Head Coach Derek Pittman enters his sixth season at the helm of the UTSA soccer program this fall. Pittman took the reins for the Roadrunners on May 7, 2018, becoming the third head coach in the program’s history. He joined the Roadrunners after spending four seasons in the same capacity at the University of Idaho.
Since an abbreviated 2020 campaign saw the Roadrunners play only 11 games, UTSA’s performance and stock have been on a meteoric rise during two of the most successful seasons in school history. In just five seasons, Pittman and his staff transformed the team from a three-win program in 2017 to a 12-win program, earning its first two C-USA Tournament berths in consecutive seasons.
Building on the surging momentum, the 2022 Roadrunners made UTSA’s first NCAA Championships appearance in 12 years, earning their spot via a three-game sweep through the Conference USA tournament for the program’s first Conference USA Championship and the first league title since 2010. For the second consecutive season, under Pittman’s leadership UTSA registered the program’s second-most wins and best winning percentage (.636) with a 12-6-4 record. The Roadrunners tied school records most conference victories (4), most points in Conference USA play (15) and highest Conference USA finish – going out with a bang in the program’s final year in the league. The 2022 team achieved UTSA's first-ever ranking, reaching No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches South Region rankings and remaining for for five consecutive weeks.
A key component to the increased success has been UTSA's dominance at Park West, holding a program-best 83.3 percent winning rate at home in 2022 to set a new school record, including the first program win over a Big 12 program. The team began making the turn at home in 2021, registering a 72.2 home win percentage.
At the core of 2022’s success, a bevy of Roadrunners garnered post-season accolades, including a program-first three players on the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Team; Kendall Kloza (first team), Kiran Singh (second team) and Anna Sutter (second team), while Conference USA designated honors for Sutter (all-conference first team – the first in program history), Singh (all-conference second team), Kloza (all-conference second team) and Sasjah Dade (all-conference third team). Academically, Alissa Stewart (first team), Jil Schneider (second team) and Sutter earned spots on the Conference USA All-Academic Team, while the trio also joined Isa Hernandez to receive UTSA’s first Academic All-District Team honors in 13 years, presented by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). Additionally, Hernandez was selected as one of 11 Conference USA recipients of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship, furthering her efforts toward UTSA’s cancer research. After claiming the league title, the Roadrunners were well represented on the All-Tournament team with Mia Krusinski and Marlee Fray joining Offensive MVP Sutter and Defensive MVP Kloza (Defensive MVP in recognition.
In 2021, the Roadrunners went 10-5-4, resulting in what was then the second-most wins in program history as well as the highest winning percentage (.632) in school history. Riding the success, UTSA made the C-USA tournament field for the first time in program history, where it fell to eventual tournament champion Old Dominion in the quarterfinals. The 2021 team also earned UTSA's first-ever NCAA Top 100 RPI ranking at No. 86. Five Roadrunners received Conference USA accolades on the year, including Kloza (all-conference second team), Ellis Patterson (all-conference second team), Sutter (all-conference second team), Schneider (all-academic second team) and Stewart (all-academic second team).
The Roadrunners’ 2020 was curtailed due to COVID-19 implications, as UTSA played just an 11-game schedule that featured a six-game Conference USA slate. UTSA was led by all-conference selection Patterson, who notched a pair of assists.
In 2019, Pittman led UTSA to an 8-8-1 overall record, which is the best winning percentage since the 2011 season. Four Roadrunners received conference accolades including Patterson (all-conference second team), Lexi Bolton (all-conference third team), Nicole Galan, (all-academic team) and Deja Sandoval (all-freshman team).
In his first year with the Roadrunners, Pittman led the 2018 team to a 6-9-2 overall record. Under Pittman’s leadership, three Roadrunners received accolades, including Michelle Cole (all-academic team), Ellis Patterson (all-conference third team) and Lexi Bolton (all-freshman team).
