IRVINE, Calif. – Concordia University Irvine Athletics announced some shuffling of the current coaching staff for the men's and women's soccer programs this spring.

Long-time assistant coach Erik Kirsch will serve as the interim men's soccer coach moving forward.

Chris Gould, who has served as the Director of Soccer with both programs for nearly a decade, will now focus solely as the head coach of the CUI women's soccer program.

Associate women's soccer head coach Cheyne Gordon is retiring from collegiate coaching at the end of the spring semester to pursue other opportunities.

Both Gould and Gordon are CUI alumni who have helped raise the women's soccer program to new heights over the past few years. This includes the first three playoff victories in the NCAA DII Era for women's soccer (all over the past two seasons) and a No. 5 national ranking for the first time this past fall.  In each of the past two seasons, the CUI women's soccer team was ultimately knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual NCAA DII champions (Western Washington in 2022 and Point Loma in 2023). 

During this past 2023 season, the CUI women were nationally-ranked in the Top 25 United Soccer Coaches Poll for the majority of the year, and finished No. 23 in the final December poll as well. Senior Gabby Breton was named an All-Region selection and six student-athletes earned All-PacWest accolades.

Kirsch has served as an assistant coach with Gould on the men's side since 2015. He also coaches the JSerra boys high school soccer team and has built relationships throughout the region as the Director of the Pateadores boy's older program for the South County program.