Camp Staff
Johnny Torres
Academy Director, Head Men's Coach - Creighton University
A two-time National Player of the Year and Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame selection, Johnny Torres played an integral role in lifting Creighton to its first College Cup in 1996. Torres brought things full circle for Bluejay nation in 2022 guiding Creighton to its sixth College Cup, but its first since 2012.
Not only did Torres reach the College Cup, he molded Omaha native Duncan McGuire into Creighton’s second MAC Hermann Trophy winner, joining Torres who won the honor in 1997 (at the time the Hermann Award and MAC (Missouri Athletic Club gave separate National Player of the Year awards).
The 2023 season will be Torres’ fifth season as the head coach of his alma mater.
Arguably the greatest soccer player in Creighton and Missouri Valley Conference history, Torres competed for the Bluejays from 1994-97 and played professional soccer for over 10 years. Torres spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach on the Bluejay coaching staff before being promoted to head coach in November of 2018.
A member of the 2018 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, Torres helped Creighton claim the conference regular-season title with a 7-1-1 mark in BIG EAST action and an 11-4-3 record. A total of five players were selected to the All-BIG EAST teams, and both Sven Koenig (Offensive Player of the Year) and Joel Rydstrand (Midfielder of the Year) garnered major awards.
Torres helped lead the Bluejays to the most wins in Division I (19) during the 2015 season as Creighton had four players selected in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. The Bluejays started the season 15-0-0, the program’s best start since 1993, and finished the year with the third-best offense in Division I.
With the 2014 BIG EAST Co-Coaching Staff of the Year, Torres helped lead the Bluejays to the nation’s best winning percentage at 16-3-3 (.795). Creighton won its first BIG EAST regular season title with a 7-1-1 mark and advanced to its third NCAA quarterfinal appearance in four seasons.
In 2013, he aided the Bluejays through their inaugural season in the BIG EAST Conference. Creighton finished the season with a 9-9-2 overall record and a 4-4-1 mark in league play. Seven Bluejays claimed spots on 2013 All-BIG EAST Teams. Eric Miller and Zach Barnes claimed NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region honors and later were drafted in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.
He claimed the National Assistant Coach of the Year honor from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in January 2012. He was also named the NSCAA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year after the 2011 and 2012 seasons and Great Lakes Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2015.
He helped direct the Bluejays to a 17-4-3 record and their second consecutive appearance in a College Cup in 2012. Creighton won the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles for a second straight season. Along the way, the Bluejays tied the MVC record for the fewest goals allowed (1) in a Valley season set by CU in 2011. CU entered the 2012 College Cup on a 14-match unbeaten streak before falling 1-0 to eventual national champion Indiana in a semifinal.
Three times in Torres’ first five seasons on the Bluejay bench, the Creighton men’s soccer staff was honored as the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, earning the nod in 2008, 2010 and 2011. His roles on the coaching staff included scouting, recruiting and training. He also played a major role in working with student-athletes on service projects in the Omaha area.
Active in the community throughout his collegiate and professional playing days, Torres was tabbed the Children’s Miracle Network National “Hometown Hero” in 1996. A native of Medellin, Colombia, he was honored by the Omaha City Council with “Johnny Torres Day” on Oct. 27, 1996 for his community service and his soccer skills as well as in recognition of earning U.S. Citizenship just days before.
Torres was named to the MVC All-Centennial Team in 2006 and in 2011 he became the first men’s soccer player inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame. In 1997, he won both the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Award (prior to the combination of the awards), recognizing him as the National Player of the Year. In 1996, he earned National Player of the Year honors from Soccer America after leading the Bluejays to their first College Cup appearance. When his career ended, he was the Valley’s all-time scoring (128 points) and assists (36) leader.
He was the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1998 Major League Soccer (MLS) Draft by the New England Revolution, and played for the Revolution for four seasons. He also played for the Miami Fusion and Chicago Fire, before continuing his career in the USL for the Minnesota Thunder and the Milwaukee Wave United, before moving to indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave. In 2010, Torres returned to the professional ranks as a player, leading the Omaha Vipers of the Major Indoor Soccer League in goals scored. In 2009, he played on the United States Adult Soccer Association Over 30 championship team – Nebraska 402 – which qualified and participated in the U.S. Open Cup in 2009.
