Bryan Cunningham: University of Central Florida Head Coach; Camp Director

Bryan Cunningham, 4th Season

When the first second ticked off the scoreboard at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1, few realized that in that moment began the best season in UCF men’s soccer history. What started that night in Orlando, ended 81 days later in Ann Arbor, Mich., with so many program firsts and records in between. The 2010 Knights may have surprised those on the national soccer scene, but they did not surprise themselves with their rise to prominence.

Finishing 2009 with a 6-7-3 record showed progress from the season before, but was just a stepping-stone for this year’s team. UCF’s six-win improvement to 12-5-3 this season was one of the best in the country and earned the team national rankings for much of the year. Its jump in the RPI from No. 159 at the end of last season to No. 33 this year is almost unheard of in college athletics. Few teams would even dream of moving up 126 spots in the RPI from one year to the next, but head coach Bryan Cunningham, his staff and all the players expected that kind of rise this fall. When it was all over, the Knights had three players on the All-Conference USA First Team and one on both the second and third teams, a feat not accomplished in any of the previous five seasons in the league. Add one more on the All-Freshman team and the Knights placed six players on all-conference teams. And they did all of this in front of record crowds at the UCF Soccer Complex, something that stands to continue to improve with the expansion and improvement of the venue this off-season. With an 8-1 mark at home this season with just three goals allowed and seven shutouts, including a 3-0 win over USF in the NCAA Tournament First Round, UCF won more games on its home field than any other team in the state of Florida. Back-to-back home shutouts over Jacksonville and Florida Atlantic to open the season set the stage for what the Knights would accomplish the rest of the way out. Nine goals in those first games from six different players laid the groundwork for what would be a complete team effort all season.

 After splitting a weekend tournament at UNC-Wilmington with the hosts and Long Island, the Knights traveled to the northeast for its second-straight weekend on the road. After a heartbreaking loss in the final minute at UMass, the Black and Gold made their way to West Point for a meeting with Army. There is always that one moment where a coach can pinpoint exactly when they knew their season turned. For Cunningham, that moment came at West Point with UCF Trailing Army 1-0 midway through the second half. All-C-USA First Team member Nik Robson stepped up and delivered the tying goal in the 71st minute, followed by freshman Christian Eissele’s first-career goal just seven minutes later for the game winner.

 The win propelled UCF on an unbeaten streak of nine games (7-0-2), a mark not reached by the program in 25 seasons. During that time, the Knights also began to break on the national scene, making their first appearance in program history in the top 25. A 2-1 overtime win at Marshall in the C-USA opener followed the Army game with Cameron Cooksey redirecting a Yaron Bacher corner into the back of the net in the 99th minute. The goal ended a five-game scoring drought for Cooksey, who scored twice in the season opener. With the schedule now into October, the Knights were faced with their biggest game of the season to-date, a meeting with No. 5 and previously unbeaten SMU at the UCF Soccer Complex. In front of a record crowd of nearly 1,100 fans, UCF’s defense stifled the SMU offense, holding them to just six shots in the game, and then took advantage midway through the second half. With the score tied at 1-1, junior Spencer Scott delivered arguably the most important goal in program history in the 66th minute to lead the Knights to the 2-1 win; the first in program history over a top 10 team. SMU would go on to finish the regular season No. 2 in the country with its only loss coming that night at UCF. Dominating play against SMU, the Knights out shot the Mustangs, 15-6. Building on that play, UCF went on to blank C-USA foes FIU (2-0) and Memphis (3-0) in its next two games to sweep the three-game home stand. On the road against both Kentucky and South Carolina, UCF fought back from early deficits to earn 1-1 draws. The Gamecocks, eventual C-USA Tournament Champions, led early in the contest, but Ben Hunt’s goal in the opening minutes of the second half proved to be the equalizer, earning the Knights another important point in conference play.

A 4-2 non-conference victory at Virginia Tech was followed by another home shutout for UCF, a 2-0 win over Stetson. The victory over the Hatters pushed the unbeaten streak to nine, something not accomplished since the Knights ended the 1985 season without a loss in their final eight games. After a 2-1 loss to UAB at home (the only loss of the season at the UCF Soccer Complex), the Black and Gold rounded out the regular season with a 3-0 win against North Florida and a 1-1 tie at No. 19 Tulsa. Wrapping up the regular season with an 11-3-3 overall mark, a 4-1-3 C-USA record, a No. 2 seed in the conference standings and a bye into the semifinals solidified the reality that this was the best season for the Knights since joining C-USA in 2005. But Cunningham and his team had much bigger goals in their sights.

 A 2-1 loss to Tulsa in the conference tournament was not enough to end UCF’s season. The impressive campaign earned the Knights their first at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament and a home game against in-state rival South Florida.

