The Kenston High School Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Matt Tainer as its next varsity girls soccer head coach. The announcement was made by Athletic Director Reid Guarnieri following the approval of Tainer’s hire by the Kenston Board of Education at Monday’s monthly meeting (June 8).

Guarnieri said, “Though this position became available again unexpectedly, we received incredible interest in what has become one of the premier programs in the area for girls soccer. Coach Tainer has exhibited a proven pattern of developing successful programs, not only at the varsity level, but at the subvarsity levels as well.”

A graduate of nearby Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School, Tainer is a native resident of the Bainbridge area, having been educated through the eighth grade at Kenston Schools. Most recently, he served as varsity head girls soccer coach at his alma mater in Chardon where he led that program to a combined 47-34-5 record in five seasons (.580 winning percentage).

Under his guidance, the Lions were District Champions in 2019 and District Runners-Up in 2018. In 2020, Tainer was named Ohio Division II Parochial School Coach of the Year and in 2022 he was the Crown Conference Coach of the Year. Prior to taking the reins at NDCL, Tainer also served as an assistant coach for four years at Gilmour Academy when that team won the 2016 Division III State Championship.

Tainer has enjoyed the short time he has already been able to spend with returning players, stating, “The team has welcomed me straight away and they are already putting work in during summer league. I am very lucky to have the chance to coach a team that not only works extremely hard, but one that truly enjoys being together as a team. My coaching staff and I are excited for the season ahead.”

The program will be welcoming back veteran assistant coach and Kenston teacher Edwin Fladger to lead the JV program while adding newcomer Madison Olsen as the team’s new varsity assistant. Olsen is a former player of Coach Tainer’s from his time spent at Gilmour Academy. She was also a standout soccer and track student-athlete at Slippery Rock University.

In addition to his success at the high school level, Tainer has also coached several teams within the Cleveland Cobras soccer program. There, he coached players aged 8-18 years of age and led two teams to Club National Championships. Through his involvement with the Cobras, he has coached many Kenston players through the years and sees that as a distinct asset in commandeering the Bomber soccer program as they begin their Suburban League era in 2026.

Tainer continued, “The Kenston area has always had a lot of talent on the girls soccer side and this team fits that mold. We have a lot of talent both returning and incoming that will help us be competitive in the new league.”

In addition to his on-field experience, Coach Tainer carries a United Soccer Coaches Special Topics Diploma, a U.S. Soccer National F License, a U.S. Soccer 11 vs. 11 Certification, and a U.S. Soccer 7 vs. 7 Certification. He remains a Kenston-area resident and earned a B.S. in Athletic Training and Exercise Science from the University of Mount Union. He also works as a mortgage loan originator and trains horses as his primary occupations.

Kenston will open its 2026 regular season at home versus Berkshire High School on August 14.