George Kiefer (soccer)

{{Infobox college coach

| name = George Kiefer

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Grand Canyon

| current_conference = WAC

| current_record = {{Winning percentage|0|0|0|record=y}}

| contract =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|10|11}}

| birth_place = Bay Shore, New York

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = Southern Connecticut

| player_years1 = 1990–1993

| player_team1 = Southern Connecticut

| player_years2 = 1994–1995

| player_team2 = Connecticut Wolves

| coach_years1 = 1995–1996

| coach_team1 = Southern Connecticut (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1997–2001

| coach_team2 = Connecticut (assistant)

| coach_years3 = 2002–2016

| coach_team3 = South Florida

| coach_years4 = 2017–2023

| coach_team4 = NC State

| overall_record ={{Winning percentage|211|138|74|record=y}}

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record ={{Winning percentage|7|11|5|record=y}}

| championships =* 2005 Big East Division Champions

2008 Big East Tournament Champions
2011 Big East Division Champions
2013 American Tournament Champions

| awards =* 2005 NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year

2015 NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year

| coaching_records =

|coach_team5=Grand Canyon|coach_years5=2024–}}

George Kiefer (born October 11, 1971) is a former college and professional soccer player and current college soccer coach, now leading the Grand Canyon Antelopes men's soccer team after being named head coach in 2023. Previously, Kiefer was the head coach at South Florida for 15 seasons and NC State for seven seasons. As a head coach, Kiefer has led his teams to 13 NCAA tournaments.

Playing career

Kiefer played four years of college soccer under legendary coach Ray Reid at Southern Connecticut from 1990 to 1993.{{Cite web |last=Communications |first=SCSU Athletic |title=All-Time Roster |url=https://scsuowls.com/sports/2019/6/26/all-time-roster.aspx?id=214 |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=Southern Connecticut State University Athletics |language=en}}

He appeared in 48 career games, scoring eight goals and assisting on 12 more for 28 points.{{Cite web |date=27 Dec 2023 |title=Archived Men's Soccer Stats |url=https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/southernctowls.com/documents/2013/11/25/Archived%20Men's%20Soccer%20Stats.pdf |website=SCSUOwls.com}}

While a member of the Owls program, Kiefer's teams went 74–8–8 (.867) and claimed two NCAA Division II national championships.{{Cite web |title=All-Time Year-By-Year Results |url=https://scsuowls.com/sports/2019/7/16/all-time-year-by-year-results.aspx?id=251 |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=Southern Connecticut State University Athletics |language=en}}

Kiefer played professionally for the Connecticut Wolves in 1994 and 1995.{{Cite web |date=2016-11-22 |title=George Kiefer Named NC State Men's Soccer Head Coach |url=http://theacc.com/news/2016/11/22/5834ad65e4b0e8f9b4ae6625_131480919109999365.aspx |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=theacc.com |language=en}}

Coaching career

Kiefer began his coaching career as an assistant coach at his alma mater Southern Connecticut for two seasons before following Ray Reid to UConn. In seven seasons assisting Reid, Kiefer helped lead teams to a 123–26–8 (.809) record. UConn made four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 1998 to 2001.

Kiefer earned his first head coaching opportunity at South Florida, beginning a 15-year run leading the Bulls in 2002.{{Cite web |date=2002-06-21 |title=George Kiefer Named Head Men?s Soccer Coach at South Florida |url=http://conferenceusa.com/news/2002/6/21/George_Kiefer_Named_Head_Men_s_Soccer_Coach_at_South_Florida.aspx |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=conferenceusa.com |language=en}} Kiefer was the 2005 NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year. He posted a 162–84–47 record as head coach and won five conference championships. His Bulls reached the Elite Eight twice.

Prior to the 2017 season, Kiefer was selected to replace Kelly Findley as the NC State Wolfpack head coach.{{cite web |title=George Kiefer Named NC State Men's Soccer Head Coach |url=http://gopack.com/news/2016/11/22/george-kiefer-named-nc-state-mens-soccer-head-coach.aspx?path=msoc |accessdate=June 9, 2017 |website=gopack.com |publisher=North Carolina State Wolfpack Athletics}} He led the Wolfpack to NCAA tournament appearances in his first three seasons.

