Nick Carlin-Voigt, who had spent the previous four years as the associate head coach for the UCLA Bruins, was named the head coach of the University of Portland men’s soccer program in January of 2016. Carlin-Voigt previously helped build championship programs at both UCLA and George Mason where he brought in nationally ranked recruiting classes each of the prior seven seasons.
Carlin-Voigt has wasted little time since arriving on The Bluff, assembling a nationally ranked recruiting class each year in Portland, leading the Pilots to a WCC Championship in 2016, and guiding them to a playoff appearance in five of the past eight fall seasons, including an Elite Eight appearance most recently in the 2022 season.
In 2024, the Pilots went 7-4-7 and put together an unbeaten 4-0-4 record in WCC play. They battled through a challenging early season schedule to put together a 10-game unbeaten streak that was the longest on the West Coast and the third longest in the country. They beat four teams that finished in the top 35 in RPI in the 2024 season and achieved a top 10 ranking for the third season in a row. Seven of Portland's opponents qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2024, with the Pilots going a combined 3-3-1 against them.
Signature results from 2024 include tying the then-No. 3 team in the nation -- No. 1 per TopDrawerSoccer -- in the Denver Pioneers on the road, playing them to a 0-0 shutout draw. At the time, it was Portland's first unbeaten result against a top three team nationally since 2006. The Pilots soon followed that later in the year with a 2-0 victory over the No. 3 San Diego Toreros. It was Portland's first win over a top three team since 2000, when they beat No. 1 Indiana.
Carlin-Voigt had six Pilots in total earn All-WCC honors, highlighted by Joe Highfield and Nick Fernandez each making the All-WCC First Team. Fernandez became the first Pilot to make the first time three times in their career since Benji Michel in 2018 while Highfield became the first Pilot to make the All-WCC First Team and the Freshman Team since Michel in 2016. Sebastian Nava and Miguel-Angel Hernandez each made the second team, with Nava becoming the first Pilot to earn five All-WCC honors in four year since Rey Ortiz in 2019, while Jose Olmos and Diego Rosas each earned honorable mention.
Fernandez thrived under Carlin-Voigt's system for five years, closing out his senior year by earning United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Second Team honors. Both him and Efetobo Aror were selected in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, becoming the 11th and 12th Pilots respectively to earn their chance at MLS since Carlin-Voigt took over in 2016. Aror was taken with the 12th overall pick by the Colorado Rapids while Fernandez was taken in the second round with the 32nd overall pick by the San Jose Earthquakes. Aror chose to return to UP while Fernandez signed with the Earthquakes.
The 2023 season saw the Pilots recognized as one of the top teams in men's college soccer. They finished 12-5-0 overall and 5-2 in WCC play, were ranked as high as third in the nation and earned a bye through the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, marking the first time they'd earned the honor since 1988. It was the first time the Pilots posted back-to-back seasons of 12 wins or more since the 2001-02 seasons. They put together a remarkable 28-game unbeaten streak at home that dated back to the 2021 season, the longest such streak in program history and the longest in the nation.
Portland put together one of the most potent offenses in the nation, scoring 45 goals and adding 54 assists to rank sixth and fourth nationally in those respective categories. Their 54 assists broke a program record. They were second in the nation in assists per game (3.18) and goals per game (2.65), fifth in total points (144), sixth in goal differential (30) and 12th in shutout percentage (.471). They were tops in the conference in 11 different statistical categories, including the previously mentioned stats as well as goals-against average (.882) and win-loss-tie percentage (.706). No team scored more goals across 2022 and 2023 than the Pilots.
Individually, the Pilots took home numerous awards in 2023, with three earning major conference honors. Nick Fernandez was named the WCC Midfielder of the Year, Kevin Bonilla was the WCC Defender of the Year and Efetobo Aror was the WCC Freshman of the Year. Fernandez was the first Pilot in program history to earn the Midfielder of the Year award, Bonilla was the first to win Defender of the Year since 2011 and Aror was the first Freshman of the Year for Portland since 2016. Bonilla and Fernandez both earned All-WCC First Team honors as well while Aror headlined the freshman team.
Overall, the Pilots saw 10 players including Bonilla, Fernandez and Aror earn All-WCC honors. Jacob Babalai was the other All-WCC First Team selection for the Pilots while Buba Fofanah and Sebastian Nava earned second team honors. Babalai shined in particular for Portland, being the only WCC player to score in double-digits with 12 goals. He was the first Pilot to score 12 goals in just 17 games since 2012, and his 28 total points also led the WCC. Nick Denley, Sebastian Hernandez and Kash Oladapo all earned honorable mention while Diego Rosas joined Aror on the freshman team.
