May 11, 2005
ORLANDO - UCF head men's soccer coach Brent Erwin announced the hiring of Bryan Cunningham as his top assistant and recruiting coordinator on Wednesday.
"I am very happy to have Bryan as my first assistant because he shares in my conviction that UCF men's soccer can be successful on the national level," said Erwin, who was hired as the Golden Knights' head coach on May 1. "He is a fantastic coach and recruiter, who brings a great deal of experience and energy to the program. He will be a great addition to the program and to the entire university."
Cunningham joins Erwin's staff after spending three seasons at South Carolina, where he helped guide the Gamecocks to a 32-22-4 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Among the players he recruited to USC during his tenure were Brad Guzan, an All-America selection and the No. 2 pick in the 2005 Major League Soccer (MLS) draft, and Makan Hislop, who captained the Trindad and Tobago Under-20 National Team.
Prior to his stint at South Carolina, Cunningham served in similar position at Appalachian State for five years. With the Mountaineers, he worked with eight All-South Region honorees, a Southern Conference Player of the Year, 13 All-Southern Conference selections and a College Soccer News Freshman All-America.
He also assisted in the North Carolina Olympic Development Program (ODP) from 1998-2002 and worked with various youth soccer associations in surrounding communities.
A native of Philadelphia, Cunningham was a four-year letterwinner and three-time captain for the Pfeiffer University soccer team. The Falcons won two Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Championships and earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament during his career.
Cunningham graduated from Pfeiffer in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in communications.