Jan. 6, 2011
LOS ANGELES - UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero announced today that assistant head coach B.J. Snow has been named the new head coach of the UCLA women's soccer program effective immediately. The move comes following the departure of Jillian Ellis who, after 12 very successful seasons in Westwood, has decided to embark on a new phase of her career by accepting the job of Youth Women's National Team Development Director for U.S. Soccer.
Snow becomes the fourth head coach in program history, following Joy Fawcett (1993-97), Todd Saldana (1998) and Ellis (1999-2010).
"I am thrilled to announce that B.J. Snow will guide our heralded women's soccer program," said Guerrero. "B.J. is an outstanding coach and has played a major role in the incredible achievements of our program over the past five years, clearly demonstrating a passion for UCLA and an unsurpassed desire to excel. B.J.'s integrity, knowledge of the game and recruiting acumen are all qualities that will make him very successful as our head coach. On a personal level, B.J. is an exemplary leader who connects with student-athletes and strongly supports UCLA's commitment to academic achievement and service to the community. In total, I am confident that B.J. will carry on the legacy of excellence that has defined UCLA women's soccer under Jill Ellis."
Senior associate athletic director Ken Weiner, who oversees women's soccer at UCLA, added "Jill has established a great tradition at UCLA and we certainly thank her for her contributions and wish her well with U.S. Soccer. Our program is in great hands with B.J. at the helm. He has been instrumental in our recruiting success over the past few years and was a key factor in four consecutive appearances in the College Cup. The transition will be seamless."
Snow, who arrived at UCLA in 2006, is widely regarded as one of the top coaching talents in America. He quickly rose through the coaching ranks in Westwood, going from volunteer assistant to full-time coach in the span of just one year. He was then promoted to assistant head coach in 2009. During his time at UCLA, the Bruins have compiled a record of 97-18-7, reaching the NCAA College Cup from 2006-09. UCLA also won consecutive Pac-10 titles from 2006-08.
Snow has stepped into the head coaching role for Ellis on several occasions, most recently in the spring of 2010 when she was away coaching the Under-20 U.S. Women's National Team. His contributions also go beyond the playing field, as he has taken an active role in recruiting the last several years, helping UCLA notch top 5 classes in each of his five seasons on staff.
In addition to his efforts at UCLA, Snow has also been involved with U.S. Soccer for several years, serving as an assistant coach with the Under-20 Women's National Team. He has also been brought in by U.S. Soccer to serve as a clinician at a number of coaching seminars.
