David Groves became the third head coach in Grand View University men’s soccer history on April 18, 2022.
Groves led the Vikings to a historic breakthrough during the 2025 season, guiding Grand View to its first-ever NAIA National Championship. Picked to finish second from the bottom in the conference preseason poll and entering the NAIA National Tournament unseeded, the Vikings authored one of the most remarkable postseason runs in championship history. Grand View defeated #16 Indiana Wesleyan (1–0), #1 Bethel (1–0), #9 Georgia Gwinnett (2–0), #12 Cumberlands (1–0), and #11 West Virginia Tech (2–1) en route to the national title.
The championship season was highlighted by numerous individual honors. Kevin Ventura earned NAIA Player of the Year and NAIA National Tournament MVP honors, while Luis Helm was named NAIA Defensive Player of the Year. Ventura, Helm, and Justin Figaroa were selected as NAIA All-Americans, with Ventura, Helm, Figaroa, and Pietro Piacenza earning All-Tournament recognition. Additionally, Ventura, Helm, Figaroa, Payton Chapman, and Nacho Gonzalez were named All-Conference selections.
Since taking over the program, Groves has compiled a 43-25-12 overall record. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, he serves on the NAIA National Tournament Committee and the Heart of America Raters Committee. Grand View competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, widely regarded as the NAIA’s most competitive league and a conference that has captured five of the last eight national championships.
Prior to his arrival at Grand View, Groves coached at the NAIA level at Lyon College, where he led the Scots to a 48-23-4 overall record and a dominant 28-7-2 mark in the American Midwest Conference. Under his leadership, Lyon qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in two of his four seasons and advanced to the AMC Tournament Championship match three times, capturing both the conference tournament and regular-season titles in 2021. Groves coached five All-Americans during his tenure—after the program had produced just one in its history prior to his arrival—and was named AMC Coach of the Year in 2021.
Before Lyon College, Groves served as head coach at Northeastern Junior College, guiding the Plainsmen to a 22-14-3 overall record over two seasons. In 2017, he led NJC to the regional championship match and earned Region Coach of the Year honors. The program had posted a 10-54-1 record prior to his arrival.
Groves began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I powerhouse Western Michigan University, where the Broncos compiled a 19-11-8 overall record during his tenure.
Overall, Groves owns a 113-62-19 record as a collegiate head coach. He holds both a Master of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Western Michigan University.
