Tim Vom Steeg is entering his 24th season as head coach of the UC Santa Barbara men’s soccer program in 2022-23. He was named NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year by the NSCAA for the second time after leading UC Santa Barbara to the program’s first national championship in 2006 and most recently picked up his fifth Big West Coach of the Year award in 2015.
Under his watch, UC Santa Barbara has had by far its highest and most consistent level of success. Since his hiring in 1999, the Gauchos have won 13 Big West Championships (11 regular season, two Big West Tournament), made 14 postseason trips, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen eight times, played in two College Cups, been the NCAA’s attendance champion nine times, and won the 2006 National Championship. In his 23 years at UCSB, Vom Steeg has comprised a 284-130-56 (.664) overall and 133-45-30 (.712) conference record.
Vom Steeg’s mark in the NCAA Tournament is 22-13 (.629), giving him more wins than the rest of the Big West schools combined (17). He is the only coach to win over 100 Big West matches. Since joining the conference in 2001, the Gauchos have had the most All-American (22), All-Big West (173) and Big West Player of the Week (77) selections, and a total of 31 MLS draft picks with eight going in the first round. His teams also hold conference season records for goals (67), assists (74) and points (208) in 2002, as well as shutouts (16) in 2009.
In 2021, the Gauchos overcame injuries and a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic to claim both the Big West regular season and tournament championships for the first time. They defeated UC Irvine 4-0 in the most lopsided Big West final ever for the program’s first championship game win since 2010.
The 2019 year saw UCSB post 15 wins for the first time in 8 seasons, ending a 4-year NCAA Tournament absence. The Gauchos would defeat three straight opponents by a combined score of 8-1, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2006.
UCSB won its fourth consecutive Big West North Division title in 2016 with a 6-1-3 record. This was one year after Vom Steeg’s fifth Big West Coach of the Year win, as the team earned a No. 15 national seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16.
Vom Steeg picked up his 200th career Division I win with a 3-1 defeat of Yale on Sep. 20, 2013. On Oct. 2, 2009, he became the Big West’s winningest coach (during conference membership) when the Gauchos defeated visiting Indiana 3-0, at Harder Stadium. Since the Gauchos rejoined the Big West in 2001, Vom Steeg has led the team to 264 wins. He also leads the conference’s coaches with 128 Big West wins.
In 2005, Vom Steeg became the UCSB career victory leader after surpassing Andy Kuenzli (1981-89) with his 96th win as the Gauchos defeated UC Davis in double overtime on Oct. 26. He went on to become the first coach in program history to reach the 100-win plateau after he led that squad to a 2-0 victory over San Diego State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
After leading UCSB to its first NCAA College Cup appearance and final in 2004, Vom Steeg earned his first NCAA National Coach of the Year award. He also garnered NSCAA National Coach of the Year honors that season, and again in 2006, after leading the Gauchos to the NCAA title, just the second in UCSB Athletics history.
Vom Steeg has been honored as Big West Coach of the Year on five occasions: ‘04, ‘05, ‘10, ‘13 and ‘16. Additionally, he garnered Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Coach of the Year accolades during his first season with UCSB in 1999, when he guided Santa Barbara to a 13-7 mark for a 10.5-game improvement on its 1998 record, the best turnaround in the NCAA at the Division I level that year.
Since taking over the helm of the men’s soccer program in 1999, he has coached numerous players who still play professional soccer at a high level. While there was just one All-American to come out of UCSB prior to his arrival, Vom Steeg has produced a total of 18, including two Freshmen All-Americans. His teams have dominated the Big West Player of the Year awards as well, claiming a total of 11 Defensive, nine Offensive, seven Midfielder and five Goalkeeper of the Year awards.
Vom Steeg guided Santa Barbara to its first ever Big West Championship in 2001, his third season with the program. He has since led the team to 18 winning seasons, only falling shy of winning 10 games once.
Vom Steeg achieved a milestone in 2002, guiding Santa Barbara to its first ever NCAA Tournament and posting its first tourney victory in the process. The Gauchos advanced to the Sweet 16 in ‘03, ‘07, ‘09, ‘11 and ‘15, to the national title match in ‘04 and ‘06, and the NCAA Championship in ‘06.
Prior to his return to UCSB, Vom Steeg was the head coach at Santa Barbara City College, where he amassed an impressive 120-18-7 (.852) overall record from 1992 through 1998, leading the Vaqueros to five Western State Conference Championships and a 1996 California Community College State Championship. In addition, SBCC reached the State Final Four on four occasions under Vom Steeg, most recently in his final season, 1998. Vom Steeg was a five-time WSC Coach of the Year honoree during his seven-year tenure and was also named State Coach of the Year in 1996 and NSCAA Far West Region Coach of the Year in 1997. In 2008, Vom Steeg was elected to the California Community College Coaches Hall of Fame after his stellar coaching career at SBCC.
Vom Steeg played at UCSB from 1985 to 1988, and graduated in 1989 with a B.A. in history. He received his master’s degree from UCSB in 2000. He has also earned his USSF National “B” Coaching License.
He resides in Santa Barbara and is married to Almeria Vom Steeg. They have four sons: Justin, Carson, and twins Caden and Jared.
