Hired on April 26, 2013 as the first women’s soccer head coach in program history, Glad Bugariu has made an immediate impact, leading the team to five consecutive winning season in the first seven years of existence, going 10-8-1 in 2016, 9-8-3 in 2017, 12-6-3 in 2018, 9-8-3 in 2019, and 10-7-2 in spring 2021.
In the fall of 2021, Bugariu helped re-establish the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex as one of the toughest places to visit as the Vaqueros posted a .600 winning percentage (5-3-2) at home, including a big win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the South Texas Showdown, presented by Navy Army Community Credit Union.
Bugariu also guided Emily Zapata to the top of the record books as she became the program’s leader in goals (30), points (69), shots (241), shots on goal (114), and game-winning goals (15).
Bugaru’s squad also maintained their excellence in the classroom as they recorded a 3.54 team Grade Point Average (GPA) while having 21 AD Honor Roll recipients, 18 Dean’s List honorees, and seven 4.0 GPAs.
While the spring of 2021 was different for everyone, Bugariu maintained his excellence as he brought in 16 new players, 13 of them freshmen, and still guided the program to its third double-digit win season. Bugariu led the Vaqueros to a program-best 8-2 record away from the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex on their way to a seventh straight appearance in the WAC Tournament.
Bugariu also continued to prove that his defense is one of the best in the WAC as the Vaqueros allowed just 18 goals last season, which was the second fewest in the WAC, while also recording seven shutouts on the season.
Bugariu also helped 10 players to All-WAC honors as junior Emily Zapata was named to the All-WAC First Team while junior Anna Barkey, freshman Libby Beilfuss, freshman Mari Liis Lillemae, redshirt junior Maile Lunardi, senior Gina Steiner, junior Shi’Anne Swift, and sophomore Anna Torslov earned All-WAC Honorable Mention with Lillemae and Anna Frida Groedem also being named to the All-WAC Freshmen Team.
In 2019, Bugariu’s defense continued to be a staple of the program allowing the WAC’s third fewest goals while posting the second most shutouts in the WAC with nine. Behind its defense, the Vaqueros posted a 7-3-1 record at home proving the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex has become an impenetrable fortress in recent years.
Bugariu guided the program to its sixth straight WAC Tournament appearance while advancing to the semifinals the second year in a row. Bugariu helped four players to All-WAC honors as seniors Sarah Bonney, Kinga Szemik, junior Gina Steiner, and sophomore Emily Zapata were selected to the All-WAC Second Team.
Bugariu also served as the Under 15 Women's National Team head coach of Moldova, successfully combining his coaching duties at UTRGV with his national team commitments with the Moldovan Football Federation. He was the first foreign coach in the history of Moldovan women's football and his impact was tremendous. Besides leading them to their first ever win at this age group, Bugariu also captured first place in the UEFA / AFC Development Tournament, which took place in March 2019 in Singapore.
2018 saw Bugariu lead the program to its most wins (12) in a season and the most conference (6) wins in a season en route to its best regular season finish in the WAC, with a runner-up finish. He also led the program to its first-ever win at the WAC Tournament with a victory over CSU Bakersfield as they went on to . The defense was strong again allowing the WAC’s third fewest goals, while allowing opponents an average of 12.90 shots per game and just 5.42 shot on goal per game.
He guided four players to All-WAC honors as freshman Emily Zapata and junior Kinga Szemik All-WAC First Team honors with Szemik also earning All-WAC Tournament Team. Senior Tuva Rolstad Nilsen and junior Sarah Bonney took home All-WAC Second Team honors. Zapata added a WAC Offensive Player of the Week award with Szemik earning three WAC Defensive Player of the Week awards and Maile Lunardi earning one of her own.
In 2017, UTRGV not only posted a winning record for the second year in a row, but a winning record in WAC play for the first time (4-2-1), finishing a program-best third place. UTRGV’s only loses came to on the road by one goal to the eventual WAC and WAC Tournament Champions. UTRGV played defending WAC Champion Seattle U to a draw on the road. The defense was a strong spot for UTRGV, which went on a 441:32 shutout streak at the start of WAC play and finished the season with a goals against average of 0.95.
Four players earned All-WAC Second Team honors, including Andreya Barrera, Sarah Bonney, Tuva Rolstad Nilsen and Hanna Spets. Barrera added a WAC Offensive Player of the Week award while Nilsen, Marcela Ramirez and Malia Irvine earned WAC Defensive Player of the Week awards.
The 2016 season saw UTRGV lead the NCAA in shots on goal per match (9.11) while ranking eighth in shots per match (18.11), 27th in goals per match (2.05), 35th in points per match (5.84), 38th in goals against average (0.915), 42nd in total goals (39), 44th in assists per match (1.74), 46th in total points (111), 57th in total assists (33) and 68th in shutout percentage (.421).
UTRGV set program records for margin of victory and goals scored in an 11-0 win at Hampton. UTRGV also set new program records in shots (43) and shots on goal (28) while holding Hampton to one shot, which was on goal. Bonney burst onto the scene during this game, notching the first 12 points of her career and becoming the 30th player in NCAA history to score at least 12 points in a match. The effort helped Bonney earn the program’s first National Player of the Week award.
UTRGV racked up the honors throughout the year, as Bonney earned two WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, Barrera earned one, and Evelyn Powellwas twice named WAC Defensive Player of the Week. Bonney and Barrera also earned All-WAC Second Team honors.
