Matias Fernandez
Goalkeeping Coach, UCSB
Fernandez's Central California roots run deep, having been both a player and coach in the city of Fresno since 2013. The former Central Valley Fuego FC goalkeeper comes to Santa Barbara from Fresno Pacific, where he played two seasons of his collegiate career and worked as the goalkeeper coach since 2017. In 2019, he helped the Sunbirds win the PacWest Championship and post a school record 1.2 goals-against average.
"It is a dream to be here, to be transitioning to a powerhouse university, where the weather is nice, the food is great and the soccer is excellent," Fernandez said. "Coach Tim Vom Steeg reached out in February and I instantly knew that I wanted to come coach and learn from him. The wealth of knowledge that he has is immense."
Fernandez has accumulated plenty of knowledge himself, entering his twelfth season of coaching. He has operated MSF Goalkeeping Academy in Fresno since 2013 and, along with his time at Fresno Pacific, has stints with Fresno State Women's Soccer and Central Valley Fuego FC's youth academy on his resume. As a player, he split his college career between Cal State Monterey Bay and Fresno Pacific, then played professionally for the Fresno Foxes, Valley FC, and Central Valley Fuego FC from 2017-2023.