| George Kuntz |
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George Kuntz is in 14th season as the men's head soccer coach at UC Irvine and has been a NCAA collegiate head coach for 20 years. He has been named NSCAA/adidas Far West Region Coach of the Year in two of the past three seasons (2006 & 2008).
Kuntz led the 2008 Anteaters to their first ever Big West championship with a 5-1-4 record, theirfirst Big West Tournament title and first trip to the NCAA Tournament. In the NCAA tournament he guided the team to the Round of 16 after earning the No. 14 national seed to start the tourney. Kuntz was named Big West Conference Coach of the Year. The 2008 squad had four players earn All-American honors. The 'Eaters were ranked as high as 7th nationally at the end of the regular season and concluded with a school best 15-2-6 record.
During the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons the UC Irvine Men's team has been ranked in the top 25 in the nation by the NSCAA during the regular season. At UC Irvine, he has produced close to 80 players that have been named all-conference and close to100 were honored as scholar athletes recognized for their academic achievement. In 2007 four UCI players were selected by Major League Soccer. His teams have broken most of the records at UC Irvine for wins and it's first ever post season berth and NCAA Tournament berth for men's soccer.
Kuntz came to UCI from Pepperdine where he was the first women's soccer head coach; recording a 23-11-2 record in the first two seasons of the program's existence. Kuntz began his collegiate coaching career at California Lutheran University in 1988 and compiled a five-year record of 60-27-10 (.670). The Kingsmen won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles in 1991 and 1992 and advanced to the NCAA Far West Regional title game. In 1989 founded the women's soccer program at California Lutheran University and recorded a 51-24-1 (.678) record from 1989-1992. California Lutheran's women's team was ranked No. 1 in the Far West region and No. 3 in the nation in 1992 with a 17-4 record. Kuntz led the team to SCIAC championships in 1991 and 1992. The team went to the NCAA Far West final in 1992.
Kuntz has coached four National Championship teams in the Donnelly Cup since being named the California Soccer Association Head Coach for both the men and women. The California State Select Men's Team won National Championships in 2003, 2004 and 2005. His women's California State Select won the national title in 2006, the regional title in 2004 and, participated in the National Final Four in 2005. Kuntz is a 1989 graduate of Arizona State University and holds a bachelor's degree in communication arts. He graduated with a Master's degree in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction from California Lutheran University. He holds a United States Soccer Federation "A" license, National Youth License, and the National Soccer Coaches Association Advanced National Diploma. Kuntz is a member of the NSCAA National Ranking Committee and has been the Technical Director and Director of Coaches Education for the Hawaii Youth Soccer Association for seven years. He served as the Director of Coaching for the California Youth Soccer Association - South for eight years and was the catalyst for mandatory licensing for youth soccer coaches in the United States. He was named 1995 CYSA - South Boy's Coach of the Year. Kuntz was also director of the Olympic Development Program from 1992-96. The Federation International Football Association (FIFA) hired him as an Assistant Technical Advisor in 1994 for the World Cup. Kuntz played at Westmont College, San Diego Mesa College, and Scottsdale College during his collegiate years and was drafted by the Phoenix Fire of the American Professional Soccer League.
Awards/Honors
2008 - National Soccer Coaches Association of America Far West Coach of the Year (NCAA DI Men)
2008 - Big West Conference - Coach of the Year - (NCAA DI Men)
2006 - National Soccer Coaches Association of America Far West Coach of the Year (NCAA DI Men)
2006 - Big West Conference - Coach of the Year - (NCAA DI Men)
2006 - Inducted into the California Lutheran University - Hall of Fame (Men's and Women's Soccer)
2005, 2004, 2003 - Big West Conference (UC Irvine) Sportsmanship Award (team)
2004 - The Outstanding Supporter of Prevention Award, Irvine Prevention Coalition - Community Service
2001 - Big West Conference - Coach of the Year - (NCAA DI Men)
2000 - Mountain Pacific Sports Federation - Pacific Division Coach of the Year - (NCAA DI Men)
1995 - California Youth Soccer Association - South - Coach of the Year (Boy's)
1992 - National Soccer Coaches Association Far West Coach of the Year, (NCAA Women)
1991 - National Soccer Coaches Association Far West Coach of the Year, (NCAA Men)
1988 - NAIA District III Coach of the Year, (Men)
Coaching Career:
Head Men's Coach, University of California, Irvine 1994 - Present
Head Women's Coach, Pepperdine University 1993-1994;
Head Men's Coach, California Lutheran University, 1988-1992;
Head Women's Coach, California Lutheran University 1989-92.
| Men's Coaching Record Year-by-Year |
| Year |
School |
Record |
| 1988 |
Cal Lutheran |
6-6-3 |
| 1989 |
Cal Lutheran |
11-7-1 |
| 1990 |
Cal Lutheran |
14-4-3 |
| 1991 |
Cal Lutheran |
14-5-1 |
| 1992 |
Cal Lutheran |
14-5-2 |
| Overall Record at Cal Lutheran: 60-27-10 |
| 1995 |
UC Irvine |
3-15-2 |
| 1996 |
UC Irvine |
7-7-5 |
| 1997 |
UC Irvine |
6-10-4 |
| 1998 |
UC Irvine |
8-12-0 |
| 1999 |
UC Irvine |
8-11-1 |
| 2000 |
UC Irvine |
12-8-1 |
| 2001 |
UC Irvine |
10-4-6 |
| 2002 |
UC Irvine |
8-8-4 |
| 2003 |
UC Irvine |
6-11-3 |
| 2004 |
UC Irvine |
7-13 |
| 2005 |
UC Irvine |
11-6-3 |
| 2006 |
UC Irvine |
13-4-3 |
| 2007 |
UC Irvine |
6-9-5 |
| 2008 |
UC Irvine |
15-2-6 |
| Overall Record at UC Irvine: 120-120-43 |
| Overall Men's Coaching Record: 180-147-53 |
| Women's Coaching Record Year-by-Year |
| Year |
School |
Record |
| 1989 |
Cal Lutheran |
5-12-1 |
| 1990 |
Cal Lutheran |
12-5-1 |
| 1991 |
Cal Lutheran |
17-4-0 |
| 1992 |
Cal Lutheran |
17-4-0 |
| Overall Record at Cal Lutheran: 51-25-2 |
| 1993 |
Pepperdine |
13-4-0 |
| 1994 |
Pepperdine |
10-7-2 |
| Overall Record at Pepperdine: 23-10-2 |
| Overall Women's Coaching Record: 74-36-3 |
| Overall Coaching Record: 254-184-56 |