Bonilla, Fernandez and Babalai all continued to rack up honors, with all three earning All-West Region honors. Bonilla and Fernandez both made the first team while Babalai made the second team. Bonilla and Fernandez were recognized as two of the best nationally as well, with Bonilla being named a first team All-American by both TopDrawer Soccer and United Soccer Coaches. Fernandez made the United Soccer Coaches Third Team, with the duo's honors marking the first time multiple Pilots had earned All-American honors since 2001. Bonilla was the first Pilot since 2002 to be named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in college soccer.
Bonilla, Babalai and Fofanah all were taken in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. Bonilla was taken 18th overall by Real Salt Lake, Babalai 41st overall by Charlotte FC and Fofanah 81st overall by the Seattle Sounders.
The 2022 season was the best for Portland men’s soccer in 27 years. Carlin-Voigt guided the Pilots to their best overall record since 1995 at 15-3-3, including an 11-0-2 record at Merlo Field. Their 11 wins matched the program record for home wins in a season, set back in 1989, and their 11 wins in a row was the longest home winning streak in the nation and in the country. Their .786 win percentage was their best since that same year as well. They ranked as high as sixth in the nation.
Carlin-Voigt and the Pilots played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation and thrived. They scored 51 goals while allowing just 19, which is the most Portland has scored in a single season since 1995 and the fewest they have allowed since 2002. The Pilots led the WCC in 14 different statistical categories and ranked in the top 10 nationally in goal differential (third, 32), total goals (fourth, 51), total points (fourth, 154), won-lost-tied percentage (seventh, .786), goals per game (eighth, 2.43), points per game (ninth, 7.33) and total assists (ninth, 52).
The Pilots’ dominance on the pitch helped them make the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995 when they last made the College Cup. The Pilots defeated the UC Riverside Highlanders at home 1-0 to make it out of the first round, then got revenge on the Oregon State Beavers in Round 2. The Pilots played the Beavers in Corvallis, downing them 2-0 after losing earlier in the season. The win put them in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.
The Pilots hosted their first ever home Sweet 16 match against the Western Michigan Broncos, playing in front of nearly 2,000 Pilot fans. Portland won the match off the head of Delentz Pierre, who sent in a goal that would put the Pilots in their first Elite Eight in almost 30 years. The Pilots played the Pittsburgh Panthers the next round, narrowly losing 1-0 in extra time to the ACC powerhouse.
Several Pilots earned individual honors, with 10 players making an All-WCC team, four earning All-Region honors and three earning All-American honors. Those 10 players making an All-WCC team marked the most Pilots to make a team since 2002. Brandon Cambridge, Nick Fernandez and Delentz Pierre each made the All-WCC First Team, Kevin Bonilla made the All-WCC Second Team, Jake Arteaga, Sebastian Nava, Gurman Sangha, George Tasouris and CJ Tibbling earned honorable mention and Oliver Jeppe and Muslim Umar each made the All-WCC Freshman Team. Cambridge also made the United Soccer All-West Region First Team, Pierre and Nava made the second team while Fernandez made the third team. Pierre made the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Third Team while Fernandez made the TDS Freshman Best XI Second Team.
Cambridge and Tasouris each earned individual awards as well, with Cambridge winning WCC Offensive Player of the Year and Tasouris winning WCC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year. Cambridge is the first Pilot to win the offensive award since it was modified while Tasouris is the first goalkeeper to earn the honors since 2017. Cambridge was a College Soccer News All-American as well.
Cambridge posted an incredible 12 goals and seven assists for 31 points, the highest goal total for a Pilot since 2013 and the highest point total since 2012. He led the WCC in both categories as well as game-winning goals and ranked sixth nationally in points and game-winning goals and seventh in total goals. Tasouris, meanwhile, posted the top marks in minutes played (1,875), goals-against average (.912), save percentage (.774) and shutouts (eight).
After the year, three Pilots went on to sign professional contracts in Major League Soccer. Cambridge signed with Charlotte FC to their first team, Pierre signed a homegrown contract with Real Salt Lake and Sangha signed an MLS NEXT contract with Charlotte FC as well.
In 2021, he Pilots qualified once again for the NCAA Tournament, the 17th time in program history and the third time in five fall seasons under Carlin-Voigt. The Pilots defeated the Seattle U Redhawks in a rainy rematch on Merlo Field, advancing to the second round for the second time in three tournament appearances with a 3-2 win. The Pilots fell to the No. 3 team in the nation, the Washington Huskies, in the next round.
