Hokie Club James L. Lofton enters his fifth season with the Hokies in 2023. His tenure coincides with history-making successes for the Virginia Tech squad, including a No. 1 MLS Draft pick and several postseason runs.
While Lofton has been with the program, Tech has become a premiere spot for developing professional talent. In 2022, the Hokies had two players sign MLS first-team contracts following their sophomore seasons, including goalkeeper Ben Martino (Nashville SC), who worked directly with Lofton in training.
In 2021, the team made its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament – an accomplishment shared by only four other universities (Indiana, Washington, Wake Forest and Maryland). After two consecutive appearances in the Sweet 16, the team gave up its third Sweet 16 when it lost in penalty kicks to No. 11-seeded West Virginia.
Virginia Tech spent 10 weeks in 2021 ranked inside the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches poll, including repeated rankings in the top five in the country and a win over No.1-ranked Marshall.
Lofton leads goalkeeper training for Tech, helps train the first team, and does recruiting. He is responsible for video review and analysis, which helps set training priorities and tactical preparation.
As a recruiter, Lofton works year-around for Tech, making a significant contribution to the top-15 recruiting class for 2021. In the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Tech had two players drafted in the top 30, including the No. 1 overall pick and the No. 3 pick in the second round.
Starting in 2019, Lofton served as director of operations for one season before being promoted to assistant coach in 2020.
Lofton joined the Hokies after a highly successful five-season tenure as head women’s soccer coach at nearby Ferrum College. Lofton led his Ferrum team to their most conference wins in 27 years of intercollegiate competition, as well as their most successful back-to-back seasons in 20 years. Lofton’s team saw their first Academic All-American, plus their first USA South Rookie of the Year in 20 years.
Prior to Virginia Tech and Ferrum, Lofton served as head boys’ soccer coach at Rappahannock County High School, volunteer assistant men’s soccer coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, and assistant men’s soccer coach at Shenandoah University. He was also director of coaching for the Monticello United Soccer Club in Charlottesville. He has coached at collegiate soccer camps since the summer of 2010, including regular stints at the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and Navy.
He holds the Advanced National Coaching Diploma and a goalkeeper coaching certificate from United Soccer Coaches (formerly named NSCAA) and was certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist in 2014 and as a Level II CrossFit Trainer in 2018.
He majored in government, minoring in psychology, at William & Mary, graduating cum laude with a BA. He was the top graduate in his MEd program at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he focused on sports leadership.
As a collegiate player, Lofton was a defender at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, before transferring to William & Mary for his final two seasons. He played in two conference championships and advanced to two Sweet 16 NCAA tournaments, first with UNCG and then with William & Mary.
Lofton is married to Mary Elizabeth Lofton, a fellow William & Mary graduate, who holds a PhD in biology from Virginia Tech, where she is a researcher focused on freshwater ecology. They have one child, James Daniel, born in June 2020.
While Lofton has been with the program, Tech has become a premiere spot for developing professional talent. In 2022, the Hokies had two players sign MLS first-team contracts following their sophomore seasons, including goalkeeper Ben Martino (Nashville SC), who worked directly with Lofton in training.
In 2021, the team made its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament – an accomplishment shared by only four other universities (Indiana, Washington, Wake Forest and Maryland). After two consecutive appearances in the Sweet 16, the team gave up its third Sweet 16 when it lost in penalty kicks to No. 11-seeded West Virginia.
Virginia Tech spent 10 weeks in 2021 ranked inside the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches poll, including repeated rankings in the top five in the country and a win over No.1-ranked Marshall.
Lofton leads goalkeeper training for Tech, helps train the first team, and does recruiting. He is responsible for video review and analysis, which helps set training priorities and tactical preparation.
As a recruiter, Lofton works year-around for Tech, making a significant contribution to the top-15 recruiting class for 2021. In the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Tech had two players drafted in the top 30, including the No. 1 overall pick and the No. 3 pick in the second round.
Starting in 2019, Lofton served as director of operations for one season before being promoted to assistant coach in 2020.
Lofton joined the Hokies after a highly successful five-season tenure as head women’s soccer coach at nearby Ferrum College. Lofton led his Ferrum team to their most conference wins in 27 years of intercollegiate competition, as well as their most successful back-to-back seasons in 20 years. Lofton’s team saw their first Academic All-American, plus their first USA South Rookie of the Year in 20 years.
Prior to Virginia Tech and Ferrum, Lofton served as head boys’ soccer coach at Rappahannock County High School, volunteer assistant men’s soccer coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, and assistant men’s soccer coach at Shenandoah University. He was also director of coaching for the Monticello United Soccer Club in Charlottesville. He has coached at collegiate soccer camps since the summer of 2010, including regular stints at the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and Navy.
He holds the Advanced National Coaching Diploma and a goalkeeper coaching certificate from United Soccer Coaches (formerly named NSCAA) and was certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist in 2014 and as a Level II CrossFit Trainer in 2018.
He majored in government, minoring in psychology, at William & Mary, graduating cum laude with a BA. He was the top graduate in his MEd program at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he focused on sports leadership.
As a collegiate player, Lofton was a defender at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, before transferring to William & Mary for his final two seasons. He played in two conference championships and advanced to two Sweet 16 NCAA tournaments, first with UNCG and then with William & Mary.
Lofton is married to Mary Elizabeth Lofton, a fellow William & Mary graduate, who holds a PhD in biology from Virginia Tech, where she is a researcher focused on freshwater ecology. They have one child, James Daniel, born in June 2020.