Torres returned to the Creighton campus in the fall of 2007 to complete his undergraduate degree while serving as the Bluejays’ undergraduate manager. After receiving the NCAA Degree Completion Award, he earned his degree in social work from Creighton in the spring of 2008.
The 2004 Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and two-time First Team All-American selection has two sons, Dominic and Javi, and two daughters, Perla and Isla. Torres married Sara Heck in 2013.
Michael Gabb
Camp Coach, Assistant Men's Coach - Creighton University
Former Bluejay goalkeeper Michael Gabb enters his seventh season as Creighton’s goalkeeping coach. Gabb returned to Omaha to take over as an assistant prior to the 2016 season.
The Omaha native helped the Bluejays post a 1.23 goals against average during the 2021 season as the Bluejays returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. Goalkeeper Paul Kruse collected his second All-BIG EAST accolade, earning Third Team recognition.
Gabb guided Creighton’s goalkeepers to a 1.23 goals against average as Paul Kruse and Collin Valdivia split time in goal during 2019. Kruse posted 42 saves in 10 matches, while Valdivia recorded two shutouts and 22 saves during eight contests.
The 2002 graduate helped guide Kruse to 2018 All-BIG EAST Second Team honors and unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team. Kruse posted a 0.64 goals against average, the fifth-best mark in program history and second-best by a freshman (0.51 by Brian Holt in 2008).
The 2017 Bluejay squad posted seven shutouts and held opponents to one goal or less a total of 10 times.
Gabb helped Alex Kapp earn NSCAA All-America and BIG EAST Co-Goalkeeper of the Year honors following the 2016 season as the senior transfer tallied seven shutouts and a 0.84 goals against average during his only season at Creighton. Atlanta United FC drafted Kapp during the fourth round of the 2017 MLS Draft.
As a player, Gabb spent five seasons with the Bluejays from 1998-2002 while playing for Bret Simon (1998-2000) and Bob Warming (2001-02). In 2007, he returned to his alma mater and spent one season as an assistant under Warming.
Prior to returning to Creighton, Gabb served as the director of goalkeeping at the Colorado Rush Soccer Club for five years, and spent two seasons as the goalkeepers coach for Metropolitan State University in Denver. He helped guide the Roadrunners to a 13-4-2 record and 1.12 goals against average in 2015.
He also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Winthrop University in 2005-06. Additionally, he served as Director of Coaching at the Discoveries Soccer Club while attending school in Rock Hill, S.C.
Gabb earned his master’s in business and leadership from Winthrop in 2007. He also served as an assistant coach at Bellevue University and as the supervisor of the Millard Soccer Center, the Arsenal Soccer Club goalkeeping director and founded and directed the Nebraska Goalkeeping Academy.
During his collegiate playing career, Gabb helped lead the Bluejays to the College Cup twice, including the 2000 College Cup Final. In 2000, he set school records with 2,279 minutes in goal and 21 victories, while playing for Simon. The Bluejays won a program-best 22 matches during the 2000 season.
As a senior (2002), Gabb played every minute in goal to lead Creighton to its second College Cup appearance in three seasons. He earned Second Team All-MVC honors after accumulating a 0.96 goals against average and an 18-4-2 record.
Gabb owns the fourth-most wins (41) all-time as a Creighton goalkeeper and the second-best winning percentage (.802).
The Bluejays won three Missouri Valley Conference tournament championships and made it to the NCAA Tournament each season during his time as a player.
Following graduation from Creighton in 2002, Gabb played professionally with the Syracuse Salty Dogs in the United Soccer League for one season.
Gabb earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in business from Creighton in 2002. Gabb and his wife Bethany have three children, Jackson, Asher and Gage.
Mitch Kavanagh
Assistant Coach/Technical Director
Camp Coach
Mitch Kavanagh begins his fifth season on the Bluejay staff, earning a promotion to the role of assistant coach prior to the 2023 campaign. An important member of the staff, Kavanagh was critical to helping Creighton reach the sixth College Cup in program history in 2022.
Mitch was a part of the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year in 2018 as the Bluejays claimed their first BIG EAST regular-season title since 2014.
Before coming to Creighton, Kavanagh spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Bellevue University. He also played for the Bruins in 2012 and 2013. Kavanagh earned First Team All-Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference honors in 2012 and appeared in 31 games during his career as a defender, scoring one goal and adding two assists.
