After helping develop UCF(m) men’s soccer into one of the top programs in the nation, Mauricio Ruiz has been promoted to the Knights’ associate head coach. Ruiz has spent the last four years as an assistant under head coach Bryan Cunningham.

The Knights have advanced to the second round of each of the last two NCAA Championships, and have become a fixture in the national rankings. In 2011, UCF went 12-6-3 overall and was ranked as high as No. 6 nationally during the campaign.

“Each day Mauricio gets better in every facet of coaching,” Cunningham said. “We have had so much success since he has been onboard and he deserves to be elevated. Mauricio is a tremendous recruiter and he works tirelessly to build relationships and identify talent that fits our system. He does an excellent job managing other aspects of our office, including academics, and is an invaluable member of our program.”

In 2010, Ruiz helped guide the Knights to an impressive campaign. Playing in the first home NCAA Championship game in program history, UCF defeated in-state rival South Florida, 3-0, to earn a spot against eventual College Cup semifinalist Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Knights won 12 games and earned the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA Championship.

Seven Knights have garnered all-region honors in the last two years, and this past spring, two UCF players – Kevan George and Warren Creavalle – were selected in the MLS SuperDraft. Off the field, the Knights have excelled in the classroom. In 2011-12, 13 members of the team earned C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll recognition.

“I am honored to be named associate head coach at UCF, a place and program that I consider home,” Ruiz said.  “I want to thank Coach Cunningham for the incredible recognition and the opportunity he has presented me, as well as (Senior Associate AD) David Hansen and (Vice President and Director of Athletics) Todd Stansbury for their respect and trust in my work. I’m very excited to be a part of the continuity and stability that our players and program deserve. I’m proud to work here and call myself a Knight.”

After serving as a volunteer assistant coach at UCF in 2008, Ruiz was promoted to assistant coach in the summer of 2009, and eventually to recruiting coordinator in the spring of 2010.