Edwards Joins Michigan Coaching Staff
5/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
May 15, 2017
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's soccer head coach Greg Ryan announced the hiring of assistant coach Kai Edwards on Monday (May 15). Edwards joins the Wolverine staff with 13 years of experience within collegiate women's soccer, including six as a Division I head coach. He will work primarily with the Maize and Blue offense and be a tremendous asset to U-M's recruiting efforts.
"Kai is an exceptionally talented young coach who will focus on helping Michigan develop our attacking players and style of play," said Ryan. "Kai is well known and respected across the country. He will make a positive and immediate impact on our future recruiting classes at Michigan."
Throughout his 13 years in the collegiate coaching business, he has also devoted his time to various club programs around the country.
Edwards joins the program after being involved with soccer on various levels in the Phoenix, Arizona, area for the past two years. Since January 2015, he has served as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach with Arizona State University's women's soccer program. In that role, he was responsible for match analysis, player analysis and on-campus recruiting. While in Phoenix, Edwards also worked with the Sereno Soccer Club as the Girls Coaching Director and ECNL Director and Head Coach.
"I want to thank Greg Ryan, Tiffany Hansen and Lisa Savoury for conducting a thorough and professional interview process and giving me the opportunity to work with the student -athletes at the University of Michigan and this great staff," said Edwards.
"My wife, Tessa, and I are very excited to join the Wolverine family and be in the Midwest, where we both have strong family ties. What attracted me to the University of Michigan is the first class academics, a premier soccer program in the country and an elite overall athletic department committed to athletic excellence and student-athlete experiences."
Prior to making the move to Arizona, Edwards spent six seasons as the women's soccer head coach at Saint Mary's College of California (2009-2014). The Gaels were ranked in the top 10 in the Western region in four of his seasons in Moraga. Overall, SMC recorded wins over seven top-25 teams, including a pair of top-10 wins, while 21 student-athletes earned All-WCC honors during his time at the helm of the program. Edwards' attractive recruiting style helped bring members of the Canadian U-20, Canadian U-17 and New Zealand U-20 teams, as well as the Peru and Philippines senior national teams to Saint Mary's. During his time in California, he also coached the Mustang Soccer Club (Danville, Calif.).
Edwards' first Division I coaching position came when he served as the Associate Head Coach at the University of California at Santa Barbara for two seasons (2007-08). He helped the Gauchos achieve a top-20 national ranking, win the 2008 Big West Tournament title and receive the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 1991. During his tenure, UCSB also defeated three top-20 teams and garnered the Big West Conference's Offensive MVP and Freshman of the Year awards. His recruiting efforts helped the Gauchos land the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big West -- the best class in program history.
Edwards got his start in collegiate coaching at Western Washington University (Division II) during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, when he served as an assistant coach and headed up the program's recruiting efforts. While in Washington, he was also the Associate Director of Development for the Whatcom Football Club Rangers.
After two seasons in Washington, he returned to his alma mater, Sonoma State University (Division II) in Rohnert Park, California. As an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the 2006 season, he helped the Seawolves achieve the No. 6 ranking in the West Region. Edwards also coached the Solano Soccer Club while at Sonoma State.
Prior to jumping into collegiate coaching, he worked with several club programs in California from 1998-2004.
Edwards has been heavily involved with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) since 2002, most recently within Region IV and the Arizona State Team. He received his USSF "A" license and his NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma in 2006 and continues to have a passion for learning, making 10-plus trips to various European fútbol clubs over the past 10 years.
Edwards earned his bachelor's degree in American Multi-Cultural Studies in 2003 from Sonoma State, where he played two seasons for the Seawolves. In 2002, he helped lead Sonoma State to the NCAA Division II national championship. Prior to his two years at Sonoma, Edwards played soccer for two years at San Francisco State, where he was a team captain in 2001.
Professionally, he played for the Seattle Sounders Select team (2002) while at Sonoma State and went on to play with Surrey United in Canada (2004-06) after graduation. In addition to soccer, Edwards is a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and competed on the U.S. Teckno National Tae Kwon Do team.
Communications Contact: Whitney Vojtkofsky
