Bio updated entering 2024 season
Ryan Hopkins is entering his fifth season as the head coach of the San Diego State men’s soccer program. Hopkins has led the Aztecs to earn a national ranking in two of the last three years and helped SDSU go undefeated in it’s last 13 non-conference matches (10-0-3).
In 2023, the Aztecs were the last team in the nation to concede their first goal, a school record stretch of 651 minutes to begin the season. SDSU rose as high as No. 17 in the national rankings after going undefeated in non-conference play (6-0-2) for the second time in the last three years. Individually, the Aztecs had four players earn All-Pac-12 honors, highlighted by Reid Fisher winning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, the second straight year an Aztec has taken home those honors.
In 2022, SDSU earned results at Stanford and Oregon State for the first time in 10 years and had a stretch where they earned results against three top 10 teams in a two-week span, which hadn’t been done since the 1987 team’s run to the national championship game. Hopkins saw CJ Fodrey take home Top Drawer Soccer’s National Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors. Fodrey. who was drafted No. 13 overall by Austin FC in the MLS SuperDraft, was one of five Aztecs to sign a professional contract after the season, believed to be the most in program history.
In 2021, SDSU was undefeated through their first eight matches while recording seven shutouts and finished with a 7-3-0 record at home, their best winning percentage at home since 2011. They were ranked for the majority of the season and rose to as high as No. 13 in the national polls.
Following the season, goalkeeper Jacob Castro and midfielder Iñigo Villaldea were named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, marking the first time in program history SDSU had two First Team selections. Castro was the first Aztec goalkeeper to be named to the first team since 2006
In the shortened 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021, the Aztecs routinely started eight or nine underclassmen and went 1-7-2 with three one-goal losses, two of which were against top ten teams. SDSU knocked off No. 4 Washington 2-0 on March 28, 2021, Hopkins' first win and the Aztecs' first victory over a top-five team since 2006.
A Southern California native, Hopkins is just the fourth head coach in program history. He came from the University of Virginia where he spent the two seasons as an assistant coach at where he helped lead the Cavaliers to a 21-2-1 record in 2019 and an appearance in the NCAA Championship match where they tied Georgetown 3-3 before losing on penalty kicks.
“I am honored to be named the men’s soccer head coach at San Diego State University,” Hopkins said upon being hired. “It is a dream to come home to California and lead a Pac-12 soccer program. San Diego State provides a great platform for our student-athletes to excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community. I look forward to helping them find the best versions of themselves everyday as we continue to push the program to new heights.”
In 2019, Hopkins and Virginia were the ACC Coastal Division and ACC Tournament champions and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament before making their run to the championship match. Prior his departure, Hopkins helped the Cavaliers secure the No. 6 2020 recruiting class in the nation according to Top Drawer Soccer.
In 2018, Virginia had an ACC record four All-Freshmen Team honorees and advanced to the Sweet 16. After the season, the Cavaliers received the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for just the second time in school history.
“I am excited to welcome Ryan to the Aztec Nation,” Aztec director of athletics John David Wicker said. “Ryan has great experience building programs into consistent championship contenders. Our student-athletes will benefit from his experiences on and off the field. I look forward to our men’s soccer program consistently competing for championships on the field and in the classroom under Ryan’s tutelage.”
Before coming to Virginia, Hopkins spent five years at the University of Denver where he helped shape the Pioneers into one of the top soccer programs in the country. Denver had undefeated regular seasons in both 2015 and 2016 (28-0-6) and advanced to the program’s first College Cup in 2016. Following the season, the Denver coaching staff was tabbed the 2016 NSCAA Coaching Staff of the Year.
During his tenure at Denver, he helped the Pioneers capture four-straight Summit League regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in four of the five seasons he was on staff. From 2013-2017, the Pioneers boasted an impressive overall record of 69-19-13 (.748).
Hopkins has been listed as one of the Top 12 Assistant Coaches by College Soccer News in three of the last four years and was named the 2015 NSCAA West Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Success on the pitch translated to the classroom for Hopkins and the Pioneers. Serving as the program’s academic liaison, Hopkins oversaw Denver posting the top team GPA in all of NCAA Division I Soccer in his final two years at DU.
