University of California - Riverside Men's Soccer

Tim Cupello enters his 13th year at the helm of UC Riverside Men's Soccer in 2025. Cupello, joined the men's soccer staff as an assistant coach in June of 2010 before being named interim head coach prior to the 2013 season. He earned the program's first Big West Coach of the Year honor in 2022 and led the Highlanders to the Big West regular season title, Big West postseason title and the program's second ever NCAA Tournament appearance. UCR has seen 13 First Team All-Big West nods since Cupello's first full year, including five in 2022. The program also collected seven of its 11 NSCAA All-Far West Region honorees under Cupello's leadership, including current Chivas (Liga MX) midfielder Daniel Aguirre and current LAFC and former U.S. Men's National Team defender Aaron Long.  Cupello was named to the NCAA Rules Playing Committee in June of 2020. He was the only Big West representative on the nine-person roster and the only Division I representative from the west coast.  Cupello took UCR to the Big West Tournament in his interim 2013 season, a year after the program set a single-season record for wins. UC Riverside continued to roll, capturing the 2014 Big West South Division championship and making the program's fourth trip to the Big West Tournament in six years. In 2018, Cupello guided the Highlanders to the two seed in the Big West Tournament and the program's first Big West title.  In 2014, UC Riverside had six players honored with All-Big West accolades - the most ever for the Highlanders in a single season. In all, UCR has seen 21 All-Big West performers under Cupello, including Aguirre and Long. Cupello also has been on staff at UCR for five of the program's seven MLS draft picks.  In addition to his responsibilities at UC Riverside, Cupello coaches with the U-16 FC Golden State team in the US Soccer Development Academy. He came to UC Riverside following three seasons as an assistant at Syracuse University. While at Syracuse, Cupello helped oversee the development of five All-Big East players, including Kyle Hall, who was selected in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. In 2007 and 2008, SU posted an undefeated non-conference record. While at Syracuse, Cupello helped create a student fan club known as “Colvin Street Elite,” the official student support group of Syracuse men’s soccer that was featured on ESPNU’s “Campus Connection” during the fall of 2009. Prior to his time at Syracuse, Cupello spent two seasons as the assistant coach at his alma mater, NCAA Division III Fredonia State University in Fredonia, NY. He helped guide the Blue Devils to a 29-11-6 overall record and a 13-4-1 conference mark during that time. In 2005, Fredonia went 17-4-4 and ranked 15th in the final NSCAA Division III rankings after losing to eventual national runner-up Gustavus Adolphus in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. In 2006, the Blue Devils returned to the postseason and won the ECAC Upstate Championship, finishing the year with a 12-7-2 record. Cupello earned his bachelors of science degree in sport management and exercise science from Fredonia in 2006. As a four-year player for the Blue Devils, he was team captain and earned all-conference and all-tournament team honors as a senior. In 2004, he was the squad’s leading scorer with four goals and 10 points. As a junior he tallied seven goals and 16 points while starting all 22 matches in 2003. He holds a USSF “B” Coaching License, and is currently pursuing a master’s of science degree in instructional design, development and evaluation at Syracuse University. Cupello prepped at Aquinas Institute in Rochester, NY, where he won a state championship and earned Sectional MVP and Team MVP honors during his senior season. His father, Nelson, played professionally in the North American Soccer League for the Rochester Lancers from 1975-80 and in the American Soccer League for the Rochester Flash from 1981-83. He has also been a collegiate coach for over 30 years at Fredonia State University and Monroe Community College. In his free time, Cupello enjoys playing and watching sports, listening to live music and doing anything outdoors. He married former UC Riverside Assistant Volleyball Coach Brianna Koche in the spring of 2015, and in 2016 the couple celebrated the birth of their first child.

Chris Volk joined the UC Riverside men's soccer team as an assistant coach in August of 2017, entering his ninth year on staff in 2025.  In 2018, Volk helped guide the Highlanders to the two seed in the Big West Tournament and the program's first Big West title. That year the Highlanders topped Cal State Fullerton in the semi-finals and bear UC Davis in the finals to move on to the NCAA tournament. Four years later, the Highlanders topped UC Santa Barbara, 1-0 to capture its second Big West Tournament title. For the second time since 2018, UCR made it to the NCAA Tournament.  Volk is best known to area soccer fans as the longtime assistant coach and head coach at UC Irvine. During his 20 years with the Anteaters, Volk helped UCI to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including three trips to the Sweet 16. UCI won four Big West Championships, and four conference tournament titles during his final nine years with the program. Over that time span, UC Irvine compile a 106-67-22 win-loss record, and six national Top-25 rankings. Volk was named the NSCAA Far West Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008, and was a finalist for the national assistant coach of the year that same season. Eleven of his student-athletes were drafted by MLS teams, and 33 earned Big West All-Academic honors. Prior to his time at UC Irvine, Volk was the men's assistant coach at San Diego State, the assistant coach and goalkeeper coach at San Diego Mesa College, an assistant in the California Soccer Association South, and a Region IV ODP/Coach and Instructor. He also serves as the head coach of the Orange County SC U23 USL PDL, and as the DOC for North Huntington Beach FC. Volk received his bachelor's degree in social science with a minor in Spanish from San Diego State in 1992.

Romario Lomeli enters his second season with the Highlanders as an assistant coach. Prior to UC Riverside, Lomeli coached at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). In his only season with the Lions he helped guide the men's soccer team to a historic run culminating with a NCAA Elite Eight appearance.  Lomeli played for UC Riverside and is the program's all-time leader in assists, racking up 20 during his playing days from 2013-16. He was a 2016 NSCAA All-Far West honoree and a four-time All-Big West honoree under Cupello, leading the Highlanders in points, goals, assists, shots and shots on goal. He is also the program's single-season record holder for assists (9) and points (21), both of which came in his senior season in 2016.