 UCF had three previous NCAA Tournament appearances after claiming A-Sun titles from 2002-04, but had never hosted a postseason game prior to its Nov. 18 meeting with the Bulls. Hunt’s goal midway through the first half got the Knights on the board first and was followed by Robson’s 10th goal of the season in the final minute of the stanza for the two-goal lead. Bacher capped his home career with the insurance goal in the 65th minute as UCF cruised to the 3-0 win, just its second NCAA Tournament victory for the program. Bacher’s only other goal of 2010 came in the first game against Jacksonville, book-ending his final season with the Knights with tallies in the home opener and finale. By beating the Bulls, UCF earned a date with No. 10 Michigan in the second round just three days later in Ann Arbor. In front of a capacity crowd in the first postseason game played at the newly opened U-M Soccer Stadium, the Knights took an early lead on a Robson tally in the ninth minute. UCF had several opportunities to take the lead again after Michigan tied it early in the second half, but just missed scoring the go-ahead goal. But the story of the game was sophomore goalkeeper Shawn Doyle and his 11 saves to hold off the surging Wolverine attack. The 2-1 overtime loss to Michigan halted UCF’s historic season of firsts, but did not diminish what was accomplished in the fall of 2010.

 However, the future looks bright for the Knights, who return the league’s top scorer in Robson. They will also benefit from returning All-C-USA First Team members Warren Creavalle and Kevan George. Both George and Creavalle will be back in 2011 as seniors, seeking to reach the next level of success for a program that appeared in national polls and the RPI’s top 30 for the first time in 2010. Following the season, it was announced that Creavalle had been named the program’s first-ever All-American as he was named as one of the 36 best players in the nation with his third-team selection. He also earned a spot on the NSCAA All-South Region First Team, becoming the first UCF player to be honored with the distinction.  Robson and George earned third team nods by the NSCAA, making 2010 the first time that more than one member of the Black and Gold was named to the all-region teams. Just a sophomore, Doyle has proven to be an elite goalkeeper, posting the best goals-against average (0.82), save percentage (.821) and tied for the lead in shutouts (8) at the end of the season by any keeper in the conference. Doyle was especially stellar at home this season, posting seven shutouts and eight wins in nine contests, while allowing just three goals in 810 minutes of play at the UCF Soccer Complex. An all-conference third-team selection in 2010, Doyle is the foundation for the UCF defense, while benefiting from outstanding play in front of him from the likes of Bacher and sophomore Andrew Quintana.
 
 
 
Beating a BIG EAST team in the NCAA Tournament and taking the Big Ten Champion and eventual NCAA College Cup participant to extra time in front of a hostile crowd made for a thrilling end to the season. But, unlike it did at the beginning of this season, UCF now has the attention of the nation and they know they will have to be even better next fall, something Cunningham is ready for.

 In 2009, the Knights made drastic improvements offensively en route to a 6-7-3 record. The team improved its goal scoring from 16 in 2008 to 25 in 2009 despite playing three fewer games. The team also increased their shot total by 63 and collected an astonishing 20 more assists.

In Cunningham’s second season in charge, the Knights improved their win total by three from the previous season to seven in 2008. Despite playing an extremely challenging slate that included 2007 national runner-up Ohio State and a ranked South Florida squad, the seven wins equaled the most by a UCF team since 2005.

On the field, UCF finished the 2008 campaign with a 7-11-1 record, including three wins in Conference USA play to tie the 2006 squad for the program high. After the team tied for third and claimed UCF’s highest C-USA finish, Cunningham led the Knights to a 1-0 victory over Memphis in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament, the first win for the program since joining the league.

Off the field, the men’s soccer team posted the highest grade point average for any men’s team at UCF, and the Knights had 14 players gain spots on the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll for having a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

After assisting in the continued development of the soccer programs at Pfeiffer, Appalachian State and South Carolina, Cunningham first joined the UCF men’s soccer program as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in May 2005 after serving in a similar position at South Carolina for three years. Cunningham’s first recruiting class was ranked in the top 30 nationally by College Soccer News and first in the south region by StudentSports.com. By the end of 2006, three of those players garnered C-USA All-Conference honors.

Following the resignation of Brent Erwin in January 2007, Cunningham was appointed interim head coach before being formally named to the position a month later.

In his first season at the helm, Cunningham helped the offense score 24 goals, the most tallies since 2002. The Knights also claimed the New Mexico Invitational and the UCF Fall Classic titles en route to a 4-12-2 record. In the classroom, a total of 15 Knights earned spots on the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

In Cunningham’s three seasons as head coach at UCF, four players have gone on to play professionally, six Knights have earned spots on the all-conference teams and three players have garnered C-USA all-freshman team accolades.

