Keith West - Head Coach - Women's Soccer Coaches

Keith West

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
keith.a.west@csun.edu

2016 BIG WEST CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR
2009 BIG WEST CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR

The Matadors’ longest tenured and winningest head coach in program history, Keith West completed his 15th year at the helm in 2020-21.

West has accumulated a 125-118-34 overall record with CSUN. He led the Matadors to the Big West Tournament championship and the team’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012. CSUN also won its first-ever Big West regular season title in 2016 under West.

Leading the Matadors to eight Big West Tournaments over an 11-year span, West has posted seven winning seasons at CSUN. His players have earned 64 all-conference nods, 12 all-region honors and eight major Big West awards. West was named Big West Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2016.

His players own 13 career and single-season school records. Cynthia Sanchez is the program’s all-time leader in goals while goalkeeper Cynthia Jacobo holds the record for wins and goalkeeper Jovani McCaskill has the school record for shutouts.

West would lead the Matadors to the conference title game for the second time in three seasons in 2019. CSUN tied a school record with 12 wins and boasted its second-most shutouts in team history with 11. Six Matadors earned all-league honors, highlighted by Amanda Martin winning the Defensive Player of the Year award - the third player to earn the honor under coach West.

The 2017 season saw the Matadors advance to the Big West title game for the first time since 2012 where they fell in penalty kicks to Cal State Fullerton. West reached another milestone during the year with his 100th career victory. Sanchez and McCaskill broke the career goal and shutout records, respectively. McCaskill would go on to be named Co-Goalkeeper of the Year for the second-straight season.

The Matadors enjoyed a record-breaking season in 2016 as West led CSUN to the Big West regular season title. The team went 6-1-1 in Big West play, earning its best conference winning percentage in team history (.812). The Matadors also set a school record for shutouts in a season (15) as they finished second in the nation in the category. West earned Big West Coach of the Year honors and eight Matadors were honored by the Big West including Nicole Thompson who took home Defensive Player of the Year and McCaskill who earned Goalkeeper of the Year.

In 2012, the Matadors reached new program heights by winning the conference tournament and playing on the national stage of the NCAA Tournament. CSUN finished the year 11-5-6 overall and 6-1-2 in Big West play to earn the second seed in the Big West Tournament. At the event, CSUN knocked off Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton in overtime to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA's. Cynthia Jacobo won her second-straight Big West Goalkeeper of the Year award while Chloe McDaniel was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Year.

West would tie the school record for wins in a season with 12 in 2010 while the Matadors posted an 8-2 mark at home as Matador Soccer Field debuted its new lighting system. Farryn Townley left CSUN as the all-time leader in goals and points, and held the record until Sanchez broke both marks seven years later.

The 2009 season represented one of the most accomplished seasons in Matador history. CSUN posted a 10-10 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Big West to finish in second place in the league standings. The team returned to the postseason for the first time since 2004 and hosted a playoff game for the first time in school history. Individually, West saw five Matadors honored by the league coaches, including Big West Freshman of the Year Cynthia Jacobo.

West would take over the program in 2006, winning 10 matches in his very first season. The team would produce 13 wins over the next two seasons, laying the groundwork for record-breaking campaigns over the next decade. In 2008, the team made school history under West with its 100th all-time victory in a 2-0 triumph over UC Davis.

West is the fifth head coach in the history of the program. He previously worked with the women’s team for two years as an assistant under Terry Davila, and helped guide the Matadors to a pair of double-digit winning seasons. In 2004, CSUN equaled school records in wins (12) and conference victories (6) in earning its first trip to the Big West Tournament. A season later, the Matadors posted an 11-8-0 record, setting a school mark with a nine-match win streak while tying for fourth in one of the toughest conferences in the nation.

West began his CSUN coaching career in 1999 as an assistant on the men’s soccer team. He previously served as a graduate assistant on coach Marwan Ass’ad’s staff beginning in 1996. As the men’s defensive coach for seven seasons, West helped the Matadors earn four-straight trips (2002-05) to the NCAA Tournament thanks to a defense that was ranked as one of the nation’s best. In 2005, CSUN finished with a goals-against-average of 0.88 and posted 11 shutouts.

West spent seven years as the assistant coach of Harvard-Westlake High School’s varsity girls’ soccer team. He also served as the head coach of the boys’ Valley United Soccer Club for four years and the girls’ Valley United Soccer Club for one season. West coached the West Valley Samba squad that won the Dallas Cup tournament in 2002.

Much of West’s success as a coach comes from lessons learned on the field as a three-year letterman with the Matadors from 1993-95. He led the western region and finished third in the nation in scoring as a senior, collecting an amazing 20 goals and 49 total points. In addition to his Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year award, West garnered second-team All-Far West Region honors in 1995. West was also named to the MPSF 15th Anniversary Team. His 20 goals are the most scored in a single season by any CSUN Division I player.

As a high school athlete at Kennedy High School, West accumulated many accolades, including his selection as City Player of the Year after his junior season. He was also an all-conference player in football during his high school career.

West graduated from CSUN in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance/Real Estate. He and his wife, Eva, have a son, Cameron Anders, and daughter, Kylee.

West’s File
-Winningest and longest tenured head coach in team history
-Coached CSUN to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012
-Led the Matadors to their first ever Big West Tournament title in 2012 and first Big West regular season championship in 2016
-Tied school record with 12 wins in 2010
-Led CSUN to eight Big West Tournament appearances over a 11-year stretch (2009-19).
-His players have won four Big West Goalkeeper of the Year awards, three Defensive Player of the Year honors and one Freshman of the Year nod.
-59 All-Big West Conference and 12 All-West Region honors have been handed out to his players