Nat Gonzalez - Head Women's Soccer Coach - Women's Soccer Coaches (2024)

Nat Gonzalez became the second head coach of the UC Riverside women's soccer program prior to the 2012 season and enters his 11th season at the helm in 2023.

Gonzalez has overseen seven First Team All-Big West selections and eightNSCAA All-Region selections throughout his tenure in the Inland Empire, also taking the Highlanders to three Big West Tournament Semifinals.In total, Gonzalez has coached eight All-Region selections, 30 All-Big West selections andfour All-Freshman Team selections.

Just a few weeks into his ninth year at the helm in 2021, Gonzalez was appointed head coach of the Puerto Rican Women's National Team, leading the squad at the CONCACAF W Qualifiers with current Highlanders Daphane and Jazmine Mendez on the roster. UCR received another call-up in April of 2023 when Emma Gonzalez was chosen to train with the Puerto Rican Senior National Team.

UCR made its most recent Big West postseason appearance in 2017,finishing tied for second in the Big Westand earning the three seed in the conference tournament.

In 2015, the Highlanders recorded the second most victories in the history of the program (11) and advanced to the conference tournament for the second time in three years.

Three members of the 2015 squadwere named to the All-West Region Team:Cunningham, Blanca Barrio andMarani,with Marani earned the program's first-ever First-Team, All-Region nod. The trio also each earned First-Team All-Big West accolades, giving the Highlanders the most FirstTeam honorees in program history.

Gonzalez's 2014 squadrecorded the program's first winning season since the 2006 campaign, finishing 8-7-3. Tyler Cunningham broke the single-season assist mark (10), and she and Amber Marani became the first Highlanders to be named to the NSCAA Division I Women All-West Region Team since 2004, as the pair earned Second Team honors.

Gonzalez was named the 2013 Big West Coach of the Yearas UC Riverside exceeded expectations, finishing third in the Big West during the regular season and upending UC Irvine in the conference semifinals.Gonzalez led UCR to within a goal of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, falling in penaltiesto Cal State Fullerton in theBig West Championship.

Gonzalez began his second stint with UCR in 2011 as the goalkeeper coach for the men's program.The2011 squadwon a program-record nine matches, including three against nationally-ranked opponents. The Highlandersadvancedto their first Big West Tournament before bowing to nationally-ranked UC Irvine in the semifinals.

In 2010, Gonzalez was an assistant coach for the women's team at UCLA. He has also spent time as an assistant coach with the US Women's National Team, U-18 and U-20 squads while serving as the director of goal keeping for Legends FC and the technical director at the Temecula Valley Soccer Academy.

Gonzalez took a rather circuitous route to his current position. Just over a decade earlier, he was named the first Division I head coach of the Highlanders' men's soccer team, leading that squad for the first three years of its existence.

UC Riverside'sprogram improved each season under his leadership, winning a school-record seven matches in the 2003 season. He left the program prior to the 2004 campaign to become the associate head coach at USC for the women's team where he helped recruit the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation in 2005. His 2006 squad ranked first in the Pac-10 and 15th nationally in goals allowed.

Gonzalez became the associate head coach for the women's program at San Diego State in 2007. The Aztecs won the 2009 MWC Tournament Championship and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years before advancing to the second round.

Prior to joining the Highlanders in 2000, Gonzalez had assistant coaching stops at Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Washington. During his time in Seattle, Gonzalez helped the Huskies to consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) titles in 1998 and 1999. The team posted a 61-15-5 record over his five years.

Gonzalez, who was a four-year letter winner at UCLA from 1988-91, won a national championship with the Bruins in 1990, and graduated with a degree in psychology. He served as the women's team's goalkeeping coach from 1994-95.

After finishing his college eligibility, he played professionally for six seasons, finishing his career in 1997 with the Seattle SeaDogs of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL).

Gonzalez received his master's degree in exercise science in 2011 from California University of Pennsylvania.