Tim Sahaydak was hired as UCF's associate head coach in 2013 after spending six seasons at VCU alongside his co-head coach, wife and current UCF head coach, Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
A member of the inaugural Big 12 staff, Sahaydak assisted in UCF's 10-7-1 (5-4-1 Big 12) record, along with a trip to the conference semifinals. In Austin, Texas, the Knights defeated the 2022 conference runner-ups, TCU, 3-2 to garner UCF Athletics its first postseason win in the Big 12. In the program's inaugural conference home match at the UCF Soccer Complex, the Knights defeated reigning champions, West Virginia, 4-2. Following the squad's sixth-place finish in conference play, Dayana Martin earned second-team honors on the Big 12 All-Conference team, while Jessica McCullen secured a spot on the all-freshman team. Martin would also be named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Third Team following yet another dominating 13-point season leading the Knights attack. For the second consecutive season, Sahaydak coached another NWSL draft pick as Talia Garbarra was selected by the Orlando Pride with the 14th pick in the fourth round.
In their final season in the AAC, Sahaydak assisted in the Knights 9-2-7 (7-0-1 AAC) record, going undefeated in conference play and picking up nine clean sheets along the way to becoming AAC Regular Season Champions. The Black and Gold collected a bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced past NC State in the first round to face eventual national champion UCLA, where they fell in penalty kicks. Kristen Scott picked up Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Caroline DeLisle earned her second-straight Goalkeeper of the Year award. DeLisle and Scott were joined by Dayana Martin and Darya Rajaee on the All-Conference First Team, with Georgia Eaton-Collins being named to the All-Conference Second Team and Mia Asenjo earning unanimous selection to the All-Rookie Team. Scott would later be drafted by the Orlando Pride with the 41st overall pick in the 2023 NWSL draft.
In 2021, Roberts Sahaydak coached the Knights to an 8-7-1 (3-4-1 American Athletic Conference) and entered the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament as a six seed. Under Roberts Sahaydak, Caroline DeLisle and Darya Rajaee earned their first selections to the All-Conference First Team. In total, four Knights earned conference awards with Caroline DeLisle also earning Goalkeeper of the Year and Darya Rajaee also earning Midfielder of the Year while Ariel Young earned All-Rookie Team honors and Kristen Scott earned All-Conference First Team.
In an unconventional 2020-21 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sahaydak assisted with the Black & Gold to picking up five all-league selections as the Knights finished the spring season with a 2-4-1 mark. Four Knights picked up honors, with Sarai Linder representing the Knights on the First Team All-Conference and All-Rookie Teams, Ellie Moreno and Madsion Murnin were named to the Second Team All-Conference, and Katie Bradley joins Sarai Linder on the All-Rookie Team.
In 2019, Sahaydak coached the Knights to another 11-win season, earning the No. 3 seed to the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Knights posted a six-game unbeaten streak and climed to as high No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches Polls. Konya Plummer was named First Team All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches Association, as well as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In total, six student-athletes were recognized by the Conference coaches with Plummer also earning First Team All-Conference, while Senior Zandy Soree and sophomore Kristen Scott earned Second Team All-Conference honors. Caroline DeLisle, Ally Gudorf, and Ellie Moreno picked up All-Rookie accolades.
The Knights finished the 2018 campaign with 10 wins and entered the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament as the third seed. Sahaydak coached three Knights that earned All-Southeast Region honors - Stefanie Sanders earned second team all-region, while Vera Varis and Carrie Lawrence collected third team all-region recognition. Additionally, five student-athletes were recognized by the league coaches at the conclusion of the regular season. Vera Veris was named Goalkeeper of the Year and named to First Team All-Conference. Stefanie Sanders joined Veris with First Team All-Conference honors while Dina Orschmann and Carrie Lawrence earned Second Team All-Conference accolades and Kristen Scott was named to the All-Rookie team.
In 2017, Sahaydak helped lead the Knights to 13 wins, the most victories since the 2014 campaign, season-high ranking of No. 6 and a 16-match unbeaten streak - the longest since the 2013 campaign. The Knights captured the American Athletic Conference regular season championship and earned their 21st bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Sahaydak helped coach five starters to the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year awards. Five Knights received All-Southeast Region recognition, and a total seven student athletes earned a spot on the All-American Athletic Conference Teams. In addition, junior goalkeeper Vera Varis was named to the United Soccer Coaches Association All-American Third Team.
