University of Detroit Mercy Athletics

Matt Ybarra joined the Detroit men's soccer staff as a graduate assistant prior to the 2015 season. Ybarra spent the previous four seasons as an All-Horizon League midfielder for the Titans, helping the team to two Horizon League regular-season titles.

Ybarra was a four-year starter and letterwinner for the Titans and received the Horizon League's Coleman Medal of Honor for 2014-15, the highest award from the league.

Ybarra was a two-year co-captain for the Titans and was twice named an All-Horizon League midfielder by the league's head coaches.

The 2014-15 President's Award winner at UDM played in all 75 games during his Detroit career, starting 64 matches. He ranked second on the squad with 10 points during the 2014 season, notching two goals and six assists, and was the only Titan player to play in all 20 games last season. Ybarra finished his career with 22 points and helped lead Detroit to two Horizon League regular-season titles, including the outright crown in 2012.

"Obviously, I'm very excited to have Matt Ybarra on our staff," Detroit men's soccer head coach Nicholas Deren '99 said. "He brings many different facets that our players themselves will need. His knowledge of the game and just the freshmen going through their first year, he can answer questions about soccer, classes, travel and all of those different aspects that aren't necessarily in a coaching role or soccer specific role.

"You couldn't ask for a more model student-athlete to model your program after in him. His leadership role that he took as a player here has just continued to advance. He'll be a great addition on the staff."

The Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) President in 2014-15 and three-year member, Ybarra received Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honors last fall, becoming the first Detroit student-athlete to earn those laurels since 2008. He earned NSCAA University Division Scholar All-North/Central Second Team accolades and was also named to the 2014 Horizon League Fall All-Academic Team.

He was the fourth UDM student-athlete in the school's history to receive the distinguished Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor and first since women's soccer standout Mary Parker in 2007. The Horizon League's highest award for a senior student-athlete is presented annually to the League's top male and female student-athletes who best exemplify the dignity and high purpose of the League and its membership.