UTRGV also qualified for the WAC Tournament for the third year in a row.
Bugariu’s success extends beyond the playing field, as his team has the NSCAA Team Academic Award in 2015 and 2016.
Bugariu started making history the moment he was hired, as the team went 8-9-4 in 2014, tying for the ninth most wins by a first year NCAA Division I program in the state of Texas. Bugariu and the team road that momentum into their second season of existence, as UTRGV qualified for the WAC Tournament for the second year in a row, while also increasing the total number of conference wins by 50 percent, making the future bright for this young program.
Additionally, Bugariu was invited to work with the Women's National Team of St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the spring of 2015 and was instrumental in their preparation and success in winning the Windward Islands Football Championship. He will continue as a technical advisor and national staff coach for the federation in 2016, a position that will see him continue to further develop the program.
During Bugariu's inaugual season, the team tied for the third best 11-match start in Texas history by going 7-1-3. In fact, the team remained undefeated through its first six matches (4-0-2), making it just the third inaugural program in Texas to do that. The team won its first match on the road, 2-0 at Southern, its first match at home, 2-1 over Huston-Tillotson, its first WAC match, 3-1 over New Mexico State, and its first match in the then-brand new Soccer and Track & Field Complex, 3-0 over Chicago State. Bugariu’s team, which featured 16 true freshmen, one sophomore and one junior among those who played, racked up the honors, as Andreya Barrera earned Madness WAC Freshman of the Year and Madness All-WAC Second Team honors, freshman Aimie Inthoulay earned Madness All-WAC Second Team and a WAC Offensiver Player of the Week award, freshman Hanna Spets earned a WAC Offensiver Player of the Week award, and freshman Aubrie Coley earned three WAC Defensiver Player of the Week awards in net.
Before coming here, Bugariu spent five seasons as the head coach at South Carolina State University, where he is the winningest coach in the program history.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Bugariu has worked at the professional and international level in the CONCACAF region, both on the men’s and women’s side. He is currently coach of the Under 15 Women’s National Team of Moldova and led them to the AFC/UEFA U15 In 2004, he was named the assistant national team coach of Grenada, engaging in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. There, the team reached the second round of World Cup qualifying, narrowly losing to the United States, in addition to advancing from the "Group of Death" during Gold Cup qualifying. These achievements resulted in a 13-place rise in the FIFA rankings, the most significant advancement in the history of the country. From a developmental standpoint, Bugariu created the Grenada National Goalkeeper Development Program and the goalkeeper coach education curriculum.
In 2000, at only 25 years of age, he was named Technical Director of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a country with a population of only 108,000 people. Bugariu was responsible for the development of the game in the country, creating programs that resulted in a 120 percent rise in soccer participation, in addition to creating national teams at every level. International headlines were made with the formation of a women's program at both senior and Under 19 levels for the first time in the history of the country. Both teams had significant success, with the senior women's national team reaching the second round of World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF region. Additionally, he was in charge of all national teams, concentrating on the youth programs. Using mostly players under the age of 20 for all senior national team games, Bugariu achieved the first-ever rise in the men's FIFA Rankings for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Having coached in over 30 international matches against nations such as the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Surinam, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahamas, Monserrat, and Guyana, among others, Bugariu also holds foreign and domestic coaching licenses, including the USSF “A” license, UEFA “B” license, NSCAA “Premier” Diploma, USSF “Youth” License, and the FIFA “Sports Medicine” Certificate.
In the summer of 2011 Bugariu worked with Carolina Cobras of the W-League, serving as the inaugural coach of the new professional women's soccer franchise. Although he was able to lead them to their first ever win, the purpose of the job was to develop the playing and coaching staff and create a competitive team for the future, paving the way for his longtime assistant, Sandy Burris, to take over after his initial stint with the team.
Bugariu also served as a head coach at Meredith College during the 2000 season and the men’s soccer assistant coach at Louisburg Junior College during the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
In addition, Bugariu has established an outstanding legacy in club and the Olympic Development Program (ODP), serving as the Director of Coaching for the Northern Soccer Club in Santa Fe, N.M. (Jan. 2003-Aug. 2005) while also working as head coach of the ’88 NM ODP Girls team, and later as the Director of Goalkeeping for the New Mexico Youth Soccer Association. He has also been on the ODP staff in North and South Carolina and has worked on the state coaching education instructional staff and as an NSCAA Regional Staff Coach.
Overall, in 14 seasons as a head coach, Bugariu has a career record of 147-117-28 (.551). He has won six regular or tournament championships in the past eight years. He is renowned for taking over struggling programs and quickly improving them, having been twice recognized in the top 10 of the NCAA “Most Improved Team” category at both the NCAA Division I and II levels.
Born in Bucharest, Romania, Bugariu came to the United States at the age of 10 and has since earned his citizenship and holds a degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned his master's in sports science from the United States Sports Academy. He was an All-Region goalkeeper at Brevard College in N.C. and had a stint with the Romanian fourth division club, Soimii Sibiu, before playing for the C.D. Chapel Hill Dragons.
Bugariu resides in the Rio Grande Valley with his wife, Katarina, and their son, Joachim.
For more information on Glad Bugariu’s career please visit www.gladbugariu.com