Pittman came to the Alamo City with 17 years of collegiate coaching experience, including seven as a head coach.
During four seasons with the Vandals (2014-17), he led the squad to back-to-back Big Sky Conference regular season championships in 2015 and ’16. He was named the 2015 Big Sky Coach of the Year after guiding the team to a program-best 14-4-3 overall mark and a 9-0-1 record in league action. He mentored 2015 Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year Carson Poertner and Kavita Battan, who earned second-team All-Pacific Region honors and was the first player in program history to sign a professional contract. His 2015 squad set program marks for wins, points, goals, assists, shutouts, goals against and attendance.
A year later, Pittman recruited 2016 Big Sky Freshman of the Year Emma Eddy to Moscow. For the second straight campaign, the Vandals led the league in goals scored and fewest goals allowed.
Overall, he mentored 47 Big Sky All-Academic honorees and 21 All-Big Sky selections, including seven first-teamers.
Prior to his time at Idaho, Pittman spent four seasons (2010-13) as the associate head coach at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., where he was responsible for the day-to-day training of the defenders and oversaw the goalkeepers. Under his tutelage in 2013, the Bulldogs recorded its lowest goals-against average in seven seasons.
Pittman spent three years (2007-09) as the head coach at Arkansas State University. His time in Jonesboro was highlighted by leading the 2009 Red Wolves to their first-ever Sun Belt Conference semifinals appearance and set the school record for victories.
Pittman also spent three seasons (2004-07) as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri and one year (2003) at the University of Georgia, where he helped the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Pittman was a four-year starter and team captain for the University of Tulsa soccer program. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a goalkeeper in 1995. Pittman went on to play professionally for the Barrow Amateur Football Club in Barrow, England, and the Columbus-Comets and Savannah RugRatz in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League.
He returned to Tulsa to complete his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1998. He then began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Golden Hurricane. He has further coaching experience at the club level with the Pride Soccer Club of Missouri, the Tulsa Soccer Club and the Little Rock Futbol Club of Arkansas and is a United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ licensed coach.
Pittman and his wife, Amber, have two daughters, Emma and Jozy.
Since an abbreviated 2020 campaign saw the Roadrunners play only 11 games, UTSA’s performance and stock have been on a meteoric rise during two of the most successful seasons in school history. In just five seasons, Pittman and his staff transformed the team from a three-win program in 2017 to a 12-win program, earning its first two C-USA Tournament berths in consecutive seasons.
Building on the surging momentum, the 2022 Roadrunners made UTSA’s first NCAA Championships appearance in 12 years, earning their spot via a three-game sweep through the Conference USA tournament for the program’s first Conference USA Championship and the first league title since 2010. For the second consecutive season, under Pittman’s leadership UTSA registered the program’s second-most wins and best winning percentage (.636) with a 12-6-4 record. The Roadrunners tied school records most conference victories (4), most points in Conference USA play (15) and highest Conference USA finish – going out with a bang in the program’s final year in the league. The 2022 team achieved UTSA's first-ever ranking, reaching No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches South Region rankings and remaining for for five consecutive weeks.
A key component to the increased success has been UTSA's dominance at Park West, holding a program-best 83.3 percent winning rate at home in 2022 to set a new school record, including the first program win over a Big 12 program. The team began making the turn at home in 2021, registering a 72.2 home win percentage.
At the core of 2022’s success, a bevy of Roadrunners garnered post-season accolades, including a program-first three players on the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Team; Kendall Kloza (first team), Kiran Singh (second team) and Anna Sutter (second team), while Conference USA designated honors for Sutter (all-conference first team – the first in program history), Singh (all-conference second team), Kloza (all-conference second team) and Sasjah Dade (all-conference third team). Academically, Alissa Stewart (first team), Jil Schneider (second team) and Sutter earned spots on the Conference USA All-Academic Team, while the trio also joined Isa Hernandez to receive UTSA’s first Academic All-District Team honors in 13 years, presented by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). Additionally, Hernandez was selected as one of 11 Conference USA recipients of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship, furthering her efforts toward UTSA’s cancer research. After claiming the league title, the Roadrunners were well represented on the All-Tournament team with Mia Krusinski and Marlee Fray joining Offensive MVP Sutter and Defensive MVP Kloza (Defensive MVP in recognition.