At Denver, he coached seven players who would be selected in the MLS SuperDraft including Andre Shinyashiki, the 2019 MLS Rookie of the Year. Hopkins, an All-American goalkeeper at Concordia (Irvine, Calif.), also helped cultivate three Summit League Goalkeepers of the Year and three Summit League Defenders of the Year.
Hopkins arrived at Denver prior to the 2013 season after serving as an assistant at Wisconsin for one year, three seasons at Cal Poly (2009-11) and five seasons at Concordia (2004-08), his alma mater.
At Cal Poly, he helped the Mustangs land two top-30 recruiting classes according to College Soccer News, including the No. 12 overall class in 2012. His coaching career began at Concordia, consistently one of the top NAIA teams in the nation, where he won a pair of Golden State Athletic Conference Championships and saw the Eagles finish as the national runner-up in 2007.
A four-year starter in goal for Concordia (2000-04), Hopkins was a two-time NAIA All-American and helped lead the program to its first appearance in the NAIA tournament in 2002. Hopkins departed Concordia as the program’s career leader in victories, goals against average and shut outs and second in saves. In 2010, Hopkins was inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame.
Hopkins graduated from Concordia in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and obtained a master’s degree in athletic administration in 2008. Hopkins also holds a USSF A license and a USSF National Goalkeeping License.
“To the current players and alumni of San Diego State, I can promise you will get every ounce of my passion and energy to create a positive, competitive and resilient culture that will help us achieve our lofty goals on the field and in the classroom,” Hopkins said.
“I would like to thank John David Wicker, Tim Lanski, Antionette Marbray, Mike Friesen, Eddie Padilla, as well as the rest of the search committee for the faith shown in giving me this wonderful opportunity. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of my mentors that have guided me along my coaching path and helped me grow as a person: Jamie Franks (Denver head coach), John Trask (Wisconsin head coach), Bobby Muuss (Wake Forest and former Denver head coach), George Gelnovatch (Virginia head coach) and Don Ebert (Technical Director for Strikers FC) all saw something in me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support. I also have to thank all the different assistant coaches and players I have worked with as those are some of the strongest bonds and loyal friends I have to this day.”
Ryan Hopkins Coaching Ledger (All as assistant prior to SDSU)
| Year | School | Overall Record | Conference Record | Postseason |
| 2004 | Concordia | 7-11-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 2005 | Concordia | 14-7-0 | 8-2-0* | |
| 2006 | Concordia | 14-5-1 | 8-2-0* | NAIA Second Round |
| 2007 | Concordia | 19-4-0 | 8-2-0 | NAIA Runner-Up |
| 2008 | Concordia | 12-6-2 | 8-2-0 | NAIA First Round |
| 2009 | Cal Poly | 8-10-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 2010 | Cal Poly | 8-7-3 | 5-3-2 | |
| 2011 | Cal Poly | 6-9-3 | 3-6-1 | |
| 2012 | Wisconsin | 6-8-5 | 1-3-2 | |
| 2013 | Denver | 13-3-4 | 6-0-0*^ | First Round |
| 2014 | Denver | 11-8-1 | 3-2-1*^ | First Round |
| 2015 | Denver | 15-1-3 | 5-0-1*^ | Second Round |
| 2016 | Denver | 20-1-3 | 5-0-1*^ | Final Four |
| 2017 | Denver | 11-6-2 | 5-0-0* | |
| 2018 | Virginia | 10-4-3 | 3-2-2 | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2019 | Virginia | 21-2-1 | 6-1-1*^ | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2020 | SDSU | 1-7-2 | 1-7-2 | |
| 2021 | SDSU | 8-7-2 | 2-7-0 | |
| 2022 | SDSU | 5-9-4 | 1-6-3 | |
| 2023 | SDSU | 6-7-5 | 0-7-3 | |
| at SDSU | 20-30-11 | 4-27-8 | ||
| Overall | 215-122-49 (.620) | 87-61-21 (.577) |
^ Conference Tournament champion
Notes
- All positions prior to SDSU were as an assistant coach.
- Reached postseason nine times in 16 seasons as assistant coach
- Qualified for NCAA Tournament in six of his last seven seasons as assistant coach
- Made it to the Sweet 16 or further three times in his last four years as assistant coach
- Advanced to College Cup (Final Four) in two of last four years as assistant coach
- From 2013-19 helped his teams post 100-25-17 overall record (Denver 2013-17, Virginia 2018-19)