Former UCF standout goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who played under Cunningham in 2007 and 2008, was drafted by the Chicago Fire in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. He also represented his country on the U-20 United States National Team in 2009.

Over the summer of 2008, Cunningham was invited to Euro 2008 as a guest of the Swedish FA, Malmo FF and the Northern Ireland Schoolboys.

In the summer of 2010, he served in the same capacity for the World Cup in South Africa. He will also be going to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to complete his UEFA `A’ license.

As a member of the South Carolina staff, Cunningham recruited several highly-touted student-athletes into the program. Among his recruits were Mike Sambursky, a 2007 draftee of Major League Soccer (MLS) champion Houston Dynamo; Makan Hislop, captain of the U-20 Trinidad and Tobago National Team and Brad Guzan, an All-America and No. 2 pick in the 2005 MLS Super Draft.

On the field, Cunningham helped guide the Gamecocks to a combined 21-14-3 mark and an NCAA Tournament berth in his final season. Both seasons USC was ranked as high as seventh in the national polls.

In 2003-04, Cunningham saw the team post the highest GPA on record as 10 players earned Southeastern Conference All-Academic Team recognition.

Prior to his stint at USC, Cunningham was an assistant coach at Appalachian State for five years. At ASU, he worked with eight All-South Region honorees, a SoCon Player of the Year, 13 All-SoCon selections and a College Soccer News Freshman All-American. ASU also boasted an Academic All-American and 18 players on the league’s All-Academic Team.

In addition to his coaching experience at the collegiate level, he was also active in the North Carolina and South Carolina Olympic Development Programs.

On the international level, Cunningham presently serves as an advisor for the Northern Ireland U-18 Schoolboys and managers Bob Ramsey and Andy McMorran.

Cunningham has been active promoting youth soccer in the Seminole and Orange County school systems, as well as at three area Christian schools, the YMCA and the Boys’ and Girls’ Club. For the past three years, he has been the guiding force in the men’s soccer team’s involvement in the annual UCF Youth Sports Festival.

A native of Allentown, Pa., Cunningham was a four-year letterwinner and three-time captain for the Pfeiffer University soccer team. The Falcons won two Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Championships and earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. He was also a four-time Scholar-Athlete and Dean’s List honoree, while appearing in the Who’s Who among American College Students book.

Cunningham, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, resides in Orlando with his wife Amy, daughter Elyn Elizabeth and sons Alexander Michael and Ryan Michael. 

UCF 2010 Highlights

•  UCF improved its win total by six this season, one of the best figures in the nation.
• The No. 2 seed in the C-USA Tournament was the highest for UCF since joining the league in 2005.
• Creavalle became the first UCF player to be named an All-American since 1997.
• The Knights finished first in team stats categories in C-USA: assists (44), assists per game (2.20), goals against (17) and goals-against average (0.82).
• Despite being named to the All-C-USA Third Team, Doyle led the conference in goals-against average (0.82), save percentage (.821) and tied for the lead in shutouts (8).
• Doyle’s eight shutouts in 2010 tie him for the most in a single season by a UCF keeper with Winston DuBose (1975) and Ryan McIntosh (2003). His 10 career clean sheets rank seventh in program history, one ahead of current assistant coach Antti Laitinen.
• Doyle’s save percentage ranked 24th nationally, while UCF’s team save percentage was 18th in the country.
• UCF scored 41 goals in 2010 after scoring 25 in 2009. The Knights reached 25 goals in 2010 in just their 12th game of the season.
• The 12 wins marks the first double-digit victory total for the team since 2004 (11-7-2), their final season in the A-Sun, and are the most since 2003 (12-6-3).
• When the first RPI of the season was released the Knights were ranked in the top 30 for the first time in school history.
• UCF tied Tulsa with three players on the all-conference first team in 2010, a program record.
• Warren Creavalle became the first UCF player in 13 seasons to be named to the NSCAA All-South Region First Team and Third Team All-American. Nik Robson and Kevan George were named to the third team, setting a new UCF record with three players honored with spots on the all-region team.  The win over USF was just the second NCAA victory in team history for the Knights with the other coming in 2004.
• The eight home wins were the most by any team in the state of Florida.
• UCF joins Duke, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Penn, Penn State and West Virginia as the only seven Division I schools to have both the men’s and women’s programs earn the NSCAA Team Academic Award and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
• The Knights finished 13th in the nation in scoring offense at 2.05 goals per game and 12th in total goals with 41.
• Robson was 14th in the nation in points per game (1.63), 10th in total points (31), 22nd in goals per game (0.58) and 24th in total goals (11).
• His nine assists as a sophomore are tied for seventh most in a season at UCF, while his 31 points are the most by any Knight since 1999.
• UCF’s 41 goals this season were the most by any team in the state of Florida, while its eight shutouts were second.
• Five Knights reached double figures in points for the first time since the 1997 season.
• Undefeated against in-state opponents, going 6-0. The Knights’ defense did not allow those six opponents to score in any game, outscoring Florida opposition 20-0.

