Aug. 14, 2008

(San Francisco) - Coaching veteran Chris Carniato has joined the men's soccer coaching staff as an assistant/goalkeeper coach as announced by head coach Erik Visser today. A successful player and coach with international experience, Carniato completes the Dons staff for the 2008 season.

"We are excited to welcome Chris to USF," Visser said. He has a lot of experience both as a player and as a coach. I know he will make a positive impact on our team, in particular with our goalkeepers."

No stranger to soccer in the Bay Area, Carniato coaches in the Novato Youth Soccer Association where he currently serves as the club's goalkeeping coach. Before his stint at NYSA, Carniato coached at Santa Rosa United and coached for the Lake Oswego SC Oregon, Southside SC Oregon, THUSC Oregon and Sonoma County Alliance.

Carniato has also coached internationally in both Central and South America with stops in Belize with the San Pedro Dolphins and with Colo Colo in Chile. In addition to coaching at the club level, Carniato also coached collegiately at his alma mater Sonoma State.

A Bay Area native, Carniato grew up in Moraga CA. and played high school soccer at Campolindo High School. After spending two years at Santa Rosa Junior College, Carniato transferred to Sonoma State where he finished his collegiate playing career.

After leaving Sonoma State, Carniato played semi-pro soccer in San Francisco with Latin league powerhouse El Farrolito, which won the 1988 U.S. open cup. He then went to play and train in Holland for three years. He was with 1st division Sparta Rotterdam, where he played with both the reserve and first team. He also played and trained with second division Excelsior in Rotterdam.

In 1996 Carniato served as a player-coach with the Hawaii Tsunami of the U.S.L. While with the Tsunami, he was named U.S.L. goalkeeper of the year and earned an invitation to the M.L.S. combine.

Carniato has an USSF "A" coaching licence, and a KNVB Dutch trainer's course III license. A respected goalkeeper coach, Carniato continues to train goalkeepers, and has had a coaching relationship with Franz Hoek (AJAX Amsterdam, FC Barcelona) for over 15 years. Carniato continues to learn and attend various coaching courses and recently returned from the Ziemer Brothers coaching tour in Europe.