Aron “Buddy” Gentry was named head men’s and women’s soccer coach at Milwaukee Area Technical College in December 2021. With more than three decades of coaching experience across the youth, high school, collegiate, and club levels, Gentry brings a deep passion for player development and program building to the Stormers’ soccer program.
A native of Iowa, Gentry is a graduate of Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, where he completed his studies in 1993. He then went on to earn a degree in sports management from the University of Wisconsin–Parkside.
Gentry immediately began his coaching career after high school, serving as an assistant and head coach at Dowling Catholic from 1993 to 1996. He continued to build his coaching resume with positions at Pride Soccer Club (1997–98) and Bavarian Soccer Club (1998–2004), before leading the Shorewood High School program from 2004 to 2012. During his tenure at Shorewood, Gentry went on to accumulate more than 200 wins, including two Woodland Conference titles, nine WIAA Regional Championships, one Sectional Championship and one State Final appearance.
In addition to his high school roles, Gentry coached for several of Wisconsin’s most recognized club programs. He was head coach for the Milwaukee Kickers (2010–12), recreational director and staff coach for Milwaukee Kickers Southern United (2012–20), head coach of the Kickers Academy South (2015–20), and later served as girls select director and staff coach with A.C. Toros (2020–22). He currently works as academy director and college coordinator for the Croatian Eagles Soccer Club.
At the college level, Gentry has held assistant and head coaching roles across both men’s and women’s programs. He was an assistant coach for the UW–Parkside women’s team from 2015 to 2017 before becoming head men’s soccer coach at the College of Lake County (2017–19). He then led the men’s program at Bryant & Stratton College from 2020 to 2021.
Since joining MATC at the tail end of 2021, Gentry has focused on elevating the Stormers’ soccer programs with a strong emphasis on development, team culture, and student-athlete success both on and off the field. As a true student of the game, Gentry holds multiple License's and Diploma's from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), United States Youth Futsal (USYF), as well as United Soccer Coaches (USC).
Gentry is married to Suzanne Gentry. The couple has two children, Oliver and Audrey.
