University of South Florida's men's soccer assistant coach, Ryan Anatol, was named the winner of the 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) College Assistant Coach of the Year Award for the Northeast Region. Anatol will receive his regional award at the NSCAA/adidas College Coaches Awards Reception in Philadelphia on Thursday, Jan. 14.
"I believe Ryan is well deserving of the award and I'm very happy for him," head coach George Kiefer said. "Ryan is one of the hardest working assistants in the Country."
The NSCAA Assistant Coach of the Year Award is designed to highlight outstanding assistant coaches at the college and high school levels.
Since being named assistant coach in 2005, USF has posted an impressive 64-26-14 record. The Bulls have also made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009) and have won one BIG EAST Conference Championship (2008). In 2008, USF advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Wake Forest.
Anatol has also been influential in recruiting for the Bulls. Since joining USF's staff, Anatol has closed the deal on several of the nation's top recruiting classes including top 10 classes. Included in those recruiting classes since 2005 were: 23 All-BIG EAST selections, nine all-region picks (Jordan Seabrook, Rodrigo Hidalgo, Simon Schoendorf, Kevon Neaves, Yohance Marshall and Jeff Attinella) and one NSCAA All-American (Yohance Marshall).
A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Anatol is no stranger to the Bulls. Anatol, who played for USF from 1997-2000, helped his team win two Conference USA Championships (1997 and 1998) while also advancing to the NCAA Tournament both years.
The 2009 season was Anatol's fifth season as assistant coach for the Bulls. In 2009, USF advanced to the second round in the BIG EAST Championships before falling to Notre Dame in penalty kicks. The Bulls also advanced to the second round in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 ranked and top-seeded Akron. USF concluded the 2009 season with a 14-4-3 record and a 6-3-2 record in the BIG EAST.