Alex Yi brings over 15 years of coaching experience at the college and professional levels to Utah Valley University and enters his second season on Kyle Beckerman's staff in 2022.Â
Yi attended UCLA where he was named the Pac-10's Freshman of the Year and was a second team all-conference performer for the Bruins in 2000. He was also selected to Soccer America's All-Freshmen Team and was named one of Five Players to Watch by the Missouri Athletic Club. Yi was named to the NSCAA All-American Third Team and was a MAC Hermann Trophy nominee as a sophomore in 2001. Yi started 41 games in his two-year playing career at UCLA.
A former midfielder and defender, Yi played three seasons (2002-05) with Royal Antwerp Football Club of the Belgian Jupiler League. He made his Antwerp debut against Club Brugge in 2002.
Yi was picked up by FC Dallas in an MLS weighted lottery in January 2005 and went on to play three seasons with FC Dallas. Yi made his MLS debut on Sept. 24, 2005 with a start against San Jose.
As an amateur, Yi was a member of the U-17, U-20 and U-23 U.S. Youth National teams and played in all three games during the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championships held in Argentina. He earned a total of 57 career caps with various U.S. youth national teams, including six with the U-23 team, 12 with the U-20 team and 39 with the U-17's. Yi made his international debut with the U-17's against Mexico on Feb. 13, 1998.
Yi earned a total of 57 career caps with various U.S. youth national teams, including six with the U-23 team, 12 with the U-20 team and 39 with the U-17's. Yi made his international debut with the U-17's against Mexico on Feb. 13, 1998.
Yi arrived in Orem after spending a brief stint as Head Coach of Academy of Art in San Francisco where his family resides. He also had a brief stint scouting for Atlanta United of MLS in 2019.
Yi’s college resume includes being the top assistant under Tim O’Donohue at the Naval Academy from 2016-2018. He was the top assistant at University of San Francsico under Eddie Soto from 2013-2016. During his three years at San Francisco, Yi helped the Dons win 24 games and the program was 12-8-1 in West Coast Conference play. San Francisco had an overall record of 11-6-2 in 2014 and the team was 5-2-0 in conference play.
Before his time at San Francisco, Yi served as an academy coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy for five seasons, working primarily with the club's U-12, U-15 and U-18 teams. In 2010, he helped guide the Galaxy's U-16 squad to an Academy National Championship.
Yi also was an assistant coach at the University of Dayton in 2008 under Dennis Currier and helped the team capture its first Atlantic-10 championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
His father, Kyom Yi, played for the South Korean national team on the youth level.
Yi holds a B License from the United States Soccer Federation.
Yi earned a bachelor's degree in history from UCLA.
Yi is a native of Easton, Maryland and attended McDonogh High School in Owings Mills, where he earned All-Met and all-county honors in 1998. He was a Parade All-American in 2000 and a two-time NSCAA All-American.
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