FLORENCE, Ala. (April 6, 2026) – A cornerstone of North Alabama's Division I era is returning to the program.
On Monday, UNA head coach Tony Pujol announced the addition of former student-athlete Will Soucie to the coaching staff where he will focus on coaching and player development. Soucie begins his new role immediately.
Soucie has played in more Division I games than any other Lion with 151 appearances over five seasons. He began his career in 2020-21 and went on to set the Division I career games record in 2023-24.
Soucie returned for a fifth-year in 2024-25 and led UNA to an unprecedented season that included a 24-11 record, an Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship and the school's first invite to the NIT. This capped off a five-year run for UNA that also included two appearances in the ASUN Championship Final and the program's first Division I postseason appearance in the CBI.
"Will Soucie embodies everything our program stands for," said Pujol. "As one of the players who helped lay the foundation during our transition to Division I at University of North Alabama, he was instrumental in establishing the culture and toughness that continues to drive us today. Will was a vocal leader who wasn't afraid to hold himself and his teammates accountable, and he backed it up every day with the way he competed on the court. We're excited to welcome him back home and know his passion for this program and his leadership will have an immediate impact on our student-athletes."
Originally from Califon, New Jersey, Soucie moved to Florence in 2020 to play for Pujol and his staff. He played in 21 games as a rookie, including three starts. He played in all 30 games as a sophomore with nine starts, averaging 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He became a full-time starter his junior season, starting all 33 games with 8.0 PPG.
Showing improvement every year, Soucie's final two seasons were his best. He played in all 32 games with 27 starts in 2023-24, averaging 7.1 PPG overall and 9.0 PPG in ASUN play. He started all 35 games as a senior on the regular season championship team, scoring 10.4 PPG and reaching double digit scoring figures 20 times. He achieved career-highs in scoring, rebounding and free throw shooting as a fifth-year senior.
For his career, Soucie finished with 1,124 points to rank 21st on the all-time career scoring list at UNA. He scored his 1,000th point in a home win over Central Arkansas that season, joining Jacari Lane and Daniel Ortiz as three active players on the 1,000 point list. They were the first trio to play together as 1,000 point scorers at UNA since 1971.
Soucie rounds out a coaching staff that includes long-time associate head coach Ahmad Smith, second year assistant coach Andrew Steele and the recently-hired Drew Stutts, who was announced Thursday. Jalen Patton also returns as the Director of Basketball Operations.
"I am incredibly grateful and honored to return to the University of North Alabama as an assistant coach for the men's basketball program," said Soucie. "I want to sincerely thank Dr. (Josh) Looney, Coach (Tony) Pujol, and Coach (Ahmad) Smith for the opportunity to come back home and be part of this special program once again. The five seasons I spent at UNA as a student athlete truly changed my life. During that time, I became part of a basketball program, university and community that grew into my family and home. The memories, experiences and relationships I built in Florence are things I will cherish for the rest of my life and am thankful to be reconnected with.
"To return now as a coach is more than a blessing —it's an incredible opportunity to represent the Lions once again and give back to a place that means so much to me. I am fired up to be working every day to help continue the growth of our men's basketball program, bringing more championships to the university we all love while creating lasting memories for our student athletes and community. I'm truly thankful to be back home and proud to represent the Lions for another great run. Roar Lions!"
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
