Men's Soccer
Muuss, Bobby
Bobby Muuss
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- muussrp@wfu.edu
- Phone:
- 336-758-5783
Completing his 10th season at the helm of the Wake Forest men’s soccer program in 2024, head coach Bobby Muuss has guided the Demon Deacons to sustained success unmatched in the college game over the last decade.
From 2015-24, Wake Forest has:
- Collected the most overall wins in NCAA Division I men’s soccer (152)
- Collected the most home wins in NCAA Division I men’s soccer (111)
- Collected the most regular season ACC wins (56)
- Extended Wake Forest’s NCAA Tournament appearances streak to 14-straight years, which is eight more years than any other ACC program
- Appeared in eight Sweet Sixteens (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024)
- Appeared in six Elite Eights (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2024)
- Appeared in two College Cups (2016 and 2019)
- Won back-to-back ACC Championships (2016 and 2017) for the first time in program history
- Won three ACC Championships (2016, 2017, 2024) since the start of the 2015 season, most in the conference
- Won an ACC-best five Atlantic Division Titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023), which are the most since the conference went to the divisional format beginning in 2014
- Had three MAC Hermann Trophy finalists including back-to-back winners in 2016 (Ian Harkes) and 2017 (Jon Bakero)
He reached 200 career wins in a 3-1 victory over Boston College on Oct. 15, 2022, and during the 2020-21 season, Muuss became the fastest NCAA Division I coach to reach 100 wins at their current school, doing so in 128 matches in a 2-1 overtime victory over Louisville on March 27, 2021.
During the 2023 season, the Deacs reached 50 ACC regular season wins under Muuss' guidance and 100 home wins, becoming the only program nationally to reach 100 home wins from 2015-22.
Muuss became the first coach in league history to be named the ACC Coach of the Year in four-straight seasons, doubling his predecessor Jay Vidovich (2008-09; 2020-21) and former U.S. Men's National Team coach Bruce Arena (1988-89) as the only others to win that award in consecutive seasons.
Muuss led the Demon Deacons to back-to-back ACC Championships in 2016 and 2017, just the second and third tournament trophies in program history, as well as four-straight ACC Atlantic Division crowns and a fifth overall in 2023.
Previously an assistant coach at Wake Forest from 2001-07, Muuss returned to the Demon Deacons as the program's fourth head coach on Jan. 8, 2015. Muuss spent the previous eight years serving as head coach at the University of Denver from 2007-14.
The Deacs have also sent 31 student-athletes into the MLS ranks in nine seasons under Muuss. Wake Forest was the only program to have a first-round MLS SuperDraft selection from 2015-21. Additionally, Wake Forest’s 11 homegrown signings since 2017 are most in the country over the last seven years.
Muuss guided the Demon Deacons to their third ACC Championship in nine seasons during the 2024 campaign, as Wake Forest finished the regular season tied for fourth place before advancing to the finals to take down defending champion Clemson in penalty kicks. In a 5-1 victory over Virginia in the semifinals, Muuss reached the 150-win mark as Wake Forest head coach, as the Deacs average more than 15 wins per season under his direction.
In the NCAA Tournament, Wake Forest would defeat Maryland and Clemson to advance to the program's sixth Elite Eight since his hiring prior to the 2015 season.
The 2023 season was highlighted by the Deacs' fifth ACC Atlantic Division title in nine seasons and the 13th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Highlighted by going seven unbeaten over the team's final seven ACC regular season matchdays, the Deacs finished the regular season unbeaten in 12-straight matches. The team earned the No. 10 national seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, as the Demon Deacons are one of only two programs to have a double-digit NCAA Tournament appearances streak heading into the 2024 season.
During the 2022 season, Wake Forest collected a 14-6-0 overall record and a 12th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Starting the season 9-0-0, Wake Forest was the only program in the country to finish August and September without suffering a loss or draw. In a 6-1 victory over George Mason on Sept. 20, Wake Forest set a new program record with 13 consecutive home wins. Seven Demon Deacons earned ACC honors and the team hosted three postseason matches at Spry Stadium.
Returning to a fall-only schedule in 2021, the Demon Deacons collected the program's 11th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a seventh-straight trip to the Sweet Sixteen. During the regular season, Wake Forest collected victories over top-five foes Pitt and Virginia Tech along with a 7-0 outcome against Patriot League champions Loyola Maryland. Wake Forest also scored two victories in the NCAA Tournament against Mercer and FIU.
During a unique split season in 2020-21, Muuss lead the Demon Deacons to a 13-3-2 record, highlighted by a run to the Elite Eight with a roster that was compiled of mostly freshmen and sophomores in the spring. In the fall, Wake Forest was ranked No. 1 in the country for four weeks and clinched the No. 1 seed out of the one-time South Region which featured North Carolina, Clemson, Duke and NC State. The Demon Deacons had six players from the fall roster turn professional including two sign Homegrown Contracts (Machop Chol with Atlanta United and Isaiah Parente with the Columbus Crew).