In 2009, the Knights made drastic improvements offensively en route to a 6-7-3 record. The team improved its goal scoring from 16 in 2008 to 25 in 2009 despite playing three fewer games. The team also increased their shot total by 63 and collected an astonishing 20 more assists.

In Cunningham’s second season in charge, the Knights improved their win total by three from the previous season to seven in 2008. Despite playing an extremely challenging slate that included 2007 national runner-up Ohio State and a ranked South Florida squad, the seven wins equaled the most by a UCF team since 2005.

On the field, UCF finished the 2008 campaign with a 7-11-1 record, including three wins in Conference USA play to tie the 2006 squad for the program high. After the team tied for third and claimed UCF’s highest C-USA finish, Cunningham led the Knights to a 1-0 victory over Memphis in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament, the first win for the program since joining the league.

Off the field, the men’s soccer team posted the highest grade point average for any men’s team at UCF, and the Knights had 14 players gain spots on the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll for having a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

After assisting in the continued development of the soccer programs at Pfeiffer, Appalachian State and South Carolina, Cunningham first joined the UCF men’s soccer program as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in May 2005 after serving in a similar position at South Carolina for three years. Cunningham’s first recruiting class was ranked in the top 30 nationally by College Soccer News and first in the south region by StudentSports.com. By the end of 2006, three of those players garnered C-USA All-Conference honors.

Following the resignation of Brent Erwin in January 2007, Cunningham was appointed interim head coach before being formally named to the position a month later.

In his first season at the helm, Cunningham helped the offense score 24 goals, the most tallies since 2002. The Knights also claimed the New Mexico Invitational and the UCF Fall Classic titles en route to a 4-12-2 record. In the classroom, a total of 15 Knights earned spots on the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

In Cunningham’s three seasons as head coach at UCF, four players have gone on to play professionally, six Knights have earned spots on the all-conference teams and three players have garnered C-USA all-freshman team accolades.

Former UCF standout goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who played under Cunningham in 2007 and 2008, was drafted by the Chicago Fire in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. He also represented his country on the U-20 United States National Team in 2009.

Over the summer of 2008, Cunningham was invited to Euro 2008 as a guest of the Swedish FA, Malmo FF and the Northern Ireland Schoolboys.

In the summer of 2010, he served in the same capacity for the World Cup in South Africa. He will also be going to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to complete his UEFA `A’ license.

As a member of the South Carolina staff, Cunningham recruited several highly-touted student-athletes into the program. Among his recruits were Mike Sambursky, a 2007 draftee of Major League Soccer (MLS) champion Houston Dynamo; Makan Hislop, captain of the U-20 Trinidad and Tobago National Team and Brad Guzan, an All-America and No. 2 pick in the 2005 MLS Super Draft.

On the field, Cunningham helped guide the Gamecocks to a combined 21-14-3 mark and an NCAA Tournament berth in his final season. Both seasons USC was ranked as high as seventh in the national polls.

In 2003-04, Cunningham saw the team post the highest GPA on record as 10 players earned Southeastern Conference All-Academic Team recognition.

Prior to his stint at USC, Cunningham was an assistant coach at Appalachian State for five years. At ASU, he worked with eight All-South Region honorees, a SoCon Player of the Year, 13 All-SoCon selections and a College Soccer News Freshman All-American. ASU also boasted an Academic All-American and 18 players on the league’s All-Academic Team.

In addition to his coaching experience at the collegiate level, he was also active in the North Carolina and South Carolina Olympic Development Programs.

On the international level, Cunningham presently serves as an advisor for the Northern Ireland U-18 Schoolboys and managers Bob Ramsey and Andy McMorran.

Cunningham has been active promoting youth soccer in the Seminole and Orange County school systems, as well as at three area Christian schools, the YMCA and the Boys’ and Girls’ Club. For the past three years, he has been the guiding force in the men’s soccer team’s involvement in the annual UCF Youth Sports Festival.

A native of Allentown, Pa., Cunningham was a four-year letterwinner and three-time captain for the Pfeiffer University soccer team. The Falcons won two Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Championships and earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. He was also a four-time Scholar-Athlete and Dean’s List honoree, while appearing in the Who’s Who among American College Students book.

Cunningham, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, resides in Orlando with his wife Amy, daughter Elyn Elizabeth and sons Alexander Michael and Ryan Michael.