Seven Pilots earned All-WCC honors that season, with midfielder Jake Arteaga most notably being named All-WCC First Team. Goalkeeper George Tasouris and defender Delentz Pierre made the second team, midfielders Luke Hendel and Sebastian Nava and defender Brian O’Hara earned honorable mention while Nava and Atem Kato made the All-WCC Freshman Team.
Along with the WCC honors, Arteaga, Tasouris and Kevin Bonilla all made the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I West Region Third Team, marking the first time three Pilots had made the team in the same year since 2019. Bonilla, a lightning-quick fullback for Portland, also mad the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI and the College Soccer News All-Freshmen Third Team.
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the 2020 fall season, the Pilots, and the rest of NCAA soccer minus several conferences, resumed play in the spring of 2021. The Pilots returned to fall action later in the year, going an impressive 11-7-1, including wins over four teams – Seattle U, UCLA, Loyola Marymount and Northern Illinois – who ranked in the top 40 in RPI at the end of the regular season.
2019 was another quality year for the Pilots, as they endured a difficult non-conference schedule and challenging WCC slate to finish 9-7-1 on the season. Six Pilots earned All-WCC honors that season, led by Rey Ortiz as Portland’s All-WCC First Team selection. Luke Hendel earned second team honors while Gio Magana-Rivera, Jacobo Reyes and Francesco Tiozzo all eanred honorable mention. Reyes and defender Delentz Pierre also made the All-WCC Second Team.
Along with the conference recognition, Ortiz, Tiozzo and Hendel all went on to earn All-West Region honors, with Ortiz making the second team and Hendel making the third team. Reyes made TopDrawerSoccer’s Freshman Best XI Second Team in his only year with the Pilots, and he later competed in the MLS College Showcase in Raleigh, N.C.
Ortiz would later get drafted by FC Cincinnati with the 29th pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Ortiz finished his Pilot career ranked seventh all-time in career assists with 24, with his 13 assists in 2017 coming up just short of the program record. He was an All-American in 2017, a two-time All-West Region First Team selection.
2018 featured the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation and another trip to the NCAA postseason. The start of the season included a 13-game unbeaten streak and a plethora of impressive wins, including at No. 24 Coastal Carolina and against No. 9 Washington. At 10-0-3, the Pilots climbed to No. 7 in the national rankings and they were one of the two remaining teams in the country without as loss. The unbeaten streak was the longest for Portland since 1995 when the team put together 14 games without a loss.
The Pilots, who entered the national rankings during the third week of the season and remained there for the remainder of the year, battled through injuries and consistently fielded a starting XI that featured seven first-year players. Portland was unfazed, and by the end of the regular season they had suffered only three losses, which was the fewest since 1995, a year the Pilots reached the NCAA College Cup.
Portland was rewarded when they received a berth to the postseason and a first-round home match against the Pac-12’s UCLA, a storied program that was making their 45th playoff appearance. The game in mid-November was the first home playoff contest for the Pilots since 2002. The game ended in epic fashion, with the Pilots securing a 1-0 victory off a clinical goal from Benji Michel. The win was Portland’s first in the playoffs since 2009 and their first at home since 2002.
The end of the season brought more individual accolades for the Pilots as seven Portland players landed All-West Conference recognition, five were named all-region, and Michel was named a Second Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches. Michel, who led the team with 11 goals and was No. 3 in the nation with seven game-winners, is the first Pilot to be named an All-American by the United Soccer Coaches, which was previously known as the NSCAA, since Nate Jaqua in 2002.
Top Drawer Soccer named Michel to their Best XI Second Team, while Jake Arteaga was place on the TDS All-Freshman Second Team.
Michel and Magana-Rivera were named to the All-WCC First Team, Ortiz landed on the All-WCC Second Team, Esteban Calvo, Malcolm Dixon, and Lionel Mills all received honorable mention, and Jake Arteaga was named to the conference’s all-freshman team.
Earning United Soccer Coaches All-West Region were Michel and Ortiz (First Team), Weekes and Magana-Rivera (Second Team, and Dixon (Third Team).
Portland also ended the year ranked 21st in the country, marking the first time the Pilots finished the year in the national rankings since 2009.
2017 brought in another ranked recruiting class (No. 5) and more accomplishments for the Pilots, who put together another solid campaign. Portland was in the mix for the WCC title until the final day of the season, and despite being ranked No. 38 in the RPI, the Pilots were one of the final teams left out of the postseason.