In 2016, Sahaydak saw four student-athletes named to the All-American Athletic Conference Teams. In addition, Saga Fredriksson was named to the All-Northeast Region Team and recognized as the American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Off the field, the Knights earned recognition for their academic success as they received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award.
In 2015, the Knights earned a berth to their ninth-straight NCAA Tournament (20th overall) and nabbed a hosting gig for the first round for the fifth straight season. In addition, Carol Rodrigues was named the American's Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
In 2014, Sahaydak helped guide the Knights to their second NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in four years and the American regular season title. He witnessed three Knights earn conference Players of the Year honors: Tatiana Coleman (Co-Offensive); Carleigh Wiliams (Defensive); and Connie Organ (Goalkeeper). UCF posted its first undefeated home slate (11-0) since 1999, matched the school record for wins in a season (18) and was nationally ranked through much of the year.
In his first season with the Knights, Sahaydak helped guide UCF to a school-record unbeaten streak (18 matches), an NSCAA national standing through much of the year and the program's first undefeated conference season since 1999. In addition, UCF made history as the first program to win an American Athletic Conference Championship.
In his playing days, Sahaydak rose quickly through the national soccer community, earning spots on the U-18 and U-20 national teams and gaining a scholarship to the University of North Carolina for the 1995 season.
In 1997, he was granted the opportunity to become, at the time, the youngest player ever to play on a Major League Soccer team when he suited up for the Columbus Crew. He spent two seasons with Columbus before joining the Miami Fusion for three seasons and also served on the reserve squads for FC Dallas and DC United.
After his playing career came to a close, Sahaydak returned to Chapel Hill and completed his degree in communications/rhetorical studies.
Sahaydak took over VCU's program with Tiffany in 2007 and led the Rams to three conference championship game appearances. He was voted as the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association Co-Head Coach of the Year, along with his wife. The duo mentored two CAA Defenders of the Year, one CAA Rookie of the Year and 20 all-conference players, including six first-team honorees.
The Sahaydaks reside in Orlando with their two daughters, Layla and Evie.
A member of the inaugural Big 12 staff, Sahaydak assisted in UCF's 10-7-1 (5-4-1 Big 12) record, along with a trip to the conference semifinals. In Austin, Texas, the Knights defeated the 2022 conference runner-ups, TCU, 3-2 to garner UCF Athletics its first postseason win in the Big 12. In the program's inaugural conference home match at the UCF Soccer Complex, the Knights defeated reigning champions, West Virginia, 4-2. Following the squad's sixth-place finish in conference play, Dayana Martin earned second-team honors on the Big 12 All-Conference team, while Jessica McCullen secured a spot on the all-freshman team. Martin would also be named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Third Team following yet another dominating 13-point season leading the Knights attack. For the second consecutive season, Sahaydak coached another NWSL draft pick as Talia Garbarra was selected by the Orlando Pride with the 14th pick in the fourth round.
In their final season in the AAC, Sahaydak assisted in the Knights 9-2-7 (7-0-1 AAC) record, going undefeated in conference play and picking up nine clean sheets along the way to becoming AAC Regular Season Champions. The Black and Gold collected a bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced past NC State in the first round to face eventual national champion UCLA, where they fell in penalty kicks. Kristen Scott picked up Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Caroline DeLisle earned her second-straight Goalkeeper of the Year award. DeLisle and Scott were joined by Dayana Martin and Darya Rajaee on the All-Conference First Team, with Georgia Eaton-Collins being named to the All-Conference Second Team and Mia Asenjo earning unanimous selection to the All-Rookie Team. Scott would later be drafted by the Orlando Pride with the 41st overall pick in the 2023 NWSL draft.
In 2021, Roberts Sahaydak coached the Knights to an 8-7-1 (3-4-1 American Athletic Conference) and entered the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament as a six seed. Under Roberts Sahaydak, Caroline DeLisle and Darya Rajaee earned their first selections to the All-Conference First Team. In total, four Knights earned conference awards with Caroline DeLisle also earning Goalkeeper of the Year and Darya Rajaee also earning Midfielder of the Year while Ariel Young earned All-Rookie Team honors and Kristen Scott earned All-Conference First Team.
