California State University, Monterey Bay Women's Soccer

Head coach Laura VanWart enters her eighth season at the helm of the Otters women's soccer program.  VanWart, who graduated from Cal in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in education, was in her second stint with Cal when the Otters came calling prior to the 2017 season. It was another impressive point in an already extensive résumé that has her ready to lead the NCAA Division II program. Between her stops at Cal, VanWart got her first taste of collegiate head coaching experience at Mills College, where she served in the top spot for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. While at Mills she mentored several All–Great South Athletic Conference team members. VanWart first joined the Cal soccer coaching staff July of 2013. She served in a variety of roles for the Bears in both technical, on–field training and scouting as well as in auxiliary roles such as recruiting, marketing and alumni outreach. She got her first taste of NCAA coaching at St. Mary's College, where she was an assistant coach in 2009 and again for the 2011–12 seasons. She helped the Gaels earn their first (and still only) 10–win season since 2001 when they earned 10 victories during the 2011 season.   VanWart made a stop in the Big West Conference via a season at Long Beach State. She helped guide the 49ers to an NCAA Tournament bid in her only season with the program. Long Beach State tied its school record with 14 wins and won the Big West Conference Tournament after being picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll.  Her first collegiate position came at Contra Costa College, where she joined as an assistant in 2004 before ascending to the head coaching role in 2006. She earned Bay Valley Conference Coach of the Year in her first year as head coach and served as the Comets' head coach until 2009. VanWart's experience also includes high school and club coaching.  She currently coaches club at Mustang Soccer Club, and was a coach and an assistant director of the Bay Oaks Soccer Club in Oakland from 2011-2015.  She has also coached at both Beach FC and the Mavericks Soccer club and worked with the Cal North Olympic Development Program. VanWart resides in Marina with her husband, Erick, and their two children.    

Coming from Coast to Coast, Cristian Materazzi, an alumni of the Otters left West Virginia to come and become our Goalkeeper coach for the Otters. Materazzi was with the Otters for the 21-22 Season. Materazzi served as WVU’s goalkeeper coach, while assisting with the team’s daily training sessions and game preparations. Materazzi helped the Mountaineers post a 12-8-2 mark in 2019. The squad reached the NCAA Tournament Third Round for the fourth time in five years and were led by senior goalkeeper and co-captain. In 2018, Materazzi coached Foster to United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team honors, the first netminder in program history to earn an All-America award. The 2018 All-Big 12 First Team member also was a MAC Hermann Trophy candidate and a finalist for the CONCACAF Female Goalkeeper of the Year. In 2017, the WVU goalkeeping unit posted 13 shutouts, 12 credited to Foster, and ranked No. 20 nationally with a 0.565 shutout percentage. The unit also ranked No. 25 nationally with a 0.670 GAA. The Mountaineers finished the season at 16-4-3. Materazzi also spent four seasons as head coach at Alderson Broaddus. The second coach in program history, he led the Battlers to a 3-12-2 showing in 2017. In 2016, the squad finished 6-9-2, and three athletes were named to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) All-Conference team. The squad went 7-12 in 2015 en route to its second straight appearance in the G-MAC Women’s Soccer Championship. In his first season as head coach, Materazzi led the team to the semifinals of the G-MAC Championship following a 2-0, opening-round win over Davis & Elkins. The Battlers finished 6-12-1, and forward Lauren Small was named the G-MAC Freshman of the Year and ECAC Rookie of the Year. In 2011, Materazzi served as the first assistant coach for men’s soccer at Stetson, where he helped the Hatters to a 10-5-4 record en route to an appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. During his first stint at AB, Materazzi also served as a volunteer assistant at WVU in 2010. The Mountaineers went 18-5-1 that season and claimed the Big East Conference Championship title. Goalkeeper Kerri Butler finished the year with 14 shutouts, the best season total in program history, and posted a 0.82 goals-against average. Prior to his time at AB, Materazzi spent five years as an assistant with the Otters men’s and women’s soccer programs. A three-year varsity letter winner at CSUMB as a goalkeeper, he played professionally in 2003 with California Gold, a United Soccer League PSL team. He also spent the 2004 season with Club America, a Mexican Primera Division team, on a trial basis. Materazzi holds an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma. He is the husband of Otter volleyball Head Coach Courtney (Taubert) Materazzi. The couple met while both were student–athletes at CSUMB.