Jacksonville University

Tom Buckner is in his seventh season on the Jacksonville men's soccer coaching staff, serving as assistant coach from 2018-21 and earning a promotion to associate head coach prior to the start of the 2021 season.

In his six seasons at Jacksonville, Buckner has been instrumental in helping recruit and develop outstanding soccer players. He has helped Jacksonville qualify for the ASUN Tournament three out of the last 6 years, win the 2020 ASUN Regular and Post-Season Championships and reach the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

In 2023, Buckner helped coach the Dolphins to a spot in the ASUN Tournament. The team went undefeated at home during regular season play. 

In 2020-21 with Buckner assisting, Jacksonville finished 7-4-2 overall and 7-2 in ASUN play and he helped guide the team to one of the program's most successful in recent history. The Dolphins secured the regular season title with a 4-2 record and home advantage for the ASUN Championship. Jacksonville wen on to capture a historic ASUN title by defeating FGCU 2-0 in the ASUN Championship, qualifying for the NCAA tournament for the first time 2008. The team would go on to tie American University 3-3 in the 1^st round before losing 5-4 on penalty kicks. At season's end, seven Dolphins were named to All ASUN teams.

In 2018, the program achieved the #3 seed in ASUN regular season play and would go on to progress to the semi-finals of the ASUN tournament, losing to eventual champions Lipscomb.

Prior to his tenure in Jacksonville, Buckner spent time as an assistant coach at Hartwick College in Oneonta NY where he also played. He also spent two seasons at Western Illinois University as a graduate assistant coach, while working to earn a master's degree in sports management with a 3.9 GPA. He helped the Leathernecks become Summit League tournament semi-finalists in 2016 and 17, and pick up seven Summit League All-Conference awards, eight Player of the Week accolades and a First-Team Academic All-American selection.

A native of England, Buckner was a four-year letterwinner at Hartwick from 2011-15 and served as the starting goalkeeper during the entirety of his college career. As a team captain in his senior year, he helped the Hawks capture the 2014 Sun Belt Regular Season and Tournament Championships and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He was a Sun Belt Second-Team All-Conference selection in 2015.
Buckner earned a bachelor's degree of arts in journalism from Hartwick in 2015 and holds various coaching licenses from USSF and UEFA. He currently lives in Jacksonville with his wife and daughter.