UCLA men’s soccer hires Navy assistant coach Paul Killian

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men’s soccer program has hired Paul Killian as an assistant coach, it was announced on Monday by head coach Ryan Jorden.

Killian spent the last five seasons (2016-21) on the staff of the men’s program at Navy, serving as an assistant coach for four seasons before earning a promotion to associate head coach in 2020. His time in Annapolis yielded a number of program highlights, including a 15-game winning streak over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He started his career as an assistant in 2015 at his alma mater, Stevens, guiding the club to a 15-4-2 record that season.

“I am very excited to be adding Paul to our coaching staff,” said Jorden. “He came highly recommended by those who have worked with him and by other coaches who know him because of his work rate, recruiting drive, and relational ability. In the hours that we spent talking about the vision for UCLA soccer, it became clear to me that he would be the ideal fit for this position.”

Killian was an instrumental part of Navy’s success during his tenure, culminating in a 2019 campaign that ranks among the best in program history. The Midshipmen won 11 straight games out of the gate that year – the school’s best start to a season since 1964 – and ultimately finished with a 12-4-1 record, tied for the third-most single-season wins in program history. With Killian specifically working with the team’s back line, Navy posted the fourth-best goals-against-average (0.57) in the country that year.

Navy followed that up with a 4-2-1 performance during the truncated 2020-21 season. In three seasons with Killian as the top assistant, the Midshipmen posted a 21-17-3 overall record.

Killian was also the recruiting coordinator during his time at Navy, most notably signing the 2018 Patriot League Rookie of the Year (Jacob Williams) and putting together three recruiting classes that were nationally ranked by TopDrawerSoccer.

The Ellicott City, Md. native has made a pair of other coaching stops during his career, working as an assistant coach with the Baltimore Armour in the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy program (USSDA) and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Stevens for the 2015-16 season.

During his one year at Stevens, the Ducks went 15-4-2 and spent the entire season nationally ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA; now United Soccer Coaches) poll en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Killian also recruited the 2016 Conference Freshman of the Year for Stevens before making the move to Annapolis.

A goalkeeper during his playing days, Killian was a three-year starter in net for Stevens, posting a 50-8-3 career record with 25 shutouts. He was named the National Goalkeeper of the Year and a First Team All-American by D3Soccer.com in 2012 after going 18-3-1 with a 0.40 GAA, 12 shutouts, and a .894 save percentage. He won 16 games and had at least six shutouts as both a sophomore in 2011 and a senior in 2013.

Killian graduated from Stevens in 2014 with a degree in business & technology. He is set to fill the vacancy created by Matt Taylor, who was hired as a first team assistant coach by MLS side Real Salt Lake this past spring.

“We are very excited for Matt and this professional opportunity for him and his family,” said Jorden. “Matt’s investment into UCLA soccer has been immense, as both an alum and coach, and we will miss him.”