Kuntz bounces to Titans

George Kuntz, who guided the UC Irvine men’s soccer program to the NCAA Tournament four of the last six years, winning four Big West Conference regular-season and four conference tournament titles in the process, announced Monday he had accepted the same job at Cal State Fullerton.

Chris Volk, Kuntz’s lead assistant and goalkeeper coach the last 17 seasons who was named the Far West Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008, has expressed interest in the UCI head-coaching job, a source close to the program confirmed Tuesday.

Kuntz, whose 2013 team went 15-5-3 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 after eliminating North Carolina in the second round at home, captured the Big West South Division crown before winning the Big West tournament.

The trip to the Sweet 16 matched the deepest postseason run in program history, equaling the 2008 Anteaters, who won 15 games.

In 19 seasons guiding UCI, Kuntz was 185-155-51. In the last six seasons, his teams posted a combined mark of 80-27-1, including a school single-season record 16 wins in 2011.

Kuntz, the Big West Coach of the Year in 2008, 2006 and 2001, was named West Region Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2006.

Kuntz replaced Bob Ammann, who was fired after eight seasons at Fullerton, during which he compiled a 55-86-18 record.

Kuntz continues a pattern of UCI coaches leaving for Cal State Fullerton. Former UCI baseball coach Dave Serrano left UCI after three seasons and a College World Series appearance in 2007 for Fullerton, where he had previously been the Titans’ pitching coach.

Diane Matias, an assistant who helped the 2013 UCI women’s tennis team go 23-5 and earn the program’s first NCAA Tournament win, was named the Titans’ head coach in August.

And Jason Dietrich, who spent five seasons as an assistant with the UCI baseball program, including his final two as pitching coach, left UCI after the 2012 season to become pitching coach at Fullerton.

— Barry Faulkner