UTEP soccer assistant coach Stewart Givens has been elevated to associate head coach, head coach Kathryn Balogun announced Wednesday.
Givens has spent two years with the Orange and Blue, including serving as the interim head coach the final two months of the 2020 season after Balogun went on maternity leave.
“Stew has been an integral part in laying the cultural and tactical foundation since our arrival,” Balogun said. “As our recruiting coordinator, he is a self-starter who is highly motivated to help move our program forward. He was a huge part of the addition of nine Miners during the Covid-19 dead period while remaining dedicated to the mission I have laid out in front of us. I’m am blessed to have a staff that made stepping away on maternity leave relatively smooth in a difficult year. Stew was a vital coach in our team’s success, both on and off the field this year. It is with great pleasure that we elevate coach Givens to associate head coach.”
In the final two months of the 2020 season, Givens guided the team through challenges of traveling during the Covid-19 pandemic and matches being postponed.
Notable moments on the pitch included a 3-1 victory against NM State (2/11/21), facing three different power five programs, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to rally past UAB, 2-1, (3/14/21) and battling back to tie North Texas, 1-1, (4/2/21) despite playing the final 34 minutes shorthanded.
Additionally, Cayman Tamez and Tessa Carlin were named to the All C-USA third team, making it the first time since 2003 that the Miners had multiple underclassmen earn all-league honors.
“I’m very excited and humbled to have this opportunity as associate head coach with UTEP Soccer,” Givens said. “I’d like to thank our administration, Jim Senter and Danny Garcia, for believing in my abilities to help lead UTEP Soccer and build on a great history here at UTEP. Most importantly, I’m very grateful for Kathryn (Balogun) believing in me as a coach and putting a lot of trust in myself and Kate (Ward) this past spring in a very crazy season. I can’t wait to get back on the field with our fantastic student-athletes and get back to work uniting champions every day. Picks Up!”
UTEP dazzled to a 3-0-2 record at home for its first unbeaten mark in the Sun City since 2006 and the third overall. The Miners were also perfect in overtime contests, finishing 1-0-2 in the situation.
In 2019 he helped the Miners forge a record of 10-7-3, the first double win total at UTEP in three years. UTEP also went 5-4-1 in C-USA action to punch its ticket to the league championships for the first time since 2016. Furthermore, it marked the first winning season in league play since an effort of 6-2-2 in 2014.
The Orange and Blue were a very strong defensive squad in 2019. UTEP posted seven shutouts while limiting six other opponents to only one goal. The seven blankings ranked tied for sixth on the program’s single-season list. UTEP was 6-3-2 at home, but its mark of 4-4-2 on the road was the best at the school since 2016.
Included in the road victories was a 3-2 win at Marshall (9/26), marking the program’s first road win in the series in 11 years. UTEP also posted a double-overtime triumph at I-10 rival NM State (9/12). Individually Lauren Crenshaw was a second-team All C-USA honoree, while Carlin snared a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman team.
Prior to his time with UTEP he served as an assistant coach with both Central Michigan and Oakland. He also was a graduate assistant with the Oakland men’s program, served as the girls varsity coach at Troy High School in suburban Detroit and the head coach for Vardar Soccer Club.
Prior to his coaching career he was a four-year letter winner and two-time All-Summit league selection at Oakland.