Wake Forest returned to the College Cup in 2019 thanks to an NCAA Tournament run which included wins over defending national champion Maryland in addition to Michigan and UC Santa Barbara. The Deacs earned the No. 4 national seed, becoming the first team to receive a top-four seed in five straight seasons since seeding began in 1994. Wake Forest concluded the campaign with a 16-5-2 overall record and No. 3 national ranking.
The 2018 Demon Deacons finished with an 18-3-0 overall record, claiming the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Wake Forest opened the year with 11-straight wins and beat six top-25 opponents en route to a fourth-straight ACC Atlantic Division crown. The Deacs claimed ACC Coach of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year (Omir Fernandez) and ACC Midfielder of the Year (Bruno Lapa) honors.
In 2017, Muuss guided the Deacs to a 19-2-2 overall record and a 7-0-1 mark in the ACC. By winning the ACC Championship for the second-straight year, Wake Forest became the first team in the league to finish the ACC regular season and Championship undefeated since 1999. The Deacs were rewarded with ACC Offensive Player of the Year (Jon Bakero) and Defensive Player of the Year (Kevin Politz) honors, as each was also named an All-American, while the coaching staff was named the Region Staff of the Year for the second-straight season.
His 2016 Demon Deacons finished the year with a 19-3-3 overall record and claimed the program's first ACC Tournament title since 1989, just the second in program history.
He coached three first team NSCAA All-Americans in 2016 - Jacori Hayes, Ian Harkes and Alec Ferrell - marking the first time in team history three Deacs have earned the honor in the same season. Harkes also claimed the MAC Hermann Trophy - the top individual award in college soccer - becoming just the second Deacon all-time to accomplish that feat.
Hayes was named the Men's Soccer Senior CLASS Award winner, becoming the second in program history, while Harkes was the first player in conference history named the ACC Midfielder of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP and NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player in program history. Hayes and Ferrell were selected in the MLS SuperDraft, while Harkes signed a homegrown deal with D.C. United.
In Muuss' first season at Wake Forest, he engineered one of the most successful seasons the program has seen in guiding the Demon Deacons to a 17-3-2 record to go with a regular-season ACC championship and a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Championship as the tournament's No. 1 overall seed. At season's end, Muuss was named the ACC's Coach of the Year, becoming the fourth coach in conference history to earn the honor in his first season with the team.
During the 2015 season, Muuss helped Jack Harrison become the first player in ACC men's soccer history to earn conference Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season. Harrison scored a team-high eight goals and 11 assists for 27 points on his way to being named a NSCAA First Team All-American and MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist.
At the end of the 2015 season, both Harrison and Gamble were selected in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Harrison became Wake Forest's first men's soccer player taken No. 1 overall by the Chicago Fire while Gamble was picked 30th overall by the New England Revolution.
In his eight seasons at Denver, Muuss compiled an overall record of 74-56-25 with a 39-20-10 mark in Summit League play. He was named Summit League Coach of the Year in 2013 after guiding the Pioneers to a 13-3-4 record and a perfect 6-0-0 mark in conference play. Under his leadership, Denver won Summit League titles in 2013 and 2014 and captured the league tournament title both seasons, earning back-to-back bids to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
In his final two seasons at Denver, Muuss won 17-straight games. He coached Zach Bolden to a four-round selection in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, where he was selected by the Chicago Fire. It marked the fifth Pioneer to be taken in the last six drafts. During his tenure with the Pioneers, Muuss had three players earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.
Before Denver, Muuss spent six seasons at Wake Forest as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Vidovich. He helped land top-20 recruiting classes in each of his six years. During that time, Wake Forest made the NCAA Tournament each season, including twice as the nation's top-ranked team.
Muuss worked closely with Deacon goalie Brian Edwards, who set school records with 13 shutouts in 2006 and 31 in his career. He also coached standout players such as Michael Parkhurst, Sam Cronin, James Riley and Stephen Keel.
Prior to his stint at Wake Forest, Muuss was a volunteer assistant at Connecticut. While there, the Huskies won the 2000 national championship, three BIG EAST regular season titles and made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
A native of East Islip, New York, Muuss transferred to UConn from Southern Connecticut State and earned his undergraduate degree in the spring of 1999 in communication science. While at Southern, Muuss was a member of the 1995 Division II National Championship team.
Muuss resides in Winston-Salem with his three children, Camryn, Blayklee and Ryland.
His oldest daughter Camryn is a freshman at Montclair State University, and a member of the volleyball program.
