The Bruins have extended one of the newest coaches on campus after an unprecedented first season in Westwood.
UCLA women's soccer coach Margueritte Aozasa has earned a two-year extension following the team's Women's College Cup victory over North Carolina on Dec. 5, keeping her locked up through January 2028. The first-year coach led the Bruins to a 22-2-1 record in 2022, as well as UCLA's 120th NCAA championship overall.
Aozasa became the first woman of color, the second Asian American coach, the fourth female coach and the first rookie coach to win the NCAA Division I women's soccer championship after UCLA staged an instantly iconic comeback in Cary, North Carolina.
This time last year, however, the Bruins did not even have a head coach, since Amanda Cromwell had just stepped away to take over the Orlando Pride in the NWSL. A few weeks later, Aozasa – who had spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach at Stanford – became athletic director Martin Jarmond's first head coaching hire since he arrived at UCLA in May 2020.
The ink on Aozasa's first deal had hardly dried, yet her performance already warranted a new one.
"I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to stay in Westwood and to continue building this program into something truly special," Aozasa said in a statement released by the team. "As a staff, we have been blown away by the support and encouragement we have received from our Bruin family and the greater Los Angeles community. Special thank you to Martin Jarmond and Erin Adkins for this incredible gesture and for always believing in our staff."
UCLA began the 2022 campaign with a 13-0 record, which was the best start in program history. The run included road victories over No. 2 Duke and No. 1 North Carolina that bumped the team up to No. 1 in the polls for the rest of the year.
Aozasa's historic first season as the Bruins head coach earned her Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. On top of that, Aozasa and her coaching staff – including assistant coaches Gof Boyoko, Molly Poletto and volunteer assistant coach Chelsea Tudela – were awarded Pacific Region Staff of the Year after leading the program to 22 wins and plenty of postseason success.
"Margueritte is an elite leader," Jarmond said in a statement. "Coming off a national championship season, where she earned both Pac-12 and regional coach of the year honors, our priority was to demonstrate our commitment to keeping her and the staff at UCLA. I am thrilled about the direction of this program, both on and off the field, under her guidance."
Multiple Bruins earned Pac-12 honors with Aozasa at the helm this fall. Sophomore defender Lilly Reale won Pac-12 Defender of the Year and helped UCLA lead the conference with an average of 0.47 goals against per game.
Reale, junior forward Reilyn Turner and sophomore defender Quincy McMahon were named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, while graduate forward Ally Cook, graduate goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy and senior midfielder Sunshine Fontes earned All-Pac-12 Second Team recognition.
Graduate midfielder Maricarmen Reyes and freshman midfielder Ally Lemos were named to the All-Pac-12 Third Team, while the latter was also recognized for the All-Freshman team honor alongside forward Sofia Cook.
Aozasa, fresh off hoisting a new trophy and signing a new contract, now has eight months to get her roster sorted out and draw up a plan to bring home a second-straight title in 2023.
Follow Royer on Twitter at @thebenroyer
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