The all-time winningest coach in UC Irvine women's soccer history, Scott Juniper has been at the helm for the Anteaters for 16seasons. The program has been named the No. 1 women's soccer program in the nation among non-football schools for the last two years (2022, 2023).Since taking over in January 2007 guiding the program to 12 winning seasons, 12Big West Tournament appearances, ten10-win seasons, four Big West regular season championships (2010, 2011, 2017, 2021), threeBig West Tournament titles including the third three-peat in Big West history 2021, 2022, and 2023, and fivetrips to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection in 2010 and 2011 and automatic qualifier in 2021 and 2022 and 2023 to amass 170career victories. He currently holds the top winning percentage in Big West matches among active women's soccer coaches and is second-highest among men's and women's coaches.
The 2023 Anteaters have made it a trend under coach Juniper with their NCAA Postseason success after making another trip into the Sweet Sixteen. The 'Eaters again reached the Big West Championship as a 5-seed and ran the table to win their third consecutive Big West title and lock up a fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Juniper's crew topped that with a third straight upset of a Pac-12 opponent in the first round and making history with a 1-0 defeat of 1-seed UCLA, just the second team to defeat a 1-seed in the NCAA First Round. The memorable run continued with a win in the NCAA Second Round over No. 19 Gonzaga, 2-1, cement the 2023 squad as the only team in NCAA history to reach the third round after defeating a No. 1-seed in the first round. UCI's run ended with a loss to No. 15 Nebraska.
The 2022 Anteaters returned to their storied success with a second trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in program history. It began with a win in the regular season finale to earn the final spot in the Big West Championship. As the tournament's first 6-seed,posted overtime wins over Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis before a resounding 3-0 win in the Big West Final over Long Beach State to make a second straight trip to the NCAA Postseason. UCI once again toppled a seeded, Pac-12 foe in the First Round with a 2-0 victory over No. 14 USC to advance on. In the Second Round, the 'Eaters toughed out a win in penalty kicks over Brown to advance to their first Sweet Sixteen since 2010 to take on No. 3 Alabama on their home turf in a competitive match that went the way of the region's top-seeded Crimson Tide, 3-1,
The 2021 season was one to remember as well, especially after enduring COVID-19 that, among other things, took the 2020 season away from the Anteaters. UC Irvine responded with one of its most successful campaigns going 16-6, second-most wins in program history, and rallying to finish with a share of the Big West regular season title at 8-2 in Big West play for the program's and coach Juniper's fourth title. The team didn't stop there building a six-match unbeaten streak that helped the team win just its second Big West Tournament title to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
UC Irvine came in as a major underdog taking on No. 2 national seed UCLA also ranked No. 3 in the polls to start things off. After losing to them in the season opener, 3-1, the 'Eaters faced an uphill task with the Bruins coming off a second straight Pac-12 title and 26 straight matches unbeaten. The 'Eaters took an early 1-0 lead in the 14th minute and never looked back dropping the Bruins, whom had never trailed at home in 2021, had never trailed at halftime in any 2021 match, and had not allowed any opponent to score first on them in 2021, handing them one of the biggest upset defeats, and arguably the program's biggest victory in its history, 1-0, at UCLA to send the Anteaters to the NCAA Second Round for a second time in its history. Coach Juniper and his Anteaters as a program are now unbeaten in all three NCAA First Rounds they've appeared in going 2-0-1 with an overall record of 3-2-1 in the program's three NCAA Tournament trips.
The 2020 Anteaters and the entire Big West Conference did not compete due to health and well-being concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus and pandemic. The program did compete in Spring season going 3-0-2 against Big West opponents. The 2019 squad finished 4-12-1 taking on seven Power 5 programs, four ranked teams, and three schools receiving votes.
The 2018 Anteaters once again finished among the top four in the conference with an 8-7-4 record and a ninth season under coach Juniper with at least four conference victories. The 'Eaters did it through one of its toughest schedules to date going up against four Pac-12 schools on top of WCC powers Portland and Pepperdine. Coach Juniper's squads have run up against Pac-12 schools 33 times during his tenure claiming eight victories and drawing four times which includes the team's marvelous tournament run in 2010 where UCI took down Arizona State, ACC power Wake Forest, and pushed Washington to the limit in double overtime in the NCAA Tournament Third Round.