In 2021, the Roadrunners went 10-5-4, resulting in what was then the second-most wins in program history as well as the highest winning percentage (.632) in school history. Riding the success, UTSA made the C-USA tournament field for the first time in program history, where it fell to eventual tournament champion Old Dominion in the quarterfinals. The 2021 team also earned UTSA's first-ever NCAA Top 100 RPI ranking at No. 86. Five Roadrunners received Conference USA accolades on the year, including Kloza (all-conference second team), Ellis Patterson (all-conference second team), Sutter (all-conference second team), Schneider (all-academic second team) and Stewart (all-academic second team).
The Roadrunners’ 2020 was curtailed due to COVID-19 implications, as UTSA played just an 11-game schedule that featured a six-game Conference USA slate. UTSA was led by all-conference selection Patterson, who notched a pair of assists.
In 2019, Pittman led UTSA to an 8-8-1 overall record, which is the best winning percentage since the 2011 season. Four Roadrunners received conference accolades including Patterson (all-conference second team), Lexi Bolton (all-conference third team), Nicole Galan, (all-academic team) and Deja Sandoval (all-freshman team).
In his first year with the Roadrunners, Pittman led the 2018 team to a 6-9-2 overall record. Under Pittman’s leadership, three Roadrunners received accolades, including Michelle Cole (all-academic team), Ellis Patterson (all-conference third team) and Lexi Bolton (all-freshman team).
Pittman came to the Alamo City with 17 years of collegiate coaching experience, including seven as a head coach.
During four seasons with the Vandals (2014-17), he led the squad to back-to-back Big Sky Conference regular season championships in 2015 and ’16. He was named the 2015 Big Sky Coach of the Year after guiding the team to a program-best 14-4-3 overall mark and a 9-0-1 record in league action. He mentored 2015 Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year Carson Poertner and Kavita Battan, who earned second-team All-Pacific Region honors and was the first player in program history to sign a professional contract. His 2015 squad set program marks for wins, points, goals, assists, shutouts, goals against and attendance.
A year later, Pittman recruited 2016 Big Sky Freshman of the Year Emma Eddy to Moscow. For the second straight campaign, the Vandals led the league in goals scored and fewest goals allowed.
Overall, he mentored 47 Big Sky All-Academic honorees and 21 All-Big Sky selections, including seven first-teamers.
Prior to his time at Idaho, Pittman spent four seasons (2010-13) as the associate head coach at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., where he was responsible for the day-to-day training of the defenders and oversaw the goalkeepers. Under his tutelage in 2013, the Bulldogs recorded its lowest goals-against average in seven seasons.
Pittman spent three years (2007-09) as the head coach at Arkansas State University. His time in Jonesboro was highlighted by leading the 2009 Red Wolves to their first-ever Sun Belt Conference semifinals appearance and set the school record for victories.
Pittman also spent three seasons (2004-07) as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri and one year (2003) at the University of Georgia, where he helped the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Pittman was a four-year starter and team captain for the University of Tulsa soccer program. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a goalkeeper in 1995. Pittman went on to play professionally for the Barrow Amateur Football Club in Barrow, England, and the Columbus-Comets and Savannah RugRatz in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League.
He returned to Tulsa to complete his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1998. He then began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Golden Hurricane. He has further coaching experience at the club level with the Pride Soccer Club of Missouri, the Tulsa Soccer Club and the Little Rock Futbol Club of Arkansas and is a United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ licensed coach.
Pittman and his wife, Amber, have two daughters, Emma and Jozy.