Dec. 22, 2010

NSCAA Regional Assistant Coaches of the Year Release

BERKELEY - California men's soccer assistant coach Pieter Lehrer claimed the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Mondo Far West Regional Assistant Coach of the Year award, the NSCAA announced this week. The sixth-year assistant coach is now in the running for the NSCAA/Mondo National Assistant Coach of the Year honor, which the coaching organization will announce at its annual awards banquet at the 2011 NSCAA Convention on Jan. 14 in Baltimore.

"This is a great and well-deserved honor for Pieter," Golden Bears head coach Kevin Grimes said. "He has worked very hard over the past six years to be the best in the business. It is only fitting that the NSCAA honor Pieter as the Far West region assistant coach of the year. He has a great chance to be the NSCAA National assistant coach of the year as well."

Lehrer is vying with seven other assistant coaches for the national award. Grimes is also in the running for national coaching honors, as he was named the NSCAA/Mondo Far West Regional Coach of the Year earlier this month.

The two coaches led Cal to arguably its best season, as the Bears reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, won the Pac-10 title and compiled a 14-2-4 record.

At the collegiate level, the regional assistant coach award is named for Glenn "Mooch" Myernick, the former U.S. national team assistant coach, who passed away in 2007.