UNLV Men's Soccer Camps
Liam Connors is in his third year as assistant coach on the UNLV staff after being hired in May of 2010. Connors came to Las Vegas after spending two seasons as assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Redlands in California. As an assistant for the Bulldogs, he assisted in all aspects of running the team while also serving as the recruiting coordinator. He also spent a year as an assistant coach for Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. Other coaching experience for Connors includes the past two years as a staff coach at the Region IV ODP Camp (2009-10), two years as Director of Coaching and Player Development for the MidState Soccer Club (2007-08) in Decatur, two years as a head coach for the Lake Oswego Soccer Club (2006-07) in Oregon and two years as assistant boys' soccer coach at Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego from 2005-2006. As a four-year starter for Redlands, Connors helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA Tournament four straight seasons, while also making an appearance in the NCAA finals in 2001, and the team was NCAA regional finalists all four seasons. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the nation by NSCAA in 2002 and won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference four times during Connors' time on the squad. He finished his career ranked in a tie for ninth in points in a season with 31, while his career totals include 23 goals (ninth best in school history) and 58 points (10th). Connors also received All-SCIAC honors his senior year, in which he also served as the team captain. Connors graduated from Redlands in 2005 with a bachelor of science degree in environmental science and is on track to receive his master's degree in higher education from Redlands in July of this year. He holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "A" license in coaching and also has a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national youth diploma.
Matt Armstrong joined the Rebel staff as the second assistant coach on June 29, 2012. Armstrong spent the past year as both an undergraduate assistant for New Mexico as well as coaching for Rio Vista United in Albuquerque, and guided that team to the U-17 boy's state championship in 2011. Armstrong finished his college career at New Mexico after leading the Lobos to the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament in his one year on the squad. He originally attended Notre Dame, where he started 66 matches before transferring to New Mexico for his senior season. For the Fighting Irish, he was named to Soccer America and College Soccer News All-Freshman teams, and earned honorable mention All-BIG EAST his freshman season as well. Notre Dame reached the NCAA tournament all three years he was on the squad, including the quarterfinals in 2007 and the second round in 2008 and 2009. He has also played professionally for HFC Haarlem in Holland, and E.C. Vitoria in Bahia, Brazil, after graduating from UNM. He is the nephew of former UNLV standout Rob Taber (1982-85), an all-conference midfielder that played on three NCAA tournament teams for the Rebels. Armstrong received his bachelor of arts degree in university studies from New Mexico in the summer of 2012.
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Liam Connors
Matt Armstrong