FirstPoint USA, the world’s leading international student-athlete recruitment agency, has significantly expanded its footprint in the United States with the appointment of four highly credentialed college soccer specialists to senior leadership roles.
Marking a major milestone in the company’s 25-year history, FirstPoint USA has appointed NCAA Division I head coach Tom Poitras, Portland Timbers legend Scot Thompson, former University of Kentucky standout and D1 head coach Jeremy Groves, and successful IU Indy head coach Sid van Druenen as Directors of Soccer.
Operating across four key states—Kentucky, Oregon, Michigan, and Ohio—the quartet brings elite NCAA Division I coaching, MLS playing background, and extensive talent identification and recruiting experience to FirstPoint USA, reinforcing its position as the premier agency for prospective student-athletes and college coaches worldwide.
Andrew Kean, Founder and CEO of FirstPoint USA, commented:
"We are thrilled to welcome Tom, Scot, Jeremy, and Sid to the FirstPoint USA team as we continue our expansion across the United States. Each of them brings a wealth of knowledge, insight, and credibility, and they are highly respected figures across the collegiate and professional game.
"Having leaders of their calibre working directly with student-athletes and families is central to our commitment to delivering a world-class service. Their understanding of the recruitment landscape and the requirements of college coaches is second to none. As college recruitment rapidly evolves, having experts who live and breathe this environment ensures our athletes receive unrivalled guidance and support."
The investment in people builds on a period of record growth for FirstPoint USA, which employs over 100 staff globally and recently announced innovative athletic partnerships with Brown University and Boston College.
Meet Our New Directors of Soccer
Tom Poitras: Director of Soccer - Kentucky
A highly respected figure in collegiate soccer, Tom brings a wealth of top-level coaching experience to the role. He began his playing career at Southern Connecticut State University and helped the Owls to the NCAA DII National Championship.
His coaching career began at the University of New Haven, where he orchestrated one of the nation's top single-season turnarounds. He then moved to the Southern New Hampshire, taking the Penmen to the NCAA DII National Championship game.
That success then took him to University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, guiding the program to its first NCAA DI Tournament appearance in 26 years, and the University of Hartford, where he established the Hawks as a perennial America East Conference power in a hugely successful 11-year spell. His most recent head coach role was at the Northern Kentucky University, spending three seasons leading the Norsemen’s program. Tom also holds a USSF 'A' coaching license, USSF National Youth License and NSCAA Premier Diploma. He works as a US Soccer Developmental Academy Scout and has served as an Olympic Development staff coach in Regions I and II.
Scot Thompson: Director of Soccer – Oregon
Scot has played soccer in the US at the highest level, having started his college career at UCLA. Having been a member of the US National Team U18s pool, he was a top-25 recruit and enjoyed a successful four-year spell with the Bruins, being named Rookie of the Year and reaching the semi-finals of the NCAA National Tournament in his freshman year. He then went on to captain UCLA Men's Soccer and led them to the NCAA Championship title in 2002.
After graduating, he was selected by LA Galaxy in the MLS Super Draft, before moving to Portland Timbers, where he became a mainstay in the team for six years, making a total of 156 appearances and becoming the all-time career leader in minutes played and a club legend. He played for the US national U23s team three times.
Since retiring from the professional ranks, Scot has served as official community ambassador for the Timbers and worked as assistant coach for the Portland Thorns. His career then took him into marketing, and he became Senior Sports Marketing Manager for adidas, working alongside the MLS. More recently, Scot has been involved in implementing DEI programs and HR consultancy roles and now spearheads FirstPoint USA’s soccer activity in Oregon.
Jeremy Groves: Director of Soccer – Michigan
Bringing expensive NCAA DI playing and coaching experience to the role, Jeremy will lead our college soccer activity in the Michigan area. A native of Leeds, England and a former Leeds United academy player, he made the transition to college soccer in the United States in 2002, playing one season at Virginia Intermont College before securing a transfer to the highly ranked University of Kentucky men’s soccer program where he helped the Wildcats to two straight MAC championships in 2003 and 2004.
He then began his coaching career at Kentucky, as assistant men’s coach then moved to Morehead State University to take up the role as assistant head coach for the women’s program. Jeremy secured his first head coach role at Murray State University where he enjoyed three successful seasons, winning three regular season championships and two conference tournaments. Jeremy has since led the Central Michigan University, spending seven season building their NCAA DI women’s soccer program into a conference force, and was the longest-tenured coach in program history.
Sid van Druenen: Director of Soccer - Ohio
Sid brings a wealth of coaching experience to his role as Director of Soccer for Ohio at FirstPoint USA. He has coached at the top level of NCAA DI, spending four seasons as head coach at Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indy), where he led the program to historic back-to-back third-place Horizon League finishes, and a first-ever tournament championship game appearance. Prior to his time with the Jaguars, Sid was associate head coach for Wright State University, helping guide the Raiders to a historic Horizon League title and their first-ever NCAA championship win (over Notre Dame).
In addition to his collegiate roles, Sid boasts significant wider coaching credentials, including his recent appointment as head coach for IFC Dayton's inaugural UPSL Premier season and his extensive history with the Dayton Dutch Lions and the Cincinnati Dutch Lions. With a global football education spanning the Netherlands and Portugal alongside his proven player development track record, he brings exceptional expertise to soccer operations and college pathways across Ohio.
