Nick Kirchhof, a national champion as a player and a two-time national champion as an assistant coach, was named the men's soccer head coach at MSU Denver on Dec. 28, 2020, and he immediately began charting a course to lead MSU Denver back to the top of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Progress continued in 2022, as the Roadrunners posted just their second 10-win season since 2016, going 10-6-2 overall while finishing a highly-competitive 4-5-1 in the RMAC. Forward Aidan Bates earned All-RMAC second team accolades, while goalkeeper Ross Miller and midfielder Adan Perez each earned All-RMAC honorable mention. Miller was a three-time RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week.

Kirchhof led the Roadrunners to a 4-0-1 finish in the final five games of the regular season in 2021, as the team qualified for the RMAC Tournament for the first time since 2018. The Roadrunners were 8-9-2 overall and 5-4-1 in the RMAC, good for fifth place. Transfer forward  Bates earned All-RMAC first team recognition, and both Bates and defender Bryson Chiles made the D2CCA All-South Central Region second team. Chiles was an All-RMAC second team selection, while forward Aaron Biggerstaff earned All-RMAC honorable mention. Chiles also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 recognition.

Inheriting a freshman-heavy team just two months before the season was scheduled to start, Kirchhof guided the Roadrunners to a 2-5 record, including 2-4 in RMAC play, as the 2020-21 season took place in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. True freshman Perez earned All-RMAC honorable mention recognition, and true freshman Biggerstaff led the team with two goals in the seven-game season. The Roadrunners' top seven field players in terms of minutes played were all true freshmen.

Kirchhof spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Stanford, helping the Cardinal to national titles in both 2015 and 2016. As a player, Kirchhof got plenty of experience with the RMAC during his four-year career at Fort Lewis, where he played in two Division II national championship games, including a victory in 2005.

While with the Cardinal, Kirchhof played an integral role in Stanford's rise among the nation's elite while on the staff of his former college coach, Jeremy Gunn. Stanford won the program's first of three straight national championships in 2015 when the Cardinal routed Clemson, 4-0. Stanford repeated as champions in 2016, defeating Wake Forest 0-0 (PKs 5-4).

In the 2016 NCAA tournament, the Cardinal did not concede a goal. The program also won three straight PAC-12 Men's Soccer Championships and appeared in four NCAA tournaments. 

Kirchhof helped develop numerous All-Americans, a Hermann Trophy winner, two MLS Rookie of the Year award winners, multiple MLS homegrown signees, MLS Superdraft picks, an MLS Cup Champion and three US Men's National Team.

The Cardinal went 65-23-16 (.702) with Kirchhof on staff, including a 46-8-11 (.792) combined mark in his final three seasons. On the heels of Stanford's first national championship, Jordan Morris became the first MAC Hermann Trophy winner in program history and signed the most anticipated Homegrown Player contract in MLS history when he signed with the Seattle Sounders.

Before joining Stanford, Kirchhof was the University of Denver's director of men's soccer operations for the 2011 season after spending three seasons as an assistant coach at Colorado Mesa of the RMAC.

As a student-athlete at Fort Lewis, Kirchhof played for Skyhawks teams that went to the national tournament each year, winning the title in 2005 while earning national runner-up in 2006. Fort Lewis won three RMAC regular-season titles and three RMAC Tournament Championships during his career. In his final season, Kirchhof led the Skyhawks to a 15-6-1 mark and was named the RMAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Off the field, Kirchhof received many conference academic awards. He was the 2008 Fort Lewis College Dr. Troy Bledsoe Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as well as the 2007-08 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Honor Scholar-Athlete. He was a three-time Academic All-RMAC honoree and was selected to the 2007 RMAC All-Academic First Team.

Kirchhof earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies at Fort Lewis and a master's degree in sport management from California (Pa.). He holds a United Soccer Coaches Premier Coaching License.

A native of Aurora, Colo., Kirchhof is a Grandview High School graduate. He lives in Denver with his wife, two daughters, and their dog. 

Collegiate Head Coaching Record of Nick Kirchhof 

Year

School

Overall

Conf.

Postseason/Championships

2020-21

MSU Denver

 2-5-0

2-4-0

2021

MSU Denver

 8-9-2

5-4-1

2022

MSU Denver

10-6-2

4-5-1

3 years

Totals

20-20-4

11-13-2