
UNC and men’s soccer head coach Carlos Somoano have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension which will keep him in Chapel Hill through June 30, 2029. The school announced the extension Monday.
“It’s an honor to serve as the head men’s soccer coach at North Carolina and I’m thrilled to continue in that role,” Somoano said. “With the help of great staff members and elite players, Carolina men’s soccer continues to be one of the most competitive programs in the country.”
The 2025 season was Somoano’s 15th in charge of the Tar Heels. His 185 career victories rank second in program history, and his 67 ACC wins rank first. He has reached the NCAA Tournament in 14 of his 15 seasons and reached at least the quarterfinals seven times. In 2011, Somoano’s first year as head coach, UNC won its second national championship, making Somoano only the second rookie head coach ever to win the title. Since them, UNC has reached the NCAA College Cup in 2016, 2017 and 2020.
In ACC play, Somoano has won two conference regular season titles, four Coastal Division titles and a conference tournament championship. His program has produced 19 All-Americans, four ACC Players of the Year and two national players of the year.
“Coach Somoano has done an excellent job with our men’s soccer program, both on the field and off,” said UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham. “Under his leadership, the program has been competitive both nationally and in the ACC, while the student-athletes have represented the University and athletics department in a first-class fashion.”
“I will remain committed to serving Carolina Soccer with ambition and pride,” Somoano said, “while expecting the same from our student-athletes and staff.”
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Related Stories
‹

UNC Men's Soccer Earns Draw vs. No. 1 Stanford in Chapel HillGoals from UNC’s Ryan Zellefrow and Luca Nikolai helped the Tar Heels play to a 2-2 draw against No. 1 Stanford at Dorrance Field Friday night. Zellefrow’s goal in the 13th minute was Carolina’s first shot of the night. It came against the run of play, as Stanford had manufactured the first two chances of […]

UNC Soccer: Women Win at Arizona State, Men Draw at CalBoth the UNC men’s and women’s soccer teams were playing out west Sunday. The women used a penalty kick goal to beat Arizona State 1-0 in Tempe, while the men battled to a 2-2 draw against Cal in Berkeley. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels and Sun Devils combined for just seven total shots […]

UNC Men's Soccer Defeats VCU for First Win of 2026 SeasonAn early goal from Nick Lockermann was all UNC needed to secure a 1-0 victory against VCU at Dorrance Field Friday night. It was Carolina’s first win and clean sheet of the season. Carolina Victory 🙌 The Heels kept a clean sheet and Nick Lockermann’s first-half blast gives UNC its first win of the young […]

UNC Men's Soccer Falls Behind Early, Loses at MemphisUNC allowed two goals in a span of less than two minutes in the first half at Memphis Monday night, and the Tar Heels couldn’t recover from that early deficit in a 3-2 loss to the Tigers. Memphis’ Eben McIntyre scored the match’s opening goal in the 13th minute on the first shot of the […]

The UNC Men's Soccer Coach Envisions a 2-Semester Season. Could it Work?UNC men’s soccer head coach Carlos Somoano recently told 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck about one of his pipe dreams: a plan to move college soccer from a one-semester to a two-semester schedule, spreading out the schedule across the fall and spring. Somoano called the proposal a “passion project,” one which has been on […]

'Trial By Fire': UNC Men's Soccer Coach Previews 2026 Season, Discusses Rule ChangesUNC men’s soccer head coach Carlos Somoano joined 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck Thursday, Aug. 6 for a wide-ranging conversation. Somoano, who is entering his 16th season as head coach at Carolina and who earlier this year agreed to a three-year contract extension, shared his excitement for the Tar Heels’ 2026 season and also discussed […]

UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Venue Christened Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy StadiumDorrance Field, the home venue for the UNC soccer and lacrosse programs, has expanded its name to Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The expanded name comes in recognition of a gift from Kathleen Welsh and Gary Loveman, parents of two former UNC women’s soccer players. UNC describes Play2Dream as “a private family foundation” founded […]

UNC Men's Soccer Announces Schedule for 2026 SeasonThe UNC men’s soccer program has announced its schedule for the 2026 regular season. The Tar Heels are looking to build off a 2025 season which saw them reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It’s about that time ⏳ The 2026 season is just around the corner and we’ve finalized our schedule. Save […]

Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report SaysSeveral UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]

UNC Men's Soccer Head Coach Carlos Somoano Agrees to Contract ExtensionUNC and men’s soccer head coach Carlos Somoano have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension which will keep him in Chapel Hill through June 30, 2029. The school announced the extension Monday. 𝑬𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 ✍️ Head Coach Carlos Somoano has signed a three-year contract extension, through the 2029 season. #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/HDREJOJtal — UNC Men's […]
›