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When Kevin Boyd was named the third head coach in the history of the Arizona State women's soccer program following a distinguished 10-year stint at Cal, the 2005 Pac-10 Coach of the Year was quick to note he was coming into a situation that had unlimited potential. "I think ASU is a diamond in the rough," explained Boyd. "The facilities here are among the best in the country and the administration is very supportive. Many of the elements that are needed to be a top program are already in place." A year in Tempe has only reinforced Boyd's belief of what he believes can be accomplished at ASU. "The longer I am here the more I am impressed with what this athletic program and this school offer in every area - the academics, which includes an outstanding Honors College, the facilities and especially the care that is given to the student-athletes. "I think this program will show up on the map very soon. When our staff talks to athletes we tell them that at ASU they will get the No. 1 athletic and academic experience in the country and I honestly believe that." Boyd's first season guiding ASU produced immediate results as the Sun Devils produced a double-digit win total (10) for the first time since 2003 while barely missing having their name called for the NCAA Tournament. "Last year was a good year even though we didn't achieve our goals," said Boyd. "A credit to last year's team is I thought they did an outstanding job of grasping what we were doing really quickly. I think it is firmly entrenched in our returners in terms of what the culture is and what our expectations are." During his 10 seasons at Cal, Boyd, 40, was instrumental in building the Berkeley, Calif., school into one of the top programs in the Pac-10 Conference as his squads finished in the upper-half of the league standings nine times. Included in that span was his team's 1998 co-championship crown along with second-place finishes in 2000 and 2005. From 1998-2002 (five years), Cal advanced to the NCAA tournament, setting a program record for consecutive appearances. Boyd's Golden Bear teams also advanced to the tournament in each of his last three seasons with the 2005 squad reaching the third round, marking the deepest run in the tournament for a Cal squad since the 1988 team also made the third round. Also in 2005, Boyd's team built a 7-1-1 record in the Pac-10 to earn a second-place finish while going 16-4-2 overall. For his efforts, the conference coaches selected Boyd as the Pac-10 Coach of the Year. That same year, his team set records for lowest goals against average (0.475), which also was the seventh-best total in the nation that year, while tying for school marks with 14 shutouts and fewest goals allowed (11). Under Boyd, who served as the program's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in 1996 prior to his 10-year run as head coach, the Golden Bears produced 28 first or second-team All-Pac-10 Conference selections while also garnering 21 selections to the Academic All-Pac-10 first or second teams. Additionally, Boyd's teams carried a stellar overall GPA, leading all Cal teams during the 2003-04 season (3.34). Outside of his duties with the Cal program, Boyd also worked with several club teams in the Bay Area. In 2002, he led the U18 Marin Rockers to the Cal North state title and also worked with the U17 Cal North state team. Boyd also has held several positions with the Region IV Olympic Development program, including: regional team coach (1992-00), U15 head coach (1998-00), U16 assistant coach (1996), U17 assistant coach (1993-95) and staff coach (1992-93). Before working on the club scene in California, Boyd began his successful coaching career by building programs in the Idaho Youth Soccer Association between 1991-96. As a coach and club director, Boyd managed the U18 State Select team and, in 1992, founded the Les Bois United Soccer Club, which he turned into a power house that collected 22 state titles. Prior to his coaching days, Boyd was an accomplished player. Collegiately, Boyd attended Tri-State University in Angola, Ind., where he was a four-year letter winner. An honorable mention All-American in 1989, Boyd was a three-time team captain for the Trojans while earning three all-district selections, three all-area selections and three all-MICL selections as a sweeper. For his efforts, he was inducted into the Tri-State Hall of Fame. Following his collegiate playing days, Boyd played one year of international soccer as a member of Hamar Kameratena, a Norwegian Elite team in the country's First Division. From there, Boyd was a member of the Region IV men's open team (1991-93). Boyd holds several coaching licenses, including a USSF National `A' Coaching License, a USSF National Youth Coaching License and a NSCAA Premier Coaching Diploma (passed with distinction). |
 
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