San Diego State is looking for a new men’s soccer coach for the first time in two decades.

Lev Kirshner was let go Friday afternoon after 23 years with the program, the last 20 as head coach. He had 142 career victories, reached the NCAA Tournament three times, produced several national-team and professional players, shepherded the move to the Pac-12 in men’s soccer and helped bring lights to the SDSU Sports Deck.

Kirshner, 50, is among the longest tenured coaches on campus and becomes the first dismissed by John David Wicker since he became athletic director three years ago. Kirshner had one season remaining on a five-year contract.

“We appreciate everything Lev Kirshner has done over 23 years for San Diego State soccer,” Wicker said. “They’ve had NCAA appearances. They’ve always been a high academically-achieving team. But at this time, I felt a new direction for the program was needed. I think we can achieve better results on the field. At this point, a change was probably for the best.


“It’s challenging when you have someone who has been part of everything for that long, but at the same time I also feel comfortable that we’ve given a coaching staff an opportunity to be successful.”

Kirshner was not immediately available for comment.

The Aztecs finished 4-12-2 in the recently-completed season and 1-9 in the Pac-12 after being outscored 22-7. They went 9-4-6 and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2016, but it was their only winning season over the past eight years.

Since 2005, SDSU has played men’s soccer as part of the Pac-12, which has only five members that field men’s teams and need a minimum of six to receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Only once in those 15 seasons did the Aztecs have a winning conference record; in seven of the last eight, they’ve finished 1-9 or 2-8.


“Realistically, you go into it knowing the other five opponents do have more dollars available to them,” Wicker said of the resource gap with the Pac-12. “What does that mean for us? The expectation is that you’re not going to win the Pac-12 every year. But I think we can be competitive in the Pac-12 on a year-by-year basis. I look at the rest of our sports, and we can be competitive with Pac-12 teams.

“My expectation is not that we’re winning NCAA championships. But if you’re in the middle of the Pac-12 consistently, you’re going to be in the NCAA Tournament more often than not.”

Wicker will launch an immediate search for a replacement and hopes to hire one by early 2020.

SDSU recently announced an eight-man recruiting class for next season ranked No. 8 nationally by Top Drawer Soccer. It is the third straight year the Aztecs’ recruits have been ranked nationally and second straight year in the top 10.