Brian McManus begins his 23rd season as head coach of the UC San Diego women’s soccer team in 2009. Widely regarded as one of the best women’s soccer coaches at any collegiate level, McManus has racked up the third-highest win percentage in NCAA women’s soccer history, winning 85.1% of his games through the 2008 campaign. McManus has an all-time record of 370-52-30 in his 22 years on the La Jolla campus.

After consecutive national titles in UCSD’s first two years at the NCAA Division II level, McManus led his squad to a third straight conference crown, and an appearance in the Division II Far West Region Final in 2002. In 2003 he guided the Tritons to a fourth consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association title, while in 2004 his team won its fifth-straight CCAA South Division title before falling in the semifinals of the CCAA Championships. Following a one-year hiatus from winning the CCAA crown in 2005, McManus guided his squad back to the top with a 4-3 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Nov. 6, 2005. The 2006 campaign, during which McManus was named CCAA Coach of the Year, witnessed the Tritons repeat at league champions after UCSD posted a 13-1-2 mark during the regular season, winning its seventh-straight CCAA South Division title as McManus was named the CCAA Coach of the Year. In 2007, the Tritons won their eighth-straight CCAA South Division title with a 9-2-2 league mark, earning another berth into the NCAA tournament.

During 2008, the Tritons earned an automatic berth into the NCAA postseason after winning the CCAA Championship on their home field. With a loss in the second round of the West Regional against fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific, UCSD ended its season at 15-4-4. Two of McManus' seniors, Jessica McGovern and Amanda Esquivel, earned Daktronics All-American honors.

Through nine years of Division II and CCAA competition, McManus’ Tritons have won the CCAA South Division nine times and the CCAA Championship on six occassions. His squads have qualified for the NCAA Far West Region eight times and the NCAA Championship game twice, winning both times. Triton Soccer Stadium played host to the CCAA Championship and each round of the NCAA Tournament in 2001, with standing-room-only stadium record crowds for the National Semifinals and National Championship.

McManus has led the Tritons to a total of five NCAA Division III National Championships, including a title in 1999, their final season at the Division III level. Under his direction in Division III, UCSD was the only team in the nation to participate in every NCAA Tournament since 1986. In all, the Tritons were crowned NCAA Regional Champions nine times and National Champions five. Remarkably, UCSD lost just one regular-season game to a Division III opponent in the school’s history.

In 2002, McManus’ squad produced two All-American, four All-West Region and five All-CCAA selections, including the CCAA Freshman of the Year in defender Heather Szafraniec. The 2005 team boasted the CCAA Player of the Year and an NSCAA/adidas All-American in Megan Dickey, along with five All-CCAA and three more NSCAA All-Far West Region honorees.

A three-time NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year honoree, McManus was the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2001 and the West Region and CCAA Coach of the Year in 2000, 2001 and 2003. He has also received UCSD’s Excellence in Coaching Award a total of three times, in 2001, 1998 and 1996.

McManus, who came to UCSD as an assistant coach in 1986, is a native of Scotland. He played professionally for Raith Rovers and Aberdeen and spent 11 years as a semi-professional player and coach. He also coached semi-pro soccer in Los Angeles, and previously coached the boy’s team at Torrey Pines High School.