USU Vice President and Director of Athletics Diana Sabau announced that Head Soccer Coach Manny Martins has signed a contract extension to keep him coaching the Aggies through the 2027 season. Since his time at Utah State, Coach Martins has formed a legacy of winning and success through his leadership and passion for the students on his team. Now that he is staying, the future never looked better for the USU soccer program under his leadership. The regular season has a single game left this season and is now ranked 25th. They will be hosting Boise State on Thursday afternoon at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field in Logan.
Coach Martins’ Work
In 2023, Coach Martins was awarded the Mountain West and United Soccer Coaches Pacific Region Coach of the Year. He has taken the Aggie soccer program to unprecedented success since his arrival in 2021. During his four years at the helm, Utah State has an overall record of 50-20-16 (.674) with a 25-10-8 (.674) mark in conference games. His .674 winning percentage ranks second in Mountain West Conference history.
Also, in that same year, 2023, Martins led the Aggies to their first-ever Mountain West title as they won the Mountain West Tournament Championship to qualify for the third NCAA Tournament in program history. Utah State is currently 15-1-4 this season and ranked No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The team has spent eight weeks this season ranked in the top 25, climbing as high as No. 7, which was tied for the highest ranking by a Utah State team in any sport and the highest since the men’s basketball team also ranked No. 7 in 1961.
Martin’s Team Stats
With Martins as USU’s coach, Utah State’s defense has ranked among the best in the country, allowing less than a goal per game each season. This year’s Utah State squad has already set program season records for goals scored (56), assists (56), points (168), and shutouts (12), while its 15 wins are tied for the most in program history.
Martins has helped guide nine players to all-Mountain West honors and three to all-region accolades, including 2023 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Kelsey Kaufusi. Under Martins, 56 players have earned Mountain West Scholar-Athlete accolades in the classroom and been named to Academic All-Mountain West teams.
Winning Streak
Martins and the No. 25-ranked Aggies have 15 wins, one loss, and four ties. Their last regular season game is a senior day game against Boise State. Then, they will play in the 2024 Mountain West Tournament, which will be held in San Diego, California, Nov. 3-9. After a 1-0-1 week on the road against a pair of conference opponents last week, Utah State soccer is once again ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, checking in this week at No. 25.
The Aggies spent seven straight weeks ranked in the poll earlier this season, peaking as high as No. 7. This is the team’s first ranking since Oct. 8, after receiving votes in the survey each of the past two weeks. USU received 19 total votes.
Record Season
Utah State is one of just 13 one-loss teams in the country, at 15-1-4, currently ranking sixth nationally with a 0.850 winning percentage. Boise State, whom the Aggies face this week, is just one spot back in winning percentage, ranking seventh nationally at 15-2-2. With 15 wins this season, Utah State has tied a program record for wins, set in 2011. The Aggies have also already set program records for goals (56), assists (56), points (168), shutouts (12), and shots on goal (169).
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