[NORTH CAROLINA MEN] Carlos Somoano has been confirmed as the North Carolina men's head coach, only the fifth coach in the Tar Heels' 65-year history.

Somoano served as the top assistant under Elmar Bolowich at North Carolina for the last nine seasons, helping lead the Tar Heels to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including three straight NCAA College Cup showings.

Bolowich stepped down to take over the Creighton program.
 
"We are thrilled to hire a coach of Carlos' pedigree to lead our men's soccer program," North Carolina Athletic Director Dick Baddour said. "Carlos has worked alongside Elmar Bolowich for the last nine years and has been an integral part of building this program into one of the nation's best. He has consistently proven to be one of the sport's finest recruiters as well as a great teacher of the game and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to continue the tradition of excellence that we have seen from our men's soccer program."

This past season's team produced two players -- Jalil Anibaba (Chicago) and Stephen McCarthy (New England) -- who are starting in MLS.
 
Three  other former Tar Heels who played under Somoano have represented the United States in the past year: Dax McCarty, Logan Pause and Zach Loyd.

North Carolina should again contend for a berth in the Men's College Cup in 2011.

Somoano had previously been an assistant at Richmond and D2 Eckerd, his alma mater.