University of Evansville names Robbe Tarver Head Men’s Soccer Coach

The Purple Aces remove the Interim tag from Tarver’s title after six months guiding the program

EVANSVILLE, Ind. –  Robbe Tarver has been named the 7th head men’s soccer coach in University of Evansville history.  The announcement was made by Director of Athletics Dr. Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried.

“Robbe has consistently impressed me since I arrived at UE in 2022,” said Athletics Director Ziggy Siegfried. “He impressed me with his work ethic and recruiting ability when he was an assistant coach under Marshall Ray. He has also impressed me as the Interim Head Coach with his strong leadership, his genuine relationship building skills, and his ability to respond to adversity.

“Our University, our community, and all Purple Aces around the world are getting a Coach who knows what it means to be a Purple Ace. He is someone who will wake up every morning and go to sleep every night thinking about how to achieve excellence in all aspects of our Men’s Soccer program. There is nobody I would rather have leading our men’s soccer student-athletes!”

Tarver has been with the Evansville program for four seasons, initially coming to UE as an Assistant Coach before the COVID-19 impacted 2020 fall campaign. While an assistant for former Head Coach Marshall Ray, Tarver handled recruiting duties, leading training sessions, and academic performance. Tarver was successful in all three areas, bringing in players from around the globe and helping Evansville to a 3.3 or better GPA over the past three years. Tarver was elevated to Interim Head Coach in March of 2023 following Ray’s resignation from collegiate soccer. Along with handling recruiting duties as an Assistant, Tarver’s impact on the Aces program has been undeniable. Over the past four seasons, Evansville has made back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament Championship games, had three players named MVC Freshman of the Year, six All-MVC selections, and four All-West Region honorees.

“I want to thank Dr. Ziggy Siegfried and President Pietruszkiewicz for the opportunity to lead this program and their belief in me and our staff,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “Over my 3 plus years here, I have learned Evansville’s unique history as a prominent program in the NCAA soccer landscape and the deep impact of our alumni and fan base on the program’s success. I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of Coach Vieth, Coach Gaudin, Coach Schmalz, and Coach Ray.

“I look forward to upholding their standards of success here at UE. I enjoyed working under the leadership of Coach Ray, and I am excited to continue building on the foundation we have laid over the past 3 seasons and get the program back to competing for MVC Championships and NCAA tournament wins.”

Prior to his time with UE, Tarver spent three years as a volunteer assistant for the Louisville Cardinals. While in Louisville, Tarver assisted in opposition scouting, daily operations of training, recruiting organization and travel coordination.  The Cardinals saw plenty of success in the three years Tarver helped the team, as Louisville won their first ACC Tournament Championship in 2018. The Cardinals also made the NCAA Elite Eight the year prior in 2017 and returned to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019. In the three years Tarver was with Louisville, the team won at least one NCAA Tournament game each year.

Tarver began his coaching career at his alma mater – Division III Centre College, serving as the assistant coach for three seasons. During his tenure at Centre, Tarver was the recruiting coordinator and helped the Colonels capture their first Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Tournament Championship and the program’s sixth conference championship crown in 2016.

As a collegiate player, Tarver was a 2x captain for the Colonels, achieving all-conference and all-region honors from 2010-2013. He was invited to the USL Combine in 2014 and spent a season playing in Costa Rica for Juventud Escazuceña.

What They Are Saying…

“Robbe joined our staff in 2020 on the recommendation of alumni and friends. Since that time I have gotten to know him both professionally and personally as he became a part of the Aces family. Robbe cares immensely about the University of Evansville and the student-athlete experience that we as Aces value. He has already made at tremendous impact on our program as both an assistant coach and interim head coach. I am delighted he will be leading us into our next chapter of Purple Aces men’s soccer. Our student-athletes will be champions on and off the field under the leadership and guidance of Robbe.”

Marshall Ray, Former Head Coach, University of Evansville

“Robbe has a very good soccer mind.  We had countless discussions on all aspects of the game when we worked together, and I know Evansville will play a great brand of soccer with him.  More importantly, Robbe is a genuine person that truly cares about his student-athletes.  He will be a great mentor for everyone that is fortunate enough to be a part of the Evansville Soccer program and they will undoubtedly grow as soccer players and people during their time in Evansville.  As a program, Robbe will constantly have Evansville competing at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference.”

 Bryan Green, Head Coach, Temple University

 

“The University of Evansville has made a great hire in Robbe Tarver!  Robbe is an extremely hard worker that will give everything to his team to make them successful both on and off the field. Robbe also is a tremendous coach who knows the game inside and out but what I believe separates him is his genuine interest in people. He has a real ability to connect with individuals on a personal level and each student athlete that he mentors will benefit tremendously from his leadership”

John Michael Hayden, Head Coach, University of Louisville

 

“Robbe’s high school state championship in Texas was also for the national championship. Playing for Centre, he Captained our team that took down the defending national champions in the NCAA tournament. As an assistant coach with us, we won a conference championship, and he was quickly scooped up by UofL. I am an Aces fan and have enjoyed watching their growth since Robbe’s arrival. It is no surprise to me that Robbe has found success all along his soccer journey and I am popping popcorn as we speak, looking forward to UE’s next MVC championship under Robbe’s leadership.”

Jeb Burch, Head Coach, Centre College

 

“I am so happy for Robbe and the Evansville athletics department. Robbe is prepared for this opportunity and has so many qualities that make him a great leader of young men. He is very intelligent, forward-thinking, a high soccer IQ, and great communicator. Most importantly, he is a person of high integrity and strong values. I look forward to watching the success of the Purple Aces this upcoming fall and beyond.”

Donovan Dowling, Head Coach, University of Nebraska Omaha