Men's Soccer
Christian Lomeli
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- clomeli@iu.edu
- Phone:
- (812) 855-0051
A former Indiana men’s soccer student-athlete, Christian Lomeli enters his eighth season as an assistant coach for the Indiana men’s soccer program in 2025 and seventh season as a member of the full-time staff. Lomeli primarily works with the team's goalkeepers.
Over seven seasons, Lomeli has helped lead the Hoosiers to three NCAA College Cup appearances (2018, 2020, 2022), five Big Ten regular season championships (2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2023, 2024) and four Big Ten Tournament titles (2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2023). Indiana owns a 102-28-24 record (.740) with Lomeli on staff, and the Hoosiers have reached the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 each season.
In six of the seven seasons that Lomeli has guided the IU goalkeeper union, Indiana has ranked top 11 nationally in shutouts. IU finished tied for first with 13 clean sheets in 2021 and second with 10 shutouts in the 2020-21 season (16 matches).
Under Lomeli’s guidance, Roman Celentano became the first player ever to win Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year twice, doing so in the 2020-21 and 2021 seasons. Following the 2021 campaign, FC Cincinnati selected Celentano with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Celentano became the third keeper ever drafted No. 2 or higher, joining Andre Blake and Brad Guzan. At IU, Celentano was a two-time All-American with a 37-10-5 record while allowing just 33 goals in 52 matches.
Celentano has gone on to great success in Major League Soccer with FC Cincinnati, becoming only the second keeper in league history to win at least 10 games in each of his first four MLS seasons. In 2023, Celentano was a finalist for Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and won MLS Save of the Year for his leaping stop that preserved a 3-2 result versus rival Columbus Crew.
JT Harms, now in the FC Dallas organization, handled Indiana’s keeper position for three seasons following Celentano’s departure. Over those three seasons, he helped the Hoosiers hold opponents to 61 goals in his 63 games played, keeping a 0.97 goals against average. He was credited with 18 clean sheets and 165 saves, ranking No. 12 in program history, and besting Celentano’s 162 career saves. Harms also captained the 2023 and 2024 teams.
As a fifth-year senior in 2024, Harms repeated as second-team All-Big Ten selection and elevated to College Sports Communicators first-team Academic All-America status. Indiana returned to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 without conceding multiple goals in any of its final nine matches. In Big Ten play, Harms led the league in victories (7) and goals against average (1.00) – among keepers that started at least half their team’s games – as IU won its last five conference matches to win a share of the Big Ten regular season crown for the second season in a row.
Harms and the Hoosiers kept nine clean sheets in 2023, the Big Ten’s best mark and tied for 10th nationally, while boasting a 0.78 goals against average. The senior led NCAA goalkeepers with 2,183 minutes played, starting all 24 matches as IU came a penalty shootout short of another NCAA College Cup. In Big Ten play, Harms finished No. 2 in goals against average (0.88) as the Hoosiers captured the conference championship double. Harms also earned CSC second-team Academic All-America honors.
Goalkeeping played a key role in Indiana’s 2022 run to the NCAA College Cup. With Harms in front of goal, IU became the seventh team in NCAA Division-I men’s soccer history to advance to the national championship match without conceding a goal in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers would finish No. 2 nationally with a 14-5-6 record, and its nine shutouts ranked tied for 11th.
Hoosier goalkeepers combined for 13 shutouts during the 2021 season, which tied for the most in NCAA Division I. In October, IU went on a run of seven straight clean sheets to mark the second longest single-season shutout streak in program history. Celentano finished third in the nation with 11 individual clean sheets over 22 matches, and his 73 saves were the most by an IU keeper since Luis Soffner in 2012.
Celentano was dominant in goal during the 2020-21 season, earning his first All-America and Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year honors. The sophomore conceded just six goals in 1,490:42 for a 0.362 goals against average and tied for second in NCAA Division-I with nine shutouts. Lomeli helped lead Indiana to its third consecutive Big Ten Championship double and to the NCAA College Cup final. The Hoosiers finished the abbreviated season with a 12-2-2 record and as the No. 2 ranked team in the country.
Lomeli and the IU coaches were named the United Soccer Coaches Men’s North Region Staff of the Year in 2019 after the Hoosiers repeated their Big Ten Championship double. IU finished No. 5 in the nation with an overall record of 15-3-4 after ending the season in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16. IU tied for sixth in the nation with 11 clean sheets in 22 matches.
“We are excited to have Christian join our staff after finishing his undergraduate degree in 2018,” Yeagley remarked at the time of the hiring. “Christian’s primary responsibility will be training our goalkeepers. As a past goalkeeper at IU, Christian understands the importance and great culture we have within our keeper group. Christian has learned from some of the best goalkeeper coaches in the country after finishing up his career at IU and Indy Eleven. He is a young, bright star in the coaching profession.”
Along with his duties in 2018 with IU as an undergraduate assistant coach, Lomeli served as the head coach of the Alliance Soccer Club and helped the team reach the Indiana Presidents Cup State final. He also served as the Director of Goalkeeping at the Carmel Football Club from 2016-17.
During his collegiate playing career, Lomeli played two seasons at IUPUI and two with the Hoosiers. In 2016 at IU, Lomeli started all seven matches he played, posting a 0.53 goals-against average while making 16 saves.
