Coach Byrd is coming from Coastal Bend College in Beeville, TX where he was the men's coach and will officially start on January 1st at UA Rich Mountain. He will coach both the men's and women's programs.  Brian Byrd has been involved in soccer either as a player or coach for over 35 years.  He came up through the Dallas/Fort Worth soccer club programs such as the Dallas Longhorns, Texas Elite, and Dallas Titans.  He played soccer for Mansfield High School and was voted First Team All-District and All-Region. Hes played professional indoor soccer for the Arlington Arrows, Fort Worth Kicks, and outdoor in the United Soccer League (USL) for the L.A. Salsa and Dallas Rockets.  Byrd wrapped up his playing days in 1990 when had the opportunity to play in an international competition in Portsmouth, England. Byrd spent seven years as the men's assistant coach at the University of Dallas, where in 2007 UD won the NCAA Division III Independent National Championship with a record of 17-1-1.  Coach Byrd also spent nine seasons as the assistant coach for the DFW Tornado's Men's Premier Development League (PDL) and Super 20 Men's team. During his time with the Tornado's, the team earned 3 trips to the Lamar Hunt Open where they faced the Austin Aztecs, FC Dallas, and the Houston Dynamo.  He has coached 14 players that went on to have careers in either the MLS, USL, or international play. Coach Byrd took over the head men's coaching position at Coastal Bend College in July of 2014.  Coach Byrd's vision from the start was to transform the program to a level that could compete for a national title on a yearly basis. The Cougar soccer program has increased its win record in all five seasons under his leadership.  In 2016, the team won a school record 15 games and beat three nationally ranked teams along with hosting and winning the first ever playoff game in the programs history. Over that 5 year span, the highlights included several wins, including wins over nationally ranked programs and earning a playoff berth all 5 years with 3 trips to the NJCAA Region 14 Finals. Coach Byrd's most treasured accomplishment at Coastal Bend is sending on 100% of his graduating sophomores to four year universities on a soccer scholarship.