Bio

Ante Cop (AHN-tay CHOPE) was named head coach for the inaugural women's soccer program at Governors State on January 2, 2019. He also serves as coordinator of athletic fundraising and booster club events. Coach Cop is in his fifth season with the Jaguars in 2023-2024.

Raised in South Chicago and of Croatian descent, Cop currently serves as head coach of the Men's U.S. Futsal National Team and is the Director of Coaching for ECNL Boys at Indiana Elite.

In 2021-2022, Coach Cop led GSU to a program-record six wins, including a 3-0 mark against IU schools. The Jaguars set a team record with 10 goals against Calumet St. Joseph and ralllied from two goals down to defeat Trinity International in the season finale. Three of his recruits—Daisy Bonilla, Anyssa Pazmino and Breanna Bembenek—made immediate impacts, finishing among the top four in team scoring.

In the spring of 2021, Cop led GSU to first-time wins over Judson, Saint Xavier and St. Francis. He also recruited Florida native Avery Damjanovic, who earned CCAC Freshman of the Year honors and All-CCAC Second Team accolades.

Cop needed just five months to assemble a full roster of 22 players for GSU's inaugural season in 2019. He brought on board 13 junior college transfer students from six local community colleges and led the program to its first win with a 3-1 decision over Calumet St. Joseph.

Cop is no stranger to the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC), having served seven seasons (2007-14) as assistant men's coach at Robert Morris. He also spent the 2005 campaign as goalkeeper coach for the men's program at NCAA Division III Dominican in River Forest.

Cop also has experience at the NCAA Division I level, coaching goalkeepers for the Ball State women's program during the 2014 season and the IUPUI men's team in 2015. Cop started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach for the men's program at UMass-Lowell in 1998.

As a professional player, Cop played for NK Marsonia Slavonski Brod, Tucson Fireballs, Arizona Thunder, Chicago Riot, Milwaukee Wave, where he won a MISL title in 2012 and Rockford Rampage, helping them to an AISL league title in 2007-08 season. He also coached the Cedar Rapids Rampage in 2017-18 and led them to their first ever MASL playoff appearance after taking over mid-season.

A Mount Carmel High School alumnus, Cop played collegiately at Southern New Hampshire (1995-98), where he became the school's first All-American goalkeeper. He received a bachelor's in marketing (1998) and a master's in sports administration from SNHU.

Cop owns a USSF B National License, an NSCAA Premier Diploma and an NSCAA National Goalkeeping License. He is fluent in six languages — Bosnian, Croatian, English, French, Serbian and Spanish.

Ante and his wife Kim have a son, A.J., and reside in Crown Point, Indiana.