Rich Manning - Soccer Coach - University of Utah Athletics

Rich Manning

Title:
Women's Soccer Head Coach
Email:
rmanning@huntsman.utah.edu
Phone:
801-587-9478

Rich Manning's Career Coaching Record
Year    Overall        Pct.    MWC/P12     Finish   Postseason
2002    13-4-3        .725     4-1-1       2nd      NCAA Second Round
2003    16-2-2        .850     6-0-0       1st      NCAA First Round
2004    13-6-3        .659     3-2-1       4th      NCAA First Round
2005    14-7-1        .649     6-0-1       1st      NCAA First Round
2006    16-5-1        .750     7-0-0       1st      NCAA Second Round
2007    12-5-4        .667     3-2-2       5th      MWC Semifinals
2008    11-9-2        .545     5-2-0       2nd      MWC Finals
2009    10-10-2       .500     4-2-1       3rd      MWC Semifinals
2010    5-15-1        .262     3-3-1       4th      MWC Quarterfinals
2011    10-9-1        .525     6-5-0       5th      None
2012    8-8-3         .500     3-7-1       9th      None
2013    10-5-6        .595     6-3-2       3rd      NCAA First Round
2014    8-8-4         .500     1-8-2       11th     None
2015    7-10-3        .425     4-7-0       9th      None
2016    13-4-5        .705     6-1-4       4th      NCAA Third Round
2017    5-11-3        .342     0-9-2       12th     None
2018    9-8-2         .526     4-4-1       4th      None
2019    8-9-4         .476     3-5-3       8th      NCAA First Round      
Total   188-135-50    .571     74-61-22

Rich Manning is in his 19th season as the Utah head women’s soccer coach. During his tenure, Manning has established Utah Women’s Soccer as an elite program in the west.

He has coached the Utes to an NCAA Tournament berth in eight of his years at the helm, most recently earning a berth in the 2019 NCAA Championships. Prior to joining the Pac-12, Manning directed Utah to three Mountain West Conference regular-season championships (2003, `05, `06) and a pair of league tournament titles (2003, `04).

Manning has mentored professional and international players at Utah. He has overseen the tutelage of All-American Adele Letro as well as 27 NSCAA All-Region players. During his tenure, Manning has coached 54 all-conference selections, 24 of which have been named to the first team. He has also coached three conference offensive players of the year, two defensive players of the year and three freshmen of the year.

In the classroom, Manning has led Utah to an NSCAA Team Academic Award every season since 2009 – the longest streak of any conference team. Utah has now earned 18 United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards, more than any other Pac-12 school. Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah women’s soccer has had 111 all-academic selections from the conference. Manning has also coached five NSCAA Scholar All-Americans and 18 All-Region honorees.

In 2016, Utah made its deepest postseason run in program history, making the NCAA Tournament Third Round before falling 1-0 to eventual national champion USC on its home field.

Utah Soccer finished No. 16 in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings, its highest ranking to close a season in over a decade. The Utes won 13 games, also their most since 2006 and accrued its highest point total since joining the Pac-12. Utah also featured a pair of NSCAA All-Region selections (Hailey Skolmoski and Tavia Leachman) and three All Pac-12 performers (Skolmoski, Leachman, Katie Rogers).

In 2013, the Utes notched their best finish since joining the Pac-12, placing third, and earning their sixth NCAA Tournament bid in the process. The Utes also went undefeated at home in 11 matches at Ute Field.

Defender Jenny Hutton, goalkeeper Linsey Luke and midfielder Katie Taylor were recognized nationally for their success on the field as they were named All-Pacific Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Hutton was also named a NSCAA Academic All-American, the first for the Utes since 2006.

Utah had four players receive postseason honors from the Pac-12 as Hutton and Luke were each named second team all-conference, junior Ashton Hall was an honorable mention selection and midfielder Katie Rigby was named to the all-freshman team.

Named Utah’s head coach in January of 2002, Manning has led the Utes to a 188-135-50 (.571) overall record, averaging 10 wins per year. Utah is also 74-61-22 against conference foes under Manning’s direction, posting a league win percentage of .541.

Manning captured his 100th career win as a head coach during the 2009 season, all of which have come at Utah, with a 2-0 victory over Princeton at Ute Field on Sept. 9. Earlier that year, before injuries took a severe toll on the team, the Utes climbed to their first national ranking since 2006 after shutting out No. 19 Santa Clara, 1-0, reaching as high as No. 21 in the national polls.

