Coach Austin Shafer joins Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) in 2025 as the Assistant Men’s and Women’s Soccer Coach, bringing a strong background as both a player and coach at the collegiate and semi-professional levels.
A native of Jamestown, North Dakota, Coach Shafer began his playing career with Jamestown Soccer Club and Jamestown High School before advancing to the collegiate and semi-professional ranks. He played four years at Montana State University Billings (NCAA Division II) from 2018–2022 before transferring to the University of Jamestown (NAIA), where he tied the school’s single-season goal-scoring record with 14 goals in 17 matches. That standout season earned him GPAC First Team All-Conference honors.
Beyond college soccer, he competed at a high level in the NPSL with Dakota Fusion from 2017–2021 and later in USL2 with the Colorado International Soccer Academy from 2022–2024.
While still a player, Coach Shafer's began giving back to the game by coaching youth soccer in his hometown and working with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) in the Dakota region. He later served as an assistant varsity girls’ coach and goalkeeper coach at Jamestown High School.
At the collegiate level, he spent one season as an assistant men’s coach at the University of Jamestown before being promoted to head men’s coach, leading the program for a year. Over the course of his career, he has focused on training design, match planning, opposition scouting, video analysis, recruiting, and supporting student-athletes on and off the field.
Coach Shafer's graduated from the University of Jamestown with a degree in History Education and a minor in Political Science.
Now entering his third season as a college coach, Coach Shafer is excited to join the Spartans and contribute his experience, energy, and passion to the continued growth of CNCC’s men’s and women’s soccer programs.