Over seven seasons, Lomeli has helped lead the Hoosiers to three NCAA College Cup appearances (2018, 2020, 2022), five Big Ten regular season championships (2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2023, 2024) and four Big Ten Tournament titles (2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2023). Indiana owns a 102-28-24 record (.740) with Lomeli on staff, and the Hoosiers have reached the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 each season.
In six of the seven seasons that Lomeli has guided the IU goalkeeper union, Indiana has ranked top 11 nationally in shutouts. IU finished tied for first with 13 clean sheets in 2021 and second with 10 shutouts in the 2020-21 season (16 matches).
Under Lomeli’s guidance, Roman Celentano became the first player ever to win Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year twice, doing so in the 2020-21 and 2021 seasons. Following the 2021 campaign, FC Cincinnati selected Celentano with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Celentano became the third keeper ever drafted No. 2 or higher, joining Andre Blake and Brad Guzan. At IU, Celentano was a two-time All-American with a 37-10-5 record while allowing just 33 goals in 52 matches.
Celentano has gone on to great success in Major League Soccer with FC Cincinnati, becoming only the second keeper in league history to win at least 10 games in each of his first four MLS seasons. In 2023, Celentano was a finalist for Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and won MLS Save of the Year for his leaping stop that preserved a 3-2 result versus rival Columbus Crew.
JT Harms, now in the FC Dallas organization, handled Indiana’s keeper position for three seasons following Celentano’s departure. Over those three seasons, he helped the Hoosiers hold opponents to 61 goals in his 63 games played, keeping a 0.97 goals against average. He was credited with 18 clean sheets and 165 saves, ranking No. 12 in program history, and besting Celentano’s 162 career saves. Harms also captained the 2023 and 2024 teams.
As a fifth-year senior in 2024, Harms repeated as second-team All-Big Ten selection and elevated to College Sports Communicators first-team Academic All-America status. Indiana returned to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 without conceding multiple goals in any of its final nine matches. In Big Ten play, Harms led the league in victories (7) and goals against average (1.00) – among keepers that started at least half their team’s games – as IU won its last five conference matches to win a share of the Big Ten regular season crown for the second season in a row.
Harms and the Hoosiers kept nine clean sheets in 2023, the Big Ten’s best mark and tied for 10th nationally, while boasting a 0.78 goals against average. The senior led NCAA goalkeepers with 2,183 minutes played, starting all 24 matches as IU came a penalty shootout short of another NCAA College Cup. In Big Ten play, Harms finished No. 2 in goals against average (0.88) as the Hoosiers captured the conference championship double. Harms also earned CSC second-team Academic All-America honors.
Goalkeeping played a key role in Indiana’s 2022 run to the NCAA College Cup. With Harms in front of goal, IU became the seventh team in NCAA Division-I men’s soccer history to advance to the national championship match without conceding a goal in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers would finish No. 2 nationally with a 14-5-6 record, and its nine shutouts ranked tied for 11th.
Hoosier goalkeepers combined for 13 shutouts during the 2021 season, which tied for the most in NCAA Division I. In October, IU went on a run of seven straight clean sheets to mark the second longest single-season shutout streak in program history. Celentano finished third in the nation with 11 individual clean sheets over 22 matches, and his 73 saves were the most by an IU keeper since Luis Soffner in 2012.
Celentano was dominant in goal during the 2020-21 season, earning his first All-America and Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year honors. The sophomore conceded just six goals in 1,490:42 for a 0.362 goals against average and tied for second in NCAA Division-I with nine shutouts. Lomeli helped lead Indiana to its third consecutive Big Ten Championship double and to the NCAA College Cup final. The Hoosiers finished the abbreviated season with a 12-2-2 record and as the No. 2 ranked team in the country.
Lomeli and the IU coaches were named the United Soccer Coaches Men’s North Region Staff of the Year in 2019 after the Hoosiers repeated their Big Ten Championship double. IU finished No. 5 in the nation with an overall record of 15-3-4 after ending the season in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16. IU tied for sixth in the nation with 11 clean sheets in 22 matches.
“We are excited to have Christian join our staff after finishing his undergraduate degree in 2018,” Yeagley remarked at the time of the hiring. “Christian’s primary responsibility will be training our goalkeepers. As a past goalkeeper at IU, Christian understands the importance and great culture we have within our keeper group. Christian has learned from some of the best goalkeeper coaches in the country after finishing up his career at IU and Indy Eleven. He is a young, bright star in the coaching profession.”
Along with his duties in 2018 with IU as an undergraduate assistant coach, Lomeli served as the head coach of the Alliance Soccer Club and helped the team reach the Indiana Presidents Cup State final. He also served as the Director of Goalkeeping at the Carmel Football Club from 2016-17.
During his collegiate playing career, Lomeli played two seasons at IUPUI and two with the Hoosiers. In 2016 at IU, Lomeli started all seven matches he played, posting a 0.53 goals-against average while making 16 saves.
Darian DeVries Press Conference
Wednesday, October 01
Teri Moren Press Conference - 2025 Media Day
Tuesday, September 30
FB: Fernando Mendoza & Elijah Sarratt - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Sunday, September 28
FB: Pat Coogan - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Sunday, September 28
