| Phone: | (657) 278-3244 |
| Email: | bammann@fullerton.edu |
| Born: | 05/27/1965 |
| College: | Cal State Fullerton '92 |
| Position: | Head Coach (7th season) |
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Follow Head Coach Bob Ammann on Twitter @CSFMensSoccer |
Cal State Fullerton head men’s soccer coach Bob Ammann returns for his seventh year at the helm of the Titans’ program in 2012, tasked with building his alma mater into a contender in the always-difficult Big West Conference.
After spending 15 years on the sidelines as an assistant and part-time coach to long-time Fullerton manager Al Mistri as well as four seasons in net as a player, Ammann was appointed Mistri’s successor as the seventh head coach in the Division I history of the program on Dec. 5, 2005. Ammann had been a full-time assistant from 1995-05 and served as an part-time assistant from 1991-94, helping the Titans to five trips to the NCAA Tournament, including the national semifinals in 1993 and the quarterfinal round in 1994.
"I am extremely honored and very excited to be taking charge of the men's soccer program at my alma mater," said Ammann at the time of his appointment. "I appreciate this opportunity and look forward to bringing the program back to the national prominence that we once had. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but I am confident and very eager to make sure that the necessary steps are taken to achieve our goals."
Over the last three seasons, Ammann has twice led his Fullerton side into the Big West Conference Tournament, including becoming the only No. 4-seeded team to knock off a top-seed in 2010 when the Titans edged UC Irvine, 2-1, on the road. In 2012, his team finished 8-12-1, but earned the No. 2 seed out of th South Division into the tournament at North Division champion UC Davis after being picked to finish last in the league’s South Division and seventh overall.
Ammann, who enters the 2012 season with a 41-63-14 (.407) overall record and a 16-38-8 (.387) mark in Big West play, made his debut in 2006 and had an immediate impact as the Titans improved from four wins to seven victories, including a pair of one-goal heartbreakers (the first in double overtime) to eventual NCAA National Champion UC Santa Barbara in Big West play. A year later, an injury-plagued Fullerton squad saw slight improvement to 7-10-3 overall, but slipped to just five wins in 2008.
The 2009 campaign brought renewed hope and the Titans narrowly missed out on their first winning season since the turn of the century, ending up 8-9-2 overall and 4-5-1 in Big West play – the most conference victories for the program since 2004 (4-6) – during a season that saw Fullerton battle into overtime eight times (3-3-2 in those contests).
In 2010, Fullerton slipped slightly to 7-12-2 overall, but finished 4-6 in Big West play to finish in a tie for fourth – its best finish since posting a identical record in 2004 – and make postseason magic in the Big West Tournament, where it upset top-seeded UC Irvine behind the brilliant play of goalkeeper Bryan Escalante, making his first collegiate start after starter Trevor Whiddon was hurt during practice. Escalante, who had played in only eight total minutes all season to that point, finished with seven saves behind goals from Nick Posthuma and Kevin Venegas to upset the Anteaters, 2-1.
The 2011 season showed signs of tremendous promise as the Titans burst out of the gates to the tune of a 5-0-1 record over their first six contests, which included a double-overtime scoreless draw with top-ranked Akron in only the second game of the year. However, Big West play proved to be Fullerton’s undoing as the Titans struggled to a 1-6-3 mark in conference play to end the year at the .500-mark (7-7-5) – its first non-losing season since a 15-6-1 mark in 2000 that ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Stanford.
As head coach, Ammann has coached 13 players to a total of 20 All-Big West Conference citations, including seven first-team honors. Under his watch, former Titan Michael Farfan also earned Big West Freshman of the Year and Soccer America Freshman All-America honors in 2006, while twice earning NSCAA All-Far West Region laurels in 2006-07.
Ammann was a Titans' goaltender during the 1983 through 1986 seasons. He posted 12 career shutouts including six in the 1986 season when he helped the Titans capture the Pacific Coast Athletic Association championship and their first NCAA Division I playoff berth. His best goals against average was 1.25 in 1985, his junior season. His younger brother, Mike, was the Titans' goaltender 1990 through 1993 and went on to a long career in professional soccer.
"I'm proud of the fact that I have been involved with six Cal State Fullerton NCAA Tournament teams," says Bob, who was the goalkeeper in 1986, a part-time coach in 1993 and 1994 and a full-time assistant coach in 1996, 1998 and 2000.
Bob played at the professional level for Neuchatel Xamax of the Swiss First Divison in 1989 and 1990. He also played for Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. in England, the Edmonton Brickmen of the Canadian Soccer League and the Los Angeles Salsa of the American Professional Soccer League.
He is serving his second year as a regional representative for the U.S. Soccer Academy, assigned to scout and evaluate U16 and 18 talent in the West for the U.S. national team.
Ammann is one of four former Titan student-athletes now serving as head coach at his or her alma mater, joining Demian Brown (women's soccer), Rick Vanderhook (baseball) and John Elders (cross country / track and field). The Titans have had several more in that category at one time including former coaches Lynn Rogers and Julie Knight-Bowse (women's gymnastics), Dan Lewis and Ardeshir Asgari (wrestling), Donny Daniels (men's basketball), George Horton and Dave Serrano (baseball), Michelle Gromacki (softball) and Mike Hinojos (fencing).
Ammann was born on May 27, 1965, and he graduated from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. Bob and his wife, Liz, and their children Robert Anton, Faith Elizabeth, and Stella Rae, live in Mira Loma, Calif.
Coach Ammann's Administrative Career at Cal State Fullerton
• Served as the Coach's Representative on the NCAA Steering Committee during the University's certification period
• Served on the hiring committees for Director of Athletic Academic Services, Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities, Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, Women's Soccer Head Coach and Assistant Men's Soccer coach
• Currently serves as a committee member on the Gender Equity Committee 2001-present
• Served as the NCAA Site Representative for Men's NCAA playoffs
• Currently sits on the University Advancement Committee representing the library, athletics, counseling, and extended education
• Currently sits on the University Faculty Hearing Panel
Coach Ammann's Scouting/Coaching Career Outside CSF
• United Stated Soccer Federation Development Academy scout, 2009-present
• United Stated Soccer Federation Development Academy market training coach, 2009-present
• U-18 National team staff coach Carson, Calif.; October 6-13, 2009
• United States Soccer Federation "A" license (highest license available)
• National Soccer Coaches Association of America Big West Conference representative, 2009-present
• Director of Goalkeeping, Stampede FC, Legends FC & PSA Soccer Club
• Professional Match Evaluator for Major League Soccer, 2011-present
All-Big West Conference Selections and Other Honors Under Ammann as Head Coach
• Eugene Brooks (2006, First Team)
• Michael Farfan (2006, First Team); (2007, First Team)… 2006 Big West Freshman of the Year… NSCAA All-Far West Region Second Team in 2006-07… Soccer America Freshman All-America in 2006
• Gabriel Farfan (2006, Second Team); (2007, Second Team)
• Amir Shafii (2006, Second Team)
• Skyler Thuresson (2007, Honorable Mention)
• Matt Sanders (2007, Honorable Mention); (2008, First Team); (2009, Honorable Mention)
• Brent Douglas (2007, Honorable Mention)
• Celso Alvarez (2008, Honorable Mention); (2009, Honorable Mention)
• Shay Spitz (2009, Honorable Mention)
• Nick Posthuma (2010, First Team); (2011, Honorable Mention)
• Kevin Venegas (2010, First Team); (2011, First Team)
• Trevor Whiddon (2010, Honorable Mention)
• Oscar Aguero (2011, Second Team)