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| All-Time Record | 226-96-49 (.675) |
| 2007 | 10-4-4 (.667) |
| 2008 | 10-7-2 (.579) |
| 2009 | 5-10-4 (.368) |
| 2010 | 9-7-4 (.550) |
| 2011 | 5-11-3 (.342) |
| 2012 | 11-6-3 (.625) |
| 2013 | 13-3-4 (.750) |
| 2014 | 11-8-1 (.575) |
| Denver Totals | 74-56-25 (.558) |
| 2015 | 17-3-2 (.818) | 6-0-2 ACC |
| 2016 | 19-3-3 (.820) | 5-1-2 ACC |
| 2017 | 19-2-2 (.870) | 7-0-1 ACC |
| 2018 | 18-3-0 (.857) | 7-1-0 ACC |
| 2019 | 16-5-2 (.739) | 6-2-0 ACC |
| 2020-21 | 13-3-2 (.778) | 8-1-2 ACC |
| 2021 | 13-7-1 (.643) | 4-3-1 ACC |
| 2022 | 14-6-0 (.700) | 5-3-0 ACC |
| 2023 | 11-3-5 (.711) | 4-1-3 ACC |
| 2024 | 12-5-7 (.646) | 4-2-2 ACC |
| Wake Forest Totals | 152-40-24 (.759) | 56-14-13 ACC |
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| All-Time Record | 19-13-1 (.590) |
| 2008 (First Round) - Denver | L, 0-4 vs. No. 17 UC-Davis |
| 2010 (First Round) - Denver | L, 0-1 (2OT) vs. UC-Santa Barbara |
| 2013 (First Round) - Denver | T, 0-0 vs. No. 17 Louisville |
| 2014 (First Round) - Denver | L, 0-1 vs. No. 25 Oregon State |
| 2015 (Second Round) | W, 1-0 vs. Charlotte |
| 2015 (Third Round) | W, 1-0 vs. No. 16 Indiana |
| 2015 (Quarterfinal) | L, 1-2 (OT) vs. No. 8 Stanford |
| 2016 (Second Round) | W, 2-0 vs. Coastal Carolina |
| 2016 (Third Round) | W, 2-1 vs. SIUE |
| 2016 (Quarterfinal) | W, 2-0 vs. Virginia Tech |
| 2016 (College Cup Semi) | W, 2-1 (2OT) vs. No. 6 Denver |
| 2016 (College Cup Final) | L, 0-0 (4-5 PKs) vs. No. 5 Stanford |
| 2017 (Second Round) | W, 1-0 vs. Columbia |
| 2017 (Third Round) | W, 2-0 vs. No. 19 Butler |
| 2017 (Quarterfinal) | L, 0-2 vs. No. 3 Stanford |
| 2018 (Second Round) | W, 2-0 vs. Colgate |
| 2018 (Third Round) | L, 0-1 vs. No. 16 Akron |
| 2019 (Second Round) | W, 3-0 vs. Maryland |
| 2019 (Third Round) | W, 3-1 vs. No. 13 Michigan |
| 2019 (Quarterfinal) | W, 1-0 vs. UC Santa Barbara |
| 2019 (College Cup Semi) | L, 1-2 vs. No. 1 Virginia |
| 2020 (Second Round) | W, 3-2 vs. No. 25 Coastal Carolina |
| 2020 (Third Round) | W, 2-1 vs. No. 24 Kentucky |
| 2020 (Quarterfinal) | L, 1-2 vs. No. 16 North Carolina |
| 2021 (First Round) | W, 2-1 vs. Mercer |
| 2021 (Second Round) | W, 3-2 vs. No. 14 FIU |
| 2021 (Third Round) | L, 0-2 vs. No. 20 Notre Dame |
| 2022 (First Round) | L, 0-3 vs. Ohio State |
| 2023 (Second Round) | L, 2-3 vs. Indiana |
| 2024 (Second Round) | W, 2-1 vs. Maryland |
| 2024 (Third Round) | W, 2-1 vs. No. 9 Clemson |
| 2024 (Quarterfinal) | L, 0-3 vs. No. 1 Ohio State |
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| First Team All-American | 9 |
| MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist | 8 |
| MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist | 3 |
| MAC Hermann Trophy Winner | 2 |
| First Team All-ACC | 15 |
| Second Team All-ACC | 12 |
| Third Team All-ACC | 16 |
| ACC All-Freshman Team | 11 |
| United Soccer Coaches All-Region | 34 |
| ACC Offensive Player of the Week | 19 |
| ACC Defensive Player of the Week | 19 |
| ACC All-Academic Team | 54 |
| ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year | 3 |
| CoSIDA Academic All-District | 4 |
| CoSIDA Academic All-America | 1 |
| CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year | 1 |
| United Soccer Coaches Scholar Player of the Year | 1 |
| United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American | 4 |
| United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region | 7 |
| Senior CLASS Award Finalist | 4 |
| Senior CLASS Award Winner | 2 |
| MLS SuperDraft Selections | 20 |
| MLS Homegrown Signees | 11 |
Wake Forest Football Highlights vs WCU (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Wake Forest Football 2025 Week Two Trailer
Friday, September 05
Football Media Availability (9/3/25)
Wednesday, September 03
Football Media Availability (9/2/25)
Tuesday, September 02
