Erin Carrillo-Bautista was named an assistant coach at Utah State in 2021 and will enter his fifth season with the Aggies in 2025. Carrillo-Bautista followed USU head coach Manny Martins from Eugene, where the duo served on the same coaching staff at Oregon and at Lane United in the USL League 2.
Utah State had perhaps the most successful season in program history in 2024, winning a program-record 18 games, repeating as conference tournament champions, and hosting an NCAA Tournament game for the first time ever. The Aggies made their first ever appearance in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll and climbed as high as No. 7 during a 12-0-2 start, tied with the 1960 men's basketball team for the highest-ever national ranking by any Utah State program in any sport. USU earned wins over three-straight Big 12 opponents, including reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech and in-state foes Utah and No. 16 BYU. Utah State finished the season with just a single loss, going 18-1-5 overall and 7-1-3 in league play. In the conference tournament, the Aggies defeated Colorado State 2-0 in the semifinals then took down Boise State 2-1 to repeat as champions. They then earned a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament to earn the right to host Washington, where they fell in penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw.Â
The Aggies set program records for goals (62), assists (65), points (189) and shutouts (15) in a season, out-scoring opponents by a combined 62-14 on the year to rank fifth nationally in goal differential, sixth in the NCAA in scoring offense and 10th in goals-against average. Defender Kaitlyn Richins was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and became the first All-American in program history as she earned third team recognition from Top Drawer Soccer. Goalkeeper Cora Brendle was named the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year and a program-record seven USU players were named to all-Mountain West teams, including five on the first team and two on the second team. Additionally, four Aggies earned spots on the league's all-newcomer team. A program-record five Utah State players also earned United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region accolades.Â
During his third season with the Aggies in 2023, USU captured the program's first ever Mountain West Tournament championship and third ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Utah State coaching staff was named the United Soccer Coaches Pacific Region Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the team to a 14-8-1 record and a 9-2 mark in conference play. This marked the most conference wins in program history, and was the second most overall wins in program history. Four different USU players earned all-conference accolades, including first-team honors by defender Kelsey Kaufusi and midfielder Kaylie Chambers and second-team honors by defender Kylie Olsen and goalkeeper Diera Walton. Additionally, Kaufusi was named the MW Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region Second Team. She then became the first player in program history to be selected in the NWSL Draft, as she was taken in the second round by the Portland Thorns.Â
In the 2022 season, Carrillo-Bautista helped Utah State advance to the Mountain West Tournament quarterfinals, reaching the conference tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013-14. The Aggies led the league in total points scored (87), total assists (31), total shots (300), total shots on goal (141) and were tied for first in goals scored (28). USU landed three players on Mountain West all-conference teams as juniors Kelsey Kaufusi and Alex Day, plus freshman Kaylie Chambers, were all named second-team all-MW. Chambers also earned MW all-newcomer team honors. Utah State had six players receive academic all-district honors from the association of College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). Sophomores Bizzy Arevalo, Addy Symonds and Tenzi Knowles, juniors Kelsey Kaufusi and Kylie Olsen, and senior Sara Taylor all were awarded the honor.
In 2021 during his first season as part of head coach Manny Martins’ staff, Carrillo-Bautista helped the Aggies to their most victories during the Mountain West era as Utah State opened the 2021 season with a 7-1-1 mark in non-conference play, the best record heading into conference play in school history. The non-conference slate included a 2-1 overtime victory at No. 18 BYU, the first win over a ranked opponent in USU history and the only loss for the Cougars at home in 2021. Under Martins, Utah State scored 30 goals, the most since the 2016 season as the Aggies set a school record with 34 total assists. Three members of the Utah State roster earned postseason conference honors as senior midfielder Ashley Cardozo was named first-team all-MW, junior keeper Diera Walton was named second-team all-MW and redshirt freshman defender Addy Symonds was named to the all-newcomer team.
Prior to his time in Logan, Carrillo-Bautista was an assistant coach under Martins with Lane United in Eugene, Oregon, during the 2021 season. He assisted with all aspects of the team, including training, scouting and day-to-day operations. Carrillo-Bautista was active at the club level in Eugene and was an assistant coach for the Eugene Timbers club program, coaching various age groups. He cultivated additional coaching experience as a volunteer assistant at Bushnell University, an NAIA program in Eugene.
Martins and Carrillo-Bautista first met at Oregon, where Carrillo-Bautista served as the team manager for the women’s soccer program. There, he took part in team film sessions and gained valuable insights on tactical analysis, as well as oppositional analysis.Â
As a player, Carrillo-Bautista was brought up through Timbers Academy in Portland, Oregon, while also playing club soccer with the Washington Timbers. Carrillo-Bautista was recruited by several Division II and Division III programs before he stepped away from playing to focus on a degree at University of Oregon, graduating with a dual major in Spanish and sports business.