In 2008, Manning and the Utes took on a challenging schedule with one of his most youthful teams, featuring only two senior starters. After a slow beginning, Manning coached his team to an 11-9-2 record, winning six of their last seven regular-season games to finish second in the conference. The second seed in the MWC Tournament, Utah reached the finals after defeating TCU in the semis, avenging their regular-season loss in Fort Worth.

In 2006, Utah tied a school record for victories, finishing 16-5-1 giving Manning his third MWC Coach of the Year Award. Additionally, Adele Letro became Utah’s first player ever to be named an All-American. The Utes were the first MWC team ever to record seven league victories, winning the 2006 conference title with a perfect 7-0-0 mark. Utah did not allow a goal in conference play, setting school and MWC records. 2006 also marked the third time in four years that the Utes hosted opening-weekend games in the NCAA Tournament. Utah finished that season ranked in the top 25 in each of the major polls.

Manning kicked off his Utah tenure in historic fashion, directing the Utes to their first-ever win over a top-25 team with a 2-0 shutout of No. 3 Portland at Ute Field on Sept. 1, 2002. The following week, Utah vaulted into the national rankings for the first time. Utah finished 13-4-3 overall and 4-1-1 to place second in the MWC that year, as Manning earned MWC Coach of the Year in his inaugural season.

The Utes advanced to their first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2002, defeating archrival BYU 3-2 in overtime in the first round. Manning and the Utes set the tone as a program that would be tough to score against, ranking 29th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.29).

The program continued to flourish in 2003 when Utah tied its single-season wins mark with a 16-2-2 record as Manning was recognized as the NSCAA West Region Coach of the Year. The Utes finished the season in the Top 25 rankings for the first time, coming in at No. 24 in the final NSCAA poll. Utah’s defense ranked second in the NCAA in goals against average (0.436) and fifth in shutout percentage (0.65).

The Utes were unbeaten at home that year and also captured their first-ever outright league title with a 6-0 record. The Utes hosted the MWC Tournament for the first time, defeating BYU 2-0 in the championship game. Utah then hosted NCAA first and second round games at Ute Field--another program first.

In 2004, Utah went 13-6-3, won the MWC Tournament and earned another NCAA Tournament berth. The Utes recorded one of their most impressive road victories, winning at No. 7 UCLA.

A 14-7-1 record in 2005 saw the Utes claim the MWC regular-season title with a 6-0-1 mark as Manning earned MWC Coach of the Year honors once again. The U. began the season with six consecutive wins for the best start in school history and were once again one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking 24th in goals against average (.707).

Manning has worked with Region IV Olympic Development Program teams over the past six years. He has coached the Region IV U-18 and U-16 girls’ teams, which annually draw the top players from 13 western states.

Before assuming the top position at Utah, Manning was on the women’s coaching staff for four years at Santa Clara (1998-2001). He was an assistant coach for three years before being promoted to associate head coach. Manning helped direct the Broncos to four NCAA Tournament appearances, three NCAA College Cups (national semifinals) and the 2001 NCAA Championship. During his tenure, Santa Clara went 84-11-2 and won three West Coast Conference championships. Nine players Manning recruited and coached at Santa Clara made the U.S. National Team. Manning also coached two National Players of the Year, Mandy Clemens (1999) and Aly Wagner (2001).

Prior to joining the Santa Clara staff, Manning worked with numerous youth programs in Southern California. From 1994-97, he was head coach at Los Alamitos High School, where he produced two CIF championships and sent eight players to NCAA Division I programs. Manning took 1996 CIF Coach of the Year honors and was named the 1997 Orange County Coach of the Year.

Along with his success at Los Alamitos, Manning helped develop the S.C. Blues soccer club in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., into one of the nation’s top girls’ youth programs.

Manning played at Santa Clara from 1982-1986 under former U.S. National Team coaches Steve Sampson and Ralph Perez. As a senior, Manning was captain of the Broncos. He earned All-Far West accolades as a junior. Manning graduated from Santa Clara cum laude with a B.S. in mathematics in 1986, followed by a master’s in education from Azusa Pacific in 1996.

Manning married Susan Moynihan in January of 2009.