Utah Valley University Athletics

Kyle Beckerman at UVU Photo Gallery

Kyle Beckerman is entering his fifth season as the head coach at Utah Valley University in 2025. A former Major League Soccer veteran, Real Salt Lake star, and U.S. Men's National Team member, Beckerman became the program's second head coach in April of 2021.

In his four seasons, Beckerman has produced a total of 16 All-WAC selections, as well as 39 Academic All-WAC honorees. Utah Valley finished 9-6-2 in Beckerman's first season including 6-4-0 in WAC play. In 2022, the Wolverines finished 7-8-1, with a perfect 5-0 record at Clyde Field and the program's highest-ever result against a ranked team, tying No. 5 Oregon State on the road. From 2022 to 2024, his teams produced the longest unbeaten streak at Clyde Field in program history, a 15-game run stretching from UVU's season-opening 2-0 win over UC Riverside in 2022 to the team's 3-1 win over Lindenwood in 2024.

In his first season at the helm of the Wolverine program, Beckerman helped produce the program's first-ever MLS SuperDraft pick in Jojea Kwizera. Kwizera was selected 15th overall by CF Montréal and made his professional debut on May 7, 2022. Beckerman and his staff produced back-to-back WAC Freshmen of the Year in Diego Castillo (2021) and Owen Knecht (2022). 

Under Beckerman, forward Omar Yehya produced arguably the best offensive season in UVU men's soccer history in 2024, netting a WAC-leading 12 goals and adding three assists to tie the single-season program points record at 27. Yehya's 12 goals were the most by a Wolverine in the regular season, and ranked in the top 10 nationally entering postseason play. Yehya was also the first player in program history to lead the WAC in goals outright.

In August 2024, Beckerman was named to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame, just the second Real Salt Lake player to earn the recognition. He joined longtime teammate Nick Rimando, with whom he won the state's lone professional sports title, the 2009 MLS Cup. In November, Beckerman was also inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame, his home state.

In December of 2020, Beckerman retired after a monumentally successful 21-year professional and international career. He spent 14 of those seasons in Utah with RSL, where he was a captain and led the team to a 2009 MLS Cup. He also had 58 caps as a member of the U.S. National Team, including starting appearances in the 2014 World Cup. In 2020, he was named one of Major League Soccer's 25 Greatest Players of all-time.

At the time of his retirement, Beckerman was Major League Soccer's all-time leader in games played (498), games started (461) and minutes played (41,164) among field players. He was a nine-time MLS All-Star and a four-time club MVP.

One of Utah's most recognizable and notable athletes of this century, Beckerman is also known for his work in the community. He is a three-time Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian of the Year award winner, highlighted by the "Light the Res" project that brought solar energy to homes on the Navajo Reservation.
 
Beckerman's MLS career began in 2000, at just 18 years old, when he signed with the Miami Fusion. In 2002 he became a member of the Colorado Rapids, where he had the best offensive season of his MLS career in 2006, finishing with seven goals and four assists. In 2007, he was traded to Real Salt Lake, and became captain in 2008.

RSL reached the postseason in seven straight seasons, including the 2009 MLS Cup win in a shootout against the LA Galaxy. During his tenure as captain, RSL won the MLS Cup in 2009 and reached finals in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and the 2013 MLS Cup. 

His time with the U.S. National Team included appearances in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2009, 2013, and 2015, and the Copa America Tournament in 2007 and 2016. He was named MVP of the Gold Cup Final in 2013 after leading the team to the Gold Cup Title. On January 29, 2013, Beckerman wore the captain's armband for the U.S. against Canada. 
 
A native of Crofton, Maryland, Beckerman and his wife, Kate, reside in Salt Lake City and they have three children. His parents, Meg and Paul, were both educators and his brother, Todd, was the head wrestling coach at Brown University. In his spare time, Kyle enjoys spending time with his family, reading books, and being in the beautiful Utah mountains fly fishing.