Men's Soccer
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- armasas@wfu.edu
- Phone:
- 336-758-5516
Steve Armas completed his 10th season at Wake Forest in 2024, and was elevated to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2018 season.
He was hired by Bobby Muuss as an assistant on May 7, 2015. Armas joined the Demon Deacon staff after spending the previous nine years at Campbell University, spending five as the team's head coach from 2010-14.
Over his first 10 seasons, Wake Forest has made six trips to the NCAA quarterfinals and two trips to the NCAA College Cup. The Deacs have won the ACC Atlantic Division five times, as well as back-to-back ACC Championships in 2016 and 2017 before adding a third during his tenure in 2024.
Armas was a key part of the coaching staff which has earned United Soccer Coaches Region Staff of the Year in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Through his first 10 years, the Deacs have won 152 games, more than any other Division I program over that span. The Deacs have sent 26 players to the MLS as well, including 15 MLS SuperDraft selections and 11 homegrown signees.
Armas has coached back-to-back MAC Hermann Trophy winners in Jon Bakero and Ian Harkes, as well as Jack Harrison, the first overall pick of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
The 2017 Demon Deacons finished with a 19-2-2 overall record and 7-0-1 mark in the ACC. By winning the ACC Championship, 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.
The 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. Armas 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.
In his first season with Wake Forest, Armas helped guide the Demon Deacons to one of the best seasons in program history. Overall, the Deacs went 17-3-2 and won the ACC regular-season title for the first time since 2009. Wake Forest went on to earn the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made a run to the Elite Eight.
Before joining Wake Forest, Armas helped guide the Fighting Camels to three conference championships, the team's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament and a year-end national ranking at the Division I level. In five seasons, Armas amassed a record of 37-46-12.
At Campbell, Armas coached four MLS SuperDraft selections in Mitchell Cardenas (2013, Kansas City Wizards), Travis Golden (2014, D.C. United), Richard Jata (2009, Chicago Fire) and Willy Guadarrama (2007, Kansas City Wizards in MLS Supplemental Draft). More recently, Armas helped the development of Scooter Oliver, Campbell's first-ever Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's soccer in 2013. He also coached Bradley Farias, Campbell's first conference Freshman of the Year award since the 1993 season.
As an assistant at Campbell, Armas helped develop two Atlantic Sun Players of the Year in Vince Petrasso and Richard Jata. He also coached the 2007 A-Sun Freshman of the Year (Josue Soto and the 2007 A-Sun Tournament MVP (Petrasso).
Prior to his arrival at Campbell, Armas spent two years as an assistant coach for both Greensboro College and the Carolina Dynamo of the United Soccer League's Premier Development League (PDL).
While at Greensboro, Armas helped the program to a 2005 USA South Conference tournament championship and a second round NCAA Tournament appearance. With the Dynamo, Armas coached some of the best Division I collegiate players in the country, including Wake Forest alumni Sam Cronin, Justin Moose, Jamie Franks, Brian Edwards, Wells Thompson and Michael Lahoud. Each player has gone on to play professionally. His 2006 Dynamo squad included three Hermann Trophy candidates.
A native of Germantown, Maryland, Armas played collegiately at Maryland from 1995-98 and graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Spanish Language and Literature. He finished his career with 11 goals and 17 assists and ranks seventh among the school's career assist leaders. He helped lead Maryland to an ACC Tournament title and captained the team to an NCAA College Cup appearance, where Armas was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
Armas had an impressive professional career that included stints with various clubs competing in Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League First and Second divisions. Armas played with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL2, where he helped the team capture the Atlantic Division and regular-season championship. Armas spent the 2003 season with the Carolina Dynamo (USL2) where he played 17 games, scored five goals and had 16 assists to help Carolina capture the regular-season championship.
Drafted by the New England Revolution in 1999, Armas played with the Columbus Crew and Tampa Bay Mutiny of the MLS while playing with USL First division clubs in the Atlanta Silverbacks, Minnesota Thunder and Cincinnati Riverhawks. He played in the U-17 World Cup in Japan and also participated at the U-18, U-20 and U-23 national team levels.
Armas has also been especially active with the youth club community. He coached the '92 Elite team of the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) for two years, which won the NCYSA State cup in 2010 and had a final four appearance in 2011. He also coached the '92 Navy team with Triangle Futbol Club for two years in 2007 and 2008, guiding the group to two final four appearances and one championship in the NCYSA state cup. He also helped the team to two championships at the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Virginia, and anther appearance in the finals at the esteemed Disney Showcase in Orlando, Florida.
Additionally, Armas spent three years as a head and assistant coach with the North Carolina Olympic Development Program '93 Boys State Team. Armas holds a USSF "A" Coaching License.
Armas and his wife, Sarah, have two sons, James and Alexander.
