Kary Whitney - Men's Soccer Coach

Kary Whitney

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
kwhitney@athletics.ucla.edu

Kary Whitney enters his first season on the UCLA men’s soccer team staff in 2026, and leads the instruction of the Bruin goalkeepers.

Whitney comes to UCLA after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Washington women’s program, where the Huskies made a final four appearance in 2025 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth in 2024.

Under Whitney, Washington boasted some of the great goalkeeping units across the nation, posting a 0.89 goals against average over the last four seasons. After matching the school record for single-season shutouts with 11 in 2024, Washington posted 12 clean sheets in 2025. Following the season, Whitney and the rest of Washington's staff were named the United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year.

Thrust into the starting role in her second collegiate season and first featuring match action, Tanner Ijams rose to the occasion in 2025 under Whitney's direction. The SoCal native's 0.67 GAA was the fourth-lowest in program history, the third-best in the Big Ten and ranked 20th in the nation. Ijams garnered 11 solo clean sheets, matching the school record set by Sarah Shimer in 2017. For her efforts, Ijams was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's Freshman Best XI team, coming in as the 12th ranked freshman in the country by TDS.

Whitney oversaw the development of one-two goalkeeping punch Mia Hamant and Olivia Juarez, who combined to give Washington arguably the nation's best goalkeeping unit in 2024. The duo gave UW the nation's lead in team save percentage at .893, ranking eighth nationally with a .560 goals against average. Washington surrendered just 12 goals all season while posting 11 clean sheets, tying the program record in both categories.

During the season Juarez passed the torch to Hamant, who emerged as UW's starter for much of the season. Hamant finished her junior season with a .882 save percentage, the third lowest in the nation. Collecting seven solo clean sheets, the California native posted a 0.657 goals against average to rank 18th nationally.

In Whitney's first season at UW, he guided veteran keeper Olivia Sekany to another stout season between the posts. Sekany started all 19 matches between the posts for the Dawgs, earning a 1.30 GAA with five clean sheets, including two solo efforts. In reserve action, Juarez appeared in six matches, surrendering a single goal all season.

After the season, Sekany signed professionally with Racing Louisville FC, making the club's regular season roster.

Prior to his time at Washington, Whitney spent time with Seattle Pacific University. During his time at SPU, Whitney coached the goalkeeping group to the lowest goals against average in the country for over half the season in 2021. In addition, the Seattle Pacific coaching staff won the NCAA/NCSA Western Region Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the team to the GNAC regular and postseason titles and the NCAA DII Western Regional Championship.

Whitney is a 2018 graduate of Seattle Pacific, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in family consumer sciences: human development and family studies with a minor in psychology. He and his wife, Lexi, live in Culver City.