Kavanagh also remains involved with Gretna Elite Academy.
“He brings a wealth of experience,” said Torres. “The players can relate to him in that he’s not too far removed from the actual playing days. He’s coached at a youth level and he’s coached at a collegiate level, which are two advantages to having him around and to bridge the gap between the head coach and the current student-athletes. The players respect and trust him, and so do we as staff, so we’re delighted that we were able to get him onboard.”
Kavanagh is excited to move into his newly-created role. “I’m really happy to come into a full-time environment here at Creighton. We’ve had some really successful seasons and I’m looking forward to doing more to push that on. I’m very thankful to the department, to Johnny and to Marcus Blossom for allowing this position to happen and put me in it.”
Scott Bankers
Assistant Coach, Athletic Performance (MSOC, WSOC, MG)
Scott Bankers is in his sixth year at Creighton as Assistant Director of Athletic Performance after starting in July of 2016. He is in charge of men's and women's soccer and softball, while also overseeing the department's internship program.
During 2015-16, Bankers was the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of California San Diego, where he was in charge of men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's water polo, women's rowing, men's golf and men's tennis.
During the summer of 2015, Scott interned at the University of Denver under the tutelage of Matt Shaw, where he worked with men's hockey, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, women's diving and men's golf. Additionally, he worked with professional hockey players from the NHL, AHL and ECHL.
Bankers previously interned under Brad Schmidt and Dan Bailey at Creighton University during the 2014-15 year, where he assisted with all 14 of CU's sport teams.
Bankers earned his Master's Degree in Sport Science from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland in 2014 and is also a 2012 Creighton alum, having majored in exercise science.
James Benzel
Assistant Athletic Trainer (MSOC and MTN)
James Benzel came to Creighton in July of 2022 after 8 years at Virginia Commonwealth University. An Omaha native, James will serve as the primary athletic trainer for both the men’s soccer and men's tennis programs.
Prior to coming to Creighton, James served as the Assistant Director of Sports Medicine and primary athletic trainer for the men’s soccer and tennis programs at VCU. He also served as the primary athletic trainer for men’s soccer at the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2013.
Benzel earned a Master of Science degree in exercise science at Florida Atlantic University in 2013. He is a graduate Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training (2011).
James is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), the Collegiate Athletic Trainers Society, and the Soccer Athletic Trainers Society. James is certified as an instructor through the American Red Cross, the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Corrective Exercise Specialist and FMS.
James lives in Omaha with his wife Gabriela and his two daughters, Talia and Sadia.
Nico Luque
Assistant Coach
Luque came to Creighton after spending the 2023 season with the Greenville Triumph (USL League 1). He also brings 10 years of collegiate experience with stops at UMass Lowell (2022), USC Upstate (2017-22) and Concordia (2014-17).
“I’ve known Nico for many years, as he has studied, competed, and worked in Nebraska. He brings a wealth of expertise in recruiting, scouting, and building meaningful connections with players and staff not only on a professional level, but also on a personal level,” said head coach Johnny Torres. “He is someone I trust, and we look forward to adding him to our storied program and our continued journey of success. We are thrilled to welcome Nico back to Omaha.”
“Over the past 14 years that I’ve been in the United States, Creighton has been one of the programs to set a standard of excellence in Men’s Soccer,” said Luque. “It has been a goal of mine to become a part of the Bluejay history and I want to thank Coach Torres and the coaching staff for the confidence and trust to bring me into the fold.
The recruiting coordinator at UMass Lowell and USC Upstate for three seasons, Luque will assume that position at Creighton. During his tenure at USC Upstate, Luque helped the Spartans climb as high as 46 in the RPI, including a 6-1-1 record in Big South play during the 2020 season. The Spartans went on to reach the Big South Tournament Finals, falling to High Point. He helped develop 11 Big South All-Conference selections and was part of the Big South Coaching Staff of the Year in 2020.
Luque received his Bachelor of Science in psychology from Southern Wesleyan with a minor in coaching. He later received his MBA with an emphasis in leadership from Concordia in 2016, as well as a Master of Science in athletic administration with an emphasis in collegiate athletics in 2017.
Luque has his USSF A License and NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.