In an unconventional 2020-21 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sahaydak assisted with the Black & Gold to picking up five all-league selections as the Knights finished the spring season with a 2-4-1 mark. Four Knights picked up honors, with Sarai Linder representing the Knights on the First Team All-Conference and All-Rookie Teams, Ellie Moreno and Madsion Murnin were named to the Second Team All-Conference, and Katie Bradley joins Sarai Linder on the All-Rookie Team.
In 2019, Sahaydak coached the Knights to another 11-win season, earning the No. 3 seed to the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Knights posted a six-game unbeaten streak and climed to as high No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches Polls. Konya Plummer was named First Team All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches Association, as well as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In total, six student-athletes were recognized by the Conference coaches with Plummer also earning First Team All-Conference, while Senior Zandy Soree and sophomore Kristen Scott earned Second Team All-Conference honors. Caroline DeLisle, Ally Gudorf, and Ellie Moreno picked up All-Rookie accolades.
The Knights finished the 2018 campaign with 10 wins and entered the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament as the third seed. Sahaydak coached three Knights that earned All-Southeast Region honors - Stefanie Sanders earned second team all-region, while Vera Varis and Carrie Lawrence collected third team all-region recognition. Additionally, five student-athletes were recognized by the league coaches at the conclusion of the regular season. Vera Veris was named Goalkeeper of the Year and named to First Team All-Conference. Stefanie Sanders joined Veris with First Team All-Conference honors while Dina Orschmann and Carrie Lawrence earned Second Team All-Conference accolades and Kristen Scott was named to the All-Rookie team.
In 2017, Sahaydak helped lead the Knights to 13 wins, the most victories since the 2014 campaign, season-high ranking of No. 6 and a 16-match unbeaten streak - the longest since the 2013 campaign. The Knights captured the American Athletic Conference regular season championship and earned their 21st bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Sahaydak helped coach five starters to the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year awards. Five Knights received All-Southeast Region recognition, and a total seven student athletes earned a spot on the All-American Athletic Conference Teams. In addition, junior goalkeeper Vera Varis was named to the United Soccer Coaches Association All-American Third Team.
In 2016, Sahaydak saw four student-athletes named to the All-American Athletic Conference Teams. In addition, Saga Fredriksson was named to the All-Northeast Region Team and recognized as the American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Off the field, the Knights earned recognition for their academic success as they received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award.
In 2015, the Knights earned a berth to their ninth-straight NCAA Tournament (20th overall) and nabbed a hosting gig for the first round for the fifth straight season. In addition, Carol Rodrigues was named the American's Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
In 2014, Sahaydak helped guide the Knights to their second NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in four years and the American regular season title. He witnessed three Knights earn conference Players of the Year honors: Tatiana Coleman (Co-Offensive); Carleigh Wiliams (Defensive); and Connie Organ (Goalkeeper). UCF posted its first undefeated home slate (11-0) since 1999, matched the school record for wins in a season (18) and was nationally ranked through much of the year.
In his first season with the Knights, Sahaydak helped guide UCF to a school-record unbeaten streak (18 matches), an NSCAA national standing through much of the year and the program's first undefeated conference season since 1999. In addition, UCF made history as the first program to win an American Athletic Conference Championship.
In his playing days, Sahaydak rose quickly through the national soccer community, earning spots on the U-18 and U-20 national teams and gaining a scholarship to the University of North Carolina for the 1995 season.
In 1997, he was granted the opportunity to become, at the time, the youngest player ever to play on a Major League Soccer team when he suited up for the Columbus Crew. He spent two seasons with Columbus before joining the Miami Fusion for three seasons and also served on the reserve squads for FC Dallas and DC United.
After his playing career came to a close, Sahaydak returned to Chapel Hill and completed his degree in communications/rhetorical studies.
Sahaydak took over VCU's program with Tiffany in 2007 and led the Rams to three conference championship game appearances. He was voted as the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association Co-Head Coach of the Year, along with his wife. The duo mentored two CAA Defenders of the Year, one CAA Rookie of the Year and 20 all-conference players, including six first-team honorees.
The Sahaydaks reside in Orlando with their two daughters, Layla and Evie.