Bulut Ozturk - Soccer Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics

Bulut Ozturk

Title:
Volunteer Assistant Coach

Bulut Ozturk joined the Tennessee Soccer staff as a volunteer assistant coach in July of 2019. Ozturk's duties with the program include tactical training, leading practice, video coordination, helping with scouting reports and assisting with on-campus recruiting visits.

In his first season with the Vols, Ozturk helped guide Tennessee to its fifth-straight winning season with a 9-6-3 record overall. UT posted an 8-2 record at Regal Soccer Stadium that included shutout wins over SEC East rivals Florida, Georgia and Kentucky.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Ozturk grew up on the Gulf Coast as his family moved to Biloxi, Mississippi - where his father was stationed at the Keesler Air Force Base. Prior to Tennessee, he spent 15 years coaching club and high school soccer in Minnesota.

Ozturk brings three seasons of collegiate coaching experience to Rocky Top, with two years in the Division III ranks (Augsburg University, Hamline University) and one season in Division II (Concordia University). The 2019 season with Tennessee marked his first experience coaching Division I women's soccer.

At the club and high school level, Ozturk has been a part of seven state championships as a head coach. He guided Eagan High School to seven Minnesota state final fours in eight seasons, including four appearances in championship games and three state titles. Overall, Ozturk amassed a staggering 141-13-17 (.874) high school coaching record.

Ozturk captured four state championships as a club coach, serving as the director of coaching for multiple clubs: Dakota REV, Minnesota Thunder Academy and Minnesota Twin Stars FC. He most notably led Dakota REV to the first U.S. club national title in Minnesota history in 2013. Additionally, Ozturk coached the Minnesota Thunder Academy U-15 side to an ECNL championship. The group was rated as high as No. 3 in the country on the ECNL's club rankings.

Ozturk also spent three seasons with semi-pro club Minnesota Twin Stars FC, working as the head coach of the WPSL team while completing assistant coaching duties with the NPSL squad. He remarkably balanced those duties with his roles leading high school and club programs. In 2015, Ozturk was named the National Soccer Coaches Association Minnesota Coach of the Year.

Ozturk has seen several former players reach the NCAA Division I ranks, including with high-major teams such as Texas Tech, Gonzaga, LSU and Minnesota. Four of his former players have signed with professional clubs, namely Simone Kolander, Kayla Braffet, Katie Schulz and Kaelyn Korte.

Ozturk earned his B.A. in psychology from Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, Minn.) in 2008 before earning a dual master's in Sport Management and Sports Coaching from the U.S. Sports Academy (Daphne, Ala.) in 2016. His coaching licensure includes a U.S. Soccer Federation "B" License, a United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma and multiple international coaching licenses from Brazil and Turkey.