Nat Gonzalez joined the Arizona Soccer staff in July 2024 as an assistant coach after spending 11 seasons as the head coach at UC Riverside.
At UC Riverside, Gonzalez coached student-athletes to seven First Team All-Big West selections and eight NSCAA All-Region selections and took the program to three Big West Tournament Semifinals. In total, he guided players to 30 All-Big West selections and four All-Freshman Team honors.
In 2021, Gonzalez was appointed head coach of the Puerto Rican Women's National Team, leading the squad at the CONCACAF W Qualifiers. During his time at the helm of the Puerto Rican national program, he has coached former Wildcat Jill Aguilera.
He led UCR to the three-seed spot in the Big West conference tournament in 2017, after finishing the season tied for second in the league.
In 2015, the Highlanders recorded the second-most victories in the history of the program (11) and advanced to the conference tournament for the second time in three years.
Three members of the 2015 squad were named to the All-West Region Team, and achievement that included the program's first-ever First-Team All-Region nod. The trio also each earned First Team All-Big West accolades, giving the Highlanders the most First Team honorees in program history.
Gonzalez's 2014 squad recorded the program's first winning season since 2006, finishing 8-7-3. Under his leadership, Tyler Cunningham broke the single-season assist mark (10), and she and Amber Marani became the first Highlanders to be named to the NSCAA Division I Women All-West Region Team since 2004, both tabbing Second Team spots.
In 2013 Gonzalez was named Big West Coach of the Year as UC Riverside exceeded expectations, finishing third in the Big West during the regular season and defeating UC Irvine in the conference semifinals.Gonzalez led the Highlanders to within a goal of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, falling in penalties to Cal State Fullerton in the Big West Championship.
Gonzalez began his second stint with UCR in 2011 as the goalkeeper coach for the men's program. The 2011 squad won a program-record nine matches, including three against nationally-ranked opponents. The Highlanders advanced to their first Big West Tournament before falling to nationally-ranked UC Irvine in the semifinals.
In 2010, Gonzalez was an assistant coach for the women's team at UCLA. He also spent time as an assistant coach with the US Women's National Team U18 and U20 squads while serving as the director of goalkeeping for Legends FC and the technical director at the Temecula Valley Soccer Academy.
His first stint with the Highlanders was just over a decade earlier when he was named the first Division I head coach of the men's soccer team, leading that squad for the first three years of its existence.
UC Riverside's program improved each season under his leadership, winning a school-record seven matches in the 2003 season. He left the program prior to the 2004 campaign to become the associate head coach at USC for the women's team where he helped recruit the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation in 2005. His 2006 squad ranked first in the Pac-10 and 15th nationally in goals allowed.
Gonzalez became the associate head coach for the women's program at San Diego State in 2007. The Aztecs won the 2009 MWC Tournament Championship and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years before advancing to the second round.
Prior to joining the Highlanders in 2000, Gonzalez had assistant coaching stops at Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Washington. During his time in Seattle, Gonzalez helped the Huskies to consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) titles in 1998 and 1999. The team posted a 61-15-5 record over his five years.
Gonzalez, who was a four-year letterwinner at UCLA from 1988-91, won a national championship with the Bruins in 1990 and graduated with a degree in psychology. He served as the women's team's goalkeeping coach from 1994-95.
After finishing his college eligibility he played professionally for six seasons, finishing his career in 1997 with the Seattle SeaDogs of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL).
Gonzalez received his master's degree in exercise science in 2011 from California University of Pennsylvania.