Following the season, both goalkeeper Paul Christensen and Kris Reaves landed in Major League Soccer as Christensen was selected by Atlanta FC United with the first pick in the fourth round of the MLS Draft, and Reaves signed a homegrown contract with FC Dallas. Both Christensen and Reaves saw time with the big club during the 2018 MLS Season.
Christensen ended his career at Portland No. 5 all-time in program history in both shutouts (20) and saves (283). A four-year starter, he was named to the 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region Team after leading the conference in shutouts for the second consecutive year, producing six clean sheets overall. His three shutouts against league opponents were also tops in the league, as was his 1.11 goals against average. He landed on the All-WCC First Team in 2017 and was named the league’s goalkeeper of the year for the second straight season.
Reaves spent two years on The Bluff, where he earned all-region and all-conference honors.
Rey Ortiz had a historic year in 2017, en route to all-conference, all-region, and All-American recognition. During his sophomore season, the midfielder ranked second nationally in assists per game (0.76), he was third in the country with 13 assists, and he missed matching the program’s single-season assist record by one. He also scored six goals, which ranked third in the WCC, to give him a league-high 25 points, and he was named the league’s player of the week twice. Ortiz tallied two game-winners, and he handed out three assists against Fairfield to become the first Pilot with three assists in a game since 2007.
2016 was an epic year for men’s soccer as Carlin-Voigt’s brought in the nation’s 17th-ranked recruiting class and led the Pilots back to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 2009. The team also won their first WCC title since 2002, and the first-year coach was tabbed the WCC’s Co-Coach of the Year to become the program’s first league coach of the year since Clive Charles in 2002.
The 2016 regular season featured a seven-game winning streak, which was the program’s longest winning streak since 1995, and the Pilots found themselves among the nation’s leaders with a potent offense. They won their first five games in WCC play, matching the legendary 1988 College Cup squad led by former head coach Clive Charles.
The Pilots won the WCC Championship in electric fashion, shutting out the Saint Mary’s Gaels 1-0 at home in front of 4,362 screaming Pilot fans and a regional television audience. The Pilots went on to nearly sweep the annual WCC post-season awards, with Carlin-Voigt winning co-coach of the year, Paul Christensen winning goalkeeper of the year, Benji Michel earning freshman of the year, and Eddie Sanchez being named player of the year. Sanchez was the first Pilot to do so since 2002.
Portland also returned to its rightful spot among the nation’s leaders in attendance as nearly 2,500 fans showed up per game to support a remarkable team.
At UCLA Carlin-Voigt helped put together the nation’s number one recruiting class three times (2013, 2014 & 2015). Since his arrival in Westwood, 11 Bruins were drafted or signed into Major League Soccer, highlighted by 2014 MAC Hermann Trophy winner, Leo Stolz.
In 2012 the Bruins won the Pac-12 Championship while finishing with an overall record of 13-3-3. The Bruins reached the post-season all four years, grabbing the No. 1 overall seed in 2013 when UCLA finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Bruins finished with a 12-3-5 overall record and a 6-1-3 mark in the Pac-12 Conference and defeated four top-3 opponents during the course of the season, including top-ranked Indiana and California. In 2014 the Bruins advanced to the NCAA College Cup Championship in a game that was decided by penalty kicks. Carlin-Voigt had an influential role in building and coaching each of the teams that advanced further each year at the NCAA Championships from 2012 to 2014.
Carlin-Voigt has a passion for teaching and champions a possession-based brand of attacking soccer that was instrumental in the growth of one of the nation’s most explosive offenses. He primarily coached the attacking players in 2014 when the Bruins were the highest scoring team in the NCAA tournament with 11 goals in four games leading into the title game. In 2015, Carlin-Voigt coached the team to 47 goals, which ranked in the top three nationally for goals per game. The 2015 Bruins were the only team in the country to have four players record 20 points or more, and all of them were underclassmen.
Carlin-Voigt was honored as one of College Soccer News’ top-15 assistant coaches in the country in 2013 and 2014, when he was the only coach on the West Coast to earn that distinction. Carlin-Voigt was actively involved in all aspects of the UCLA soccer program, including player development, training, scouting, scheduling, soccer-specific fitness training, summer camp development and alumni and community outreach. As the academic liaison in 2013, he helped the Bruins claim the highest team grade-point average in the UCLA athletic department for first time in program history.