NC State and Kiefer mutually agreed to part ways following the 2023 season.{{Cite web |last=Muma |first=Steven |date=2023-11-03 |title=George Kiefer out as NC State men's soccer coach |url=https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state-olympic-sports/2023/11/3/23945209/george-kiefer-out-as-nc-state-mens-soccer-coach |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=Backing The Pack |language=en}}

Kiefer was announced as the head coach at Grand Canyon on Dec. 20, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-20 |title=Kiefer brings titles, tourney success to lead GCU |url=https://gculopes.com/news/2023/12/20/mens-soccer-kiefer-brings-championship-resume-tournament-success-to-lead-gcu.aspx |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=Grand Canyon University Athletics |language=en}}

Head coaching record

{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type=coach | conference= |postseason=}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

|name=South Florida Bulls

|startyear=2002

|conference=Conference USA/Big East/American Athletic Conference

|endyear=2016

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2002

| name = South Florida

| overall = 11–7

| conference = 6–4

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2003

| name = South Florida

| overall = 7–8–3

| conference = 6–4

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2004

| name = South Florida

| overall = 10–5–2

| conference = 5–3–1

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = division

| season = 2005

| name = South Florida

| overall = 13–6–2

| conference = 9–2–0

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA second round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2006

| name = South Florida

| overall = 9–6–4

| conference = 4–3–4

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2007

| name = South Florida

| overall = 14–6–2

| conference = 6–4–1

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 2008

| name = South Florida

| overall = 15–5–3

| conference = 7–3–1

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA Regional finals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2009

| name = South Florida

| overall = 14–4–3

| conference = 6–3–2

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA second round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2010

| name = South Florida

| overall = 9–6–4

| conference = 4–3–2

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = division

| season = 2011

| name = South Florida

| overall = 13–4–4

| conference = 7–1–2

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA Regional finals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2012

| name = South Florida

| overall = 8–6–5

| conference = 2–3–3

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA second round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 2013

| name = South Florida

| overall = 8–4–9

| conference = 2–2–4

| confstanding =

| postseason = NCAA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2014

| name = South Florida

| overall = 10–7–3

| conference = 4–3–1

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2015

| name = South Florida

| overall = 11–6–3

| conference = 5–1–2

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = NCAA second round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2016

| name = South Florida

| overall = 10–6–4

| conference = 6–1–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = South Florida

| overall = 162–86–51

| confrecord = 79–40–23

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

|name=NC State Wolfpack

|startyear=2017

|conference=ACC

|endyear=2023

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2017

| name = NC State

| overall = 8–6–4

| conference = 3–3–2

| confstanding = 8th

| postseason = NCAA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2018

| name = NC State

| overall = 10–7–3

| conference = 2–4–2

| confstanding = 8th

| postseason = NCAA second round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2019

| name = NC State

| overall = 9–7–3

| conference = 3–4–1

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason = NCAA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2020

| name = NC State

| overall = 3–8–4

| conference = 1–7–4

| confstanding = 4th (Atlantic)

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2021

| name = NC State

| overall = 7–8–2

| conference = 1–5–2

| confstanding = 6th (Atlantic)

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2022

| name = NC State

| overall = 6–7–5

| conference = 1–5–2

| confstanding = 6th (Atlantic)

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2023

| name = NC State

| overall = 6–9–3

| conference = 1–5–3

| confstanding = 6th (Atlantic)

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = NC State

| overall = 49–52–24

| confrecord = 12–33–16

}}

{{CBB yearly record subhead|name=Grand Canyon|conference=WAC|startyear=2024|endyear=present}}

{{CBB yearly record entry|season=2024|name=Grand Canyon|overall=0-0-0|conference=0-0-0}}{{CBB yearly record subtotal|name=Grand Canyon|overall=0-0-0|confrecord=0-0-0}}{{CBB Yearly Record End

|overall= {{Winning percentage|211|138|74|record=y}}

}}