2024: Buchanan's team finished with an 11-8-3 record, with key wins over Indiana University NW, Pensacola Christian College, Kentucky Christian University, and Campbellsville-Harrodsburg. The Tigers went 4-1-2 against regional opponents and made a clean sweep of the regional tournament, sending them to the National Tournament for the 6th straight season. At Nationals, the team won their first game against Kansas Christian, but would eventually lose to Randall University and Bob Jones to knock them out and end another solid season. Seniors Nate Davis and Camden Bierling both received All-American honors, while Davis was also named the Kyle Rote Jr player of the year, which is one of the highest accolades in the NCCAA.
2023: Buchanan's team finished with an 7-8-5 record, while going 3-0-2 against regional opponents. The Tigers beat Great Lakes Christian and Maranatha Baptist to win the regional tournament, sending them to the National Tournament for the 5th straight season. In the National Tournament, the Tigers would be able to tie their first game, but then lost to #1 seed Pensacola Christian to get knocked out of the tournament. Postseason honors for the team included three players on first team All-American, Luis Vicario, Nate Davis and Camden Bierling. Coach Buchanan earned the Midwest Region Coach of the Year award. Vicario and Beirling were both voted top player at their positions in NCCAA DII by the United Soccer Coaches Association.
2022: The Tigers finished with one of their best seasons to date, going 16-4-2 with a runner-up finish nationally, losing to Bob Jones in the final. A few standout wins from the season include a 4-0 win at Adrian College, a 2-1 win against Manchester University, and a 4-0 win against Kansas Christian in the National Tournament. Grace finished with a tremendous +80 goal differential on the year, scoring 99 and only allowing 19. Goalkeeper Luis Vicario set a new program records for shutouts in a single season with 14. The Tigers placed 3 players on the NCCAA All-American First Team; Luis Vicario, Camden Bierling and Zak Termeer. Jared Farnsworth also received 2nd team honors.
2021: Grace capped off 2021 with a solid 12-7 record. Grace lost in the Regional Tournament to Boyce College in an upset despite beating them 6-0 and 8-2 in the regular season, yet still received an at-large bid to Nationals with a strong seeding due to their quality of wins. This marked the 3rd straight season making the National Tournament. In the National Tournament, Grace fell to North Central University and Randall University. The Tigers placed two on the All-American First Team; Dylan DeVries and Zak Termeer.
2020: The Tigers finished the year 9-3 with another regional title and their 2nd straight National Tournament appearance. Grace beat Johnson University twice to win the Regional, giving them an opening national matchup with Moody Bible Institute. Grace took down Moody 4-1 to set them up with Pensacola Christian College, who would eventually end the Tigers' year in a 1-3 loss. Grace placed four athletes on the All-American list.
2019: Grace posted a strong 16-5 record in 2019, also going 8-1 against NCCAA competition. The Tigers beat Appalachian Bible College and Johnson University in the Regional Tournament to earn their first trip to Nationals since 2016. In the National Tournament, Grace would win a game and lose a game, earning them a 4th place finish in the NCCAA; their top performance in program history to that point. Grace posted three NCCAA All-Americans in 2019.
Coach Buchanan took over the program in 2007 and has earned the most wins in Grace Soccer history. He has been named Regional Coach Of the Year seven times (2010, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023). He has had players recognized 18 times for 1st Team All-American, 9 times 2nd Team All-American, 28 times players have received Academic All-American, 3 Kyle Rote Jr. Award Winners (NCCAA Most Prestegious Award) and 48 times players have been named to All-Region 1st Teams. He has had several former players and coaches go on to coach at high levels of club, high school, collegiate, and professionally. Coach Buchanan has led the Tigers to 6 Regional Championships with National Championship finishes of 6th place, 5th place, 2x 4th place, 3rd place and National Runner Up in 2022 with a 16-4-2 record. Buchanan's teams have also broken almost every single GCU record over the years, including most goals in a season in 2019 with 108, and most assists in a season also in 2019 with 74, single season shutouts with 14 in 2022, goals against average of 0.86 also in 2022.
In 2019, Coach Buchanan was inducted into the Grace Christian University Athletics Hall of Fame. His teams have gained national recognition by the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA) with the Layton Shoemaker Sportsmanship Award. This marks the fourth time Coach Buchanan and GCU have won this prestigious award, doing so 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Coach Buchanan, a Wayland Union High School graduate, graduated from Grace Christian with his degree in Human Services. He represented the Tigers on the pitch after transferring in and played in seasons 2002, 2004, and 2005. During this time he was a 2x team captain, and named twice to the NCCAA All-Region Team. He is fourth on the GCU all time scoring list having notched 45 goals in three years. He also holds the single game scoring record scoring 6 goals against Finlandia University in 2005.
Coach Buchanan and his wife Lindsey, have three children, Liam, Declan, and Brielle, and a dog, Myla.