Coach Juniper has built the Anteater program into an annual contender that has taken results from top-tier programssuch as UCLA,USC, BYU, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, Santa Clara, Cal, and Wake Forest. Juniper has been named Big West Coach of the Year twice, once in 2010 and again last season in 2017. He also earned NSCAAWest Region Coach of the Year honors in the 2010 campaign helping guidehis squad to the only unbeaten and untied conference campaign when his Anteaters went 8-0-0to win the program's first Big West regular season title and set a new program record with 19 wins over that season.
Coach Juniper's student-athletes have experienced a wealth of success with 96All-Big West honorees over his 16seasons highlighted by a record ninehonorees in 2021, 28named All-West Region, 12players taking home player of the year awards at their respective positions including at least one each as Offensive, Midfielder, Defender, Goalkeeper, and Freshman of the Year, and a pair of All-Americans in Tanya Taylor in 2010 and two-time recipient CoCo Goodson in 2010 and 2011. Three of his alumni have been inducted into the UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame; CoCo Goodson, Tanya Taylor, and current assistant coach, Danielle de Seriere.
Under coach Juniper's watch, 16Anteaters have enjoyed successful professional careers including KianaPalacios and Cami Privettwho each played in Spain's top division. Palacios has since teamed up with another alum, Janelly Farias, for Club America in Mexico's top league.Three Anteaters have been selected in the draft from either the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league or National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) starting with Tanya Taylor as a fourth round pick in 2011followed by CoCo Goodsonselected in the first round in 2012, and most recently Palacios was taken in the fourth round in 2017. In addition to the success in American pro soccer, Anteaters have made marks in leagues in the Netherlands, Austria, Iceland, Czech Republic, Norway, Cyprus, Sweden, and Lithuania with two stints on Women's Champions League squads in Europe.
Juniper's Anteater career began in 2006 whenwas hired as an assistant coach at UCI under April Heinrichs. Prior to joining the Anteater program, Juniper was an assistant coach for the UC Riverside men's soccer program for three seasons from 2003-05 and an assistant coach at the University of Bristol (England) from 1998-2002. Juniper earned his Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Bristol (England) in 1998 and went on to receive his Master's in sport and exercise science from the University of Bath (England) in 2002. His Master's thesis investigated group dynamics of elite soccer. Juniper's research was published by the English F.A. Coaches Association Journal in 2003 and "The Sport Psychologist" in 2006. His research, which was based on work with collegiate soccer programs in the U.S. and professional soccer academies in England, highlighted key elements of effective teams. Coach Juniper has delivered presentations on building effective teams to a number of organizations.
As a collegiate soccer player in England at the University of Bristol, Juniper was named both Freshman and Player of the Year in 1996 and was the leading scorer in 1996 and 1998. During that time, Juniper represented England Universities at the regional level. In 1995, he captained the Colchester Sixth Form College to a high school national title and in 2001 he was part of the National Championship winning team at the University of Bath. He also played for a number of semi-professional teams in England.
Juniper holds the U.S. Soccer Federation "A" coaching license, UEFA "B" license, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), USSF National Youth License, NSCAA Goalkeeper license, and a Speed, Agility and Quickness trainer accreditation. He has spent time in different roles with the United States Soccer Federation including scouting and as an assistant coach with different youth national teams and various camps. Scott has served on the Cal South coach education staff, coaches with the Cal South and Region IV Olympic Development programs in addition to local clubs and community programs.
Coaching at the highest levels of women’s soccer in North America outside of the NWSL, Juniper coached the LA Galaxy Orange County Women to a National Championship in 2019 alongside Associate Head Coach PJ Woolridge in the United Women’s Soccer league in only their second season. Coach Juniper recently added this new wrinkle to his coaching career jumping on as the team's inaugural coach in theleague designed to help collegiate players and recent graduates develop as professionals. Juniper has also worked extensively with the Olympic Development Program and has served as a scout and assistant coach for U.S. Soccer Youth National Team program for a number of years.
In 2024, Coach Juniper published a book detailing his methodology for winning. "Be a Duck" crystalizes his life in coaching into powerful tools to maximize athletes' mental game, manage their emotional game, and unlock their most competitive spirit.
Juniper, a native of Colchester in England andhas settled in Newport Beachalong with his wife, Jill, and their two children, Glen and Faye.
