Babak Abouzar
Head Coach
Babak Abouzar became the second head coach in Pioneer Soccer program history in July 2013 after serving as the team’s assistant coach for one year.
As head coach, Abouzar has led the Pioneers to a 81-62-17 record after taking over a program that accumulated a mark of 63-119-23 in the previous 15 years.
As head coach, Abouzar has led the Pioneers to a 93-76-27 record after taking over a program that accumulated a mark of 63-119-23 in the previous 15 years.
Most recently, in 2023, Abouzar led the Pioneers to an 11 win season in his 12th year as head coach, which marks the fifth double-digit win season at TWU. The Pioneers went on to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. Abouzar coached two All-South Central Region Second Team honorees in Erica Brelove and Amanda Farris. He also coached two Academic All-District honorees in Alyssa Valdez and Hayley Masoner.
In 2021, Abouzar coached the Pioneers to a double-digit win season (12) for the fourth time at TWU. The Pioneers lost in the Conference tournament.
Abouzar coached the Pioneers to a double-digit win season (12) for the fourth time at TWU. The Pioneers lost in the Conference tournament.
In 2019, Abouzar helped guide the team to a historical season. The team finished with the most wins in program history with 15, the most wins at home with eight and the most road wins with six. They also recorded the program's best winning percentage at .738. The Pioneers fell in the Lone Star Conference Tournament Semifinals to No. 1 Dallas Baptist, but their season did not end there. For the first time in program history, the Pioneers earned a bid to the Division II NCAA Tournament. They received an at-large bid as the fourth seed in the South Central Region. In their first game of the NCAA Tournament, the Pioneers lost to No. 5 seed Dixie State in Colorado Spring, Colo on a penalty kick shootout.
More history in the Abouzar era at TWU happened during the 2017 season when Abouzar led TWU soccer to the program’s first national ranking in program history; the Pioneers debuted at No. 25 before moving up to No. 15.
In 2014, the Pioneers recorded the best start to a season in program history with a 6-1-0 record and set a new benchmark for consecutive wins with six.
The success of the Pioneers under Abouzar has been evident in the classroom as well. During the Fall 2013 semester, the squad posted its highest-ever GPA of 3.586, which included a record-setting 10 student-athletes with a perfect 4.0. In addition, the Pioneers have been recognized on the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll over 110 times with Abouzar’s tutelage.
Abouzar came to TWU after two seasons as the head coach at Lubbock Christian University where he was the first coach in program history and guided the Lady Chaps to a 14-18-4 record and two straight Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament appearances. Prior to his stint at LCU, Abouzar was a graduate assistant coach for two seasons at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Abouzar played two years at Lipscomb as a defender and earned Atlantic Sun All-Academic honors. He was also a NJCAA All-American at Richland College in Dallas where his team won an NJCAA National Championship. Abouzar earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 2008 and his MBA in 2009 from Lipscomb.