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Paul Stumpf is in his ninth season as the head coach of the UC Santa Barbara women's soccer program.
In 1999, Stumpf took over a Gaucho program that had won a combined five Division I matches in the preceding two years. Immediately, he transformed the team, leading UCSB to a respectable 8-9-1 overall mark and a 5-4 record in league, earning him Big West Coach of the Year honors. The following year, the Gauchos were 9-9-1 overall and 4-4-0 in the Big West. 2001 was truly a breakthrough year. After opening the season with a record of 0-3, UCSB went 11-4-1 the remainder of the way to finish with its best record in nine years at 11-7-1 overall and 7-2-0 in the Big West, good for second-place.
In 2002, Stumpf's fourth year in Santa Barbara, the Gauchos went 13-5-2 overall and 6-2-1 in Big West play. Once again, UCSB entered its final game of the season with an opportunity to win the league title. Four seasons ago, the Gauchos went 11-6-4 overall and 5-2-2 in the Big West, good for another second-place finish. In addition, Stumpf guided UCSB to the Big West Tournament Championship match. In 2004, after opening the season with a 1-3 record, the Gauchos went 12-3-2 the remainder of the way, including 7-1-1 in Big West play, to finish with an outstanding 13-6-2 mark. The 7-1-1 league record was good enough to earn UCSB its first-ever Big West regular season championship. In fact, for the second year in a row, Santa Barbara advanced to the championship match at the Big West Tournament. 2004 was also the program's fifth straight season with a .500 or better mark. Last year, the Gauchos were back in the thick of the Big West race. After a slow start against a very difficult schedule, Stumpf's UCSB team went 5-1-1 in league play, tying for the regular season championship.
In his first eight years at UCSB, Stumpf has clearly put the team on solid footing. His seven-year record is 81-59-17 overall and his league record is 42-20-5. The 81 victories by a Gaucho women's coach are the second most in school history. In six of the past seven seasons, his teams have entered the final weekend of the year with a chance to win the Big West crown.
Stumpf is responsible for the on-field coaching as well as recruiting and scheduling. His recruiting efforts have paid huge dividends in the past several years. In fact, in four of the past six seasons, a Gaucho player has been selected Big West Offensive Player of the Year, and at least one player has earned All-Region honors. On the field, Stumpf's coaching specialty is on the defensive side where he can put his organizational skills and work ethic to good use. In addition, he oversees fundraising and alumni involvement.
As a player, Stumpf had success at the junior college level before moving on to San Diego State. Stumpf was a two-year starter at Santa Rosa Community College, a team that was nationally ranked both years. In 1984, as a sophomore, he was selected Junior College All-American. At San Diego State, Stumpf was also a two-year starter. When he was a senior, the Aztecs finished with a 14-3-4 overall record and were ranked 17th in the nation.
Following his collegiate career, Stumpf played for the San Diego Nomads in the Western Soccer Alliance. In 1987, Stumpf and the Nomads won the Western Alliance, beating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 in the championship match. In 1988, he suffered a careeer-ending injury, losing a kidney after taking a knee in the back.
While Stumpf's injury was a tragedy, it was also a turning point. With his playing career ended, he opted for the next best thing, coaching.
Before arriving at UCSB as an assistant coach in 1998, Stumpf spent two years as an assistant at Humboldt State while he completed his graduate studies in kinesiology. In addition, he spent several years as a club coach in the Santa Rosa and Sonoma areas.
Stumpf, who earned his diploma for completing an NSCAA Coaching course, is a 1989 graduate of San Diego State. He enjoys surfing, golfing, hiking, backpacking and traveling in his spare time. ❂
