Chad Ashton is leaving Denver after 10 years as the men's coach to take a position as assistant coach with MLS's D.C. United.

Ashton's career record was 85-85-14, all as head coach of the Pioneers. He was the 2004 MPSF Coach of the Year and 2006 MPSF Co-Coach of the Year after guiding his team to an 11-5-2 record and a Soccer America Top 25 ranking for much of the second half of the season.

The former North Carolina All-American played in MLS during a pro career that saw him play for six teams. Assistant men's coach Dave Thomas will serve as interim head coach until DU names Ashton's successor.

• Maine named former Black Bear Pat Laughlin as its new men's head coach. He spent last season as an assistant coach at Rhode Island, which won the 2006  Atlantic-10 championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He previously was the head coach for six years at New England JC Dean College.
  

• Valparaiso named Louisville assistant Mike Avery as its new men's head coach. Before heading to Louisville, Avery spent three seasons as the director of soccer at D3 Cal State San Bernardino and then was an assistant for six seasons at Notre Dame, which won a pair of Big East titles in 2003 and 2004. He is only the the third Valpo men's coach in 24 years.
  

MEN'S COACHING MOVES
COLLEGE ... OLD COACH ... NEW COACH
CHARLOTTE John Tart... Jeremy Gunn (Ft. Lewis coach)
DENVER Chad Ashton (D.C. United assistant coach) ... Dave Thomas-interim (Denver assistant)
HIGH POINT Peter Broadley ... Dustin Fonder (Elon assistant)
HOWARD Keith Tucker ... TBA
IPFW Terry Stefankiewicz ... Mike Harper (IPFW assistant)
MAINE Travers Evans ... Pat Laughlin (Rhode Island assistant)
MARIST Bobby Herodes ... Matt Viaggiano (Iona assistant)
ST. PETER'S Chris Smith ... Guy Abrahamson (Delaware assistant)
VALPARAISO Mis Mrak ... Mike Avery (Louisville assistant)