with No. 1 UBC. The Spartans also swept their regular-season meetings with Thompson Rivers and Fraser Valley before their postseason ended with a 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Alberta. 2023 schedule
In 2022, Trinity Western finished 6-8-2 in Canada West play. The Spartans opened the season unbeaten in four matches, earning victories over UNBC, UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers following an opening draw with UNBC. Other highlights included a 4-1 road victory over Lethbridge, a 3-0 win over MacEwan and a 3-1 victory over Victoria. In the following spring, TWU won the Keg Spring Cup with shootout victories over UBC and Victoria. 2022 schedule
Following the cancellation of the 2020 conference season, Shearon guided a young Spartans team to a 3-3-6 Canada West record in 2021. TWU opened the campaign unbeaten in seven matches, recording shutout victories over UNBC, Fraser Valley and Thompson Rivers. The Spartans finished fifth in the West Division, two points outside the playoffs. Individually, Christian Rossi was named Canada West Rookie of the Year after scoring five regular-season goals. 2021 schedule | Canada West season review
Canada West competition was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spartans remained active through local matches and intrasquad competition, with their fall schedule including games against Langley FC, Langley United and Surrey United. 2020 schedule
In 2019, Shearon led Trinity Western to a 9-6-1 Canada West record and a fourth consecutive playoff appearance. The Spartans recorded season sweeps of Thompson Rivers and finished the regular season with home victories over UBC, 4-1, and Victoria, 3-0. TWU also earned shutout wins over Lethbridge, Calgary, Saskatchewan and UNBC during the campaign. The season ended with a 1-0 loss to Calgary in the Canada West quarterfinals. 2019 schedule
Shearon guided the Spartans to Canada West silver and a fourth-place finish at the U SPORTS championship in 2018, marking the program’s first national tournament appearance since 2009. TWU finished 8-3-4 in conference play before advancing past Calgary on penalties in the quarterfinals and defeating Thompson Rivers 3-0 in the semifinals. Following a 2-0 loss to UBC in the conference final, the Spartans opened nationals with a shootout victory over York. TWU then fell to Montreal in the semifinals and Carleton in the bronze medal match. 2018 schedule
In 2017, Trinity Western finished second in the Pacific Division with an 8-4-4 Canada West record and earned a conference silver medal. The Spartans closed the regular season with victories over UBC and Victoria, with the 2-1 win over the Thunderbirds ending a 17-match winless streak against their conference rivals. TWU defeated Calgary 6-2 in the quarterfinals and Alberta 3-2 in the semifinals before falling 3-2 to UBC in overtime in the championship match. 2017 schedule | Regular-season finale | UBC victory
Shearon’s first season as head coach in 2016 produced a 9-5-2 Canada West record and a conference bronze medal. The Spartans won their first four regular-season matches and swept their meetings with UNBC and Victoria. TWU defeated Mount Royal 3-0 in the quarterfinals before falling 1-0 to Alberta in extra time in the semifinals. The Spartans responded with a 4-1 victory over Calgary in the bronze medal match, finishing 11-6-2 across the regular season and conference playoffs. 2016 schedule
Before becoming associate head coach in 2010, Shearon served as a Spartans assistant coach from 1998 to 2002 and from 2004 to 2009. During his time on the coaching staff, TWU earned national silver medals in 2006 and 2008, national bronze in 2005 and three consecutive Canada West championships from 2005 to 2007. As associate head coach, his responsibilities extended to team administration and developing the team’s culture and mindset on and off the field.
Originally from Macedonia, Ohio, Shearon has extensive experience coaching at the university, club and youth levels. He coached with Kopion FC from 1995 to 1997, served as Wheaton College’s junior varsity and scouting coach in 1996 and was an assistant coach at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1997.
Shearon directed Athletes in Action Soccer Camps from 1998 to 2003 and has worked extensively in youth soccer development. Locally, he was head coach of the Fraser Valley Action U21 team in 2001 and 2005 and led the club’s Pacific Coast Soccer League team in 2007.
His international coaching experience includes leading an Athletes in Action men’s team to Ireland in 2000, a men’s team to Albania and a women’s team to Ireland in 2004, and a men’s team to South Africa in 2008. His work with Athletes in Action has also included directing its Integration of Faith and Sport Division and serving as a chaplain to professional sports teams.
As a player, Shearon competed with the Cleveland Internationals before playing university soccer at Wheaton College in Illinois from 1992 to 1995. He earned All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honours in 1994 and 1995.
Shearon graduated from Wheaton College in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. He also holds an Advanced National Coaching Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
