Real Salt Lake Legend Kyle Beckerman Announced As New UVU Men’s Soccer Coach
Apr 12, 2021, 2:03 PM | Updated: 2:22 pm
Photo courtesy: Real Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former Real Salt Lake and United States soccer legend Kyle Beckerman has been announced as the new head coach of the Utah Valley University Men’s Soccer team, the university announced.
“I am really excited to be here today,” Beckerman said via a press conference. “When I spoke to president Tuminez I knew this was an opportunity that I could not give up,” he added.
Beckerman, 38, retired from professional soccer after spending 20 seasons in Major League Soccer late last year. His hiring as UVU Manager is the first job since his retirement.
Help us welcome new @UVUmsoc Head Coach Kyle Beckerman! #GoUVU #UVU #UVUmsoc https://t.co/ZV6AWciHs1 pic.twitter.com/0ja1SbdEMC
— UVU Athletics (@GoUVU) April 12, 2021
Beckerman will fill the void left by former Manager Greg Maas, who opted to resign in pursuit of other opportunities on March 28. Beckerman has become only the second Manager in UVU Men’s Soccer history and will look to guide the program to more success.
Kyle Guardiola?
When asked if there was a specific manager that he idolizes, Beckerman responded with Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s boss. Guardiola is known for his “tiki-taka” style of soccer, a lot of triangle passing with the hope of utilizing skill and space to open up defenses.
In an ideal world, Beckerman will have UVU playing like City, but, Beckerman understands the challenges of coaching at the collegiate level as opposed to the English Premier League.
“I hope to keep the ball on the ground and utilize passing lanes, but, if there are games that we are not passing the ball well then we cannot keep passing the ball because we are not going to do ourselves any favors,” Beckerman said.
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The hiring comes as no surprise, during Beckerman’s press conference shortly after the announcement of his retirement went public, he spoke candidly about what the future may hold. He referenced his parents, who are both teachers, and did not shy away from the possibility of going into coaching. He understands that teaching/coaching runs deep in his family, and would be fortunate to continue that legacy.
“Teaching and coaching is in my blood,” Beckerman told KSL Sports on December 21, 2020.
UVU Men’s Soccer competes in the Western Athletic Conference in Division 1. Last season, UVU finished in 9th position with a 2-4 record. There are 11 teams in the conference.
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