Flo Liu is set to begin his second season with the Northwestern Univeristy men's soccer program in 2026. Liu joins the ‘Cats as an assistant coach after serving in a similar role for the past five seasons at Drexel University.
“Flo is a fantastic addition to our coaching staff,” Northwestern head men's soccer coach Russell Payne commented. “He is established as one of our country’s top recruiters of both domestic and international top soccer talent.”
“I am truly honored and excited to join Northwestern men’s soccer,” Liu said. “This is an incredible opportunity to contribute to a university that values excellence both on and off the field. I would like to thank Coach Michael Marchiano for his tutelage at Drexel University, where we created some amazing memories over the last five years. I look forward to working alongside an outstanding coaching staff, led by Coach Payne, and a group of talented student-athletes. Together, we will work tirelessly, striving to create a bright future for the program, and make Northwestern proud.”
Liu's impact was immediately felt on the recruiting trail during his first season in Evanston, as the Wildcats' 2026 recruiting class was ranked No. 23 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
During Liu’s stint in the City of Brotherly Love, Drexel piled up 39 wins and qualified for the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament for five straight seasons. Following a 2023 campaign in which it went 9-2-5 and posted the program’s highest winning percentage in 34 years, Drexel was just as impressive this past season, compiling a 9-6-2 record that included a 5-2-1 mark in CAA play. The Dragons finished second overall in the CAA standings, the program’s top league finish since 2014.
While at Drexel, Liu mentored 11 all-league honorees, a group highlighted by reigning CAA Midfielder of the Year Patrick Short and 2023 CAA Defensive Player of the Year Youri Senden.
Liu arrived at Drexel following a wildly successful season as an assistant coach at St. John’s University, where he was a member of the BIG EAST Conference’s Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019. The Red Storm finished 14-5-1 and snapped a five-year postseason drought in style, advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Tani Oluwaseyi was tabbed the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year before going on to be selected 17th overall by Minnesota United in the 2022 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft. Liu also worked with the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, Jan Hoffelner, and Rookie of the Year, Skage Simonsen.
Prior to his time at St. John’s, Liu spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Presbyterian College, where he also served as the team’s recruiting coordinator. He played an integral role in reshaping the program, leading the recruiting efforts for eight All-Big South Conference picks, a group that helped lead the Blue Hose to a conference title and the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2017.
Liu cut his teeth in the coaching ranks at Temple University. In just his second year with the program, Liu helped engineer one of the nation’s top turnarounds, as Temple finished 10-7-2 overall, an eight-win improvement from the previous year. Led by a pair of All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) honorees, the Owls climbed as high as No. 17 in the national polls, the program’s top ranking in 30 years.
As a student-athlete, Liu starred at the University of Connecticut, starting at left back for a Huskies’ team that won a BIG EAST Conference title in 2012 and made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Elite Eight. Following his collegiate playing career, Liu enjoyed a brief playing spell in Germany, including training with Eintracht Frankfurt of the German Bundesliga.
A native of Richmond, British Columbia, Liu received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Connecticut in 2012. He holds a “B” License from the United States Soccer Federation.