UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Carlos Somoano, who has helped bring in six top-10 recruiting classes, gets a shot at leading the UNC team.
CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina didn't go far for its new men's soccer coach.
Carlos Somoano, the Tar Heels' top assistant for the past nine seasons, has been hired to replace Elmar Bolowich, UNC athletic director Dick Baddour announced in a news release on Monday.
"We are thrilled to hire a coach of Carlos' pedigree to lead our men's soccer program," Baddour said in the release. "Carlos has worked alongside Elmar Bolowich for the last nine years and has been an integral part of building this program into one of the nation's best. He has consistently proven to be one of the sport's finest recruiters as well as a great teacher of the game and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to continue the tradition of excellence that we have seen from our men's soccer program."
Bolowich resigned as North Carolina's coach after 22 seasons to take a similar position at Creighton.
Bolowich earned 280 victories, including the 2001 NCAA championship. The Tar Heels have advanced to three consecutive NCAA College Cups and earned bids to the NCAA tournament in 11 of the past 12 seasons under Bolowich's watch.
While at UNC, Somoano (pronounced some-WAH-no) has helped recruit six top-10 recruiting classes and contributed to one of the most successful periods in program history.
"It is an honor to be able to represent the University of North Carolina and its tradition of excellence," Somoano said in the release. "When I came to Carolina nine years ago I was immediately welcomed into the Carolina family and I am excited that I will continue to be a part of this great institution."
Somoano joined the North Carolina staff from Virginia Commonwealth, where he was an assistant coach for six seasons.
Somoano graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., in 1992 and served as an Eckerd assistant coach from 1992 to 1995 before going to VCU.