Prior to his stint at UCLA, Carlin-Voigt helped assemble three consecutive recruiting classes at George Mason that were ranked in the top 35. In 2008, he helped coach the Patriots to their first ever Colonial Athletic Association Conference Championship as his recruiting and coaching made immediate turnarounds as the Patriots had a nine-win improvement after his first recruiting cycle. His recruiting classes at George Mason were the foundation of the 2013 Patriots team which went on to win their first ever Atlantic-10 Conference Championship. Carlin-Voigt assisted with every aspect of the George Mason program led by former Major League Soccer Coach of the Year, Greg Andrulis.
Carlin-Voigt spent five years (2007-12) at George Mason, while also coaching the D.C. United Youth Academy Program (2007-10), where he helped mentor U.S. National Team Goalkeeper and D.C. United starter Bill Hamid. In addition to Hamid, who was named the 2014 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Carlin-Voigt coached 30 NCAA Division I players with D.C. United.
While at George Mason Carlin-Voigt helped recruit 12 players with U.S. Youth National Team experience. Five players were either signed or drafted into the MLS while another seven played professional soccer abroad. Prior to his time at George Mason Carlin-Voigt was an assistant women’s coach at University of Wisconsin (2005-06) where he helped the program win the Big Ten Championship.
Before his coaching career, Carlin-Voigt was an NSCAA All-American at Kalamazoo College, where he was a regular on the Dean’s List and graduated cum laude with a degree in economics. Considered one of the top goalkeepers in Division III soccer, he was a two-time team captain for Kalamazoo and a four-year starter, and he holds the Kalamazoo record for shutouts and saves.
Following his graduation in 2004, Carlin-Voigt had a short playing stint with Cruz Azul Oaxaca of the Mexican Second Division that was cut short due to a knee injury. From 2002-05, he played for the Kalamazoo Kingdom where he set franchise records as a goalkeeper for wins and shutouts during the 2004 season. He also saw time on trial with Osnabruck of the German third division in 2006. In 2013 Carlin-Voigt was called into camp with the United States National Beach Team.
An avid learner and student of the game, Carlin-Voigt has studied leadership development and coaching methods at professional clubs such as Real Madrid, Chelsea, Fulham and Santos. He also observed the U.S. National Team’s preparations during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NICK CARLIN-VOIGT
“Nick is one of the bright young coaches in the college game. No doubt he will bring a passion, work ethic and relentless drive that will benefit the University of Portland immensely.”
- Caleb Porter, Head Coach, 2015 MLS Champion Portland Timbers
“Nick has a proven track record of recruiting top level talent to the college game. Portland is a fantastic opportunity for him to build his own program. I would expect Portland to be competing with top teams around the country under Nick’s leadership in a short time.”
- Chris Henderson, Sporting Director, Seattle Sounders FC
“I loved Nick from first time I met him. His energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and charisma is top one percent, which is why he has been able to recruit at such a high level. Nick is the hardest working guy I’ve ever worked with in my career and I’ve been around a long time. He brought us three straight elite recruiting classes, he brought that same ability to UCLA, and now he will do it at Portland. The main reason that he is a fantastic recruiter is because he has lots of integrity and trust with kids and their parents. I’m sure he will embrace the Portland culture and will have great success. He is a very dynamic, aggressive, passionate coach and Portland will benefit from his dedication and commitment. There was no question in my mind that he would become one of the best coaches in the country and I’m sure very good things will happen for the Portland program in a short amount of time.”
- Greg Andrulis, Head Coach, George Mason University Men’s Soccer and former Columbus Crew (MLS) Head Coach
“Nick's level of professionalism across the board is a huge benefit for the University of Portland as well as for the West Coast Conference. Having the opportunity to work closely with Nick I'm convinced he's going to help re-establish our league as we work together to be a power conference on the West Coast."
- Eddie Soto, Head Coach, University of San Francisco Men’s Soccer
“Nick has always been a fantastic coach as he is very driven, a great communicator, and a leader both on and off the field. With his attention to detail and competitive nature, Nick served as a great model for our team. Congratulations to the University of Portland on its new appointment.”
- Leo Stolz, 2014 MAC Hermann Trophy Winner, All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year at UCLA
“I really enjoyed the three years I got to work with Nick. On a personal note he was always willing and able to provide me with whatever I needed to make me a better player. As for the program, he promised that he would be committed to bringing in the best talent and character and he provided that year after year. With his work ethic there is no doubt that he will find success at Portland, and they are lucky to have him.”
- Earl Edwards, UCLA Men’s Soccer All-American, current player for Orlando City (MLS)
