One could argue that Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak was a soccer prodigy. Tiffany’s had tremendous success at all levels during her soccer career, both as a player and now as a coach. During her playing days, Tiffany was considered as one of the top soccer players in the country, which was highlighted by her selection to the United States Women’s National Team at the age of 16.
A resident of Petaluma, Calif., Tiffany came to Carondelet as a multi-sport athlete, competing in soccer and track and field. With her commitment to the US Women’s National Team, Tiffany would play just three and a half seasons for the Cougars, but totaled 90 goals and 51 assists during her time on the pitch.
As a junior at Carondelet, she helped the Cougars capture a 1994 North Coast Section Championship, when she scored four goals and dished out on assist in a 5-1 win over Monte Vista in the championship game. During that 1993-94 season, she scored 34 goals, dished out 20 assists and was named the California High School Player of the Year. During her high school soccer career, Tiffany received local, state and national honors, earning three Parade All-American and NSCAA All-American selections, while being named the National Girls’ High School Player of the Year twice.
In addition to her outstanding play on the soccer field, Tiffany also was a standout on the track. She was the Carondelet Track and Field Most Valuable Player in 1992 and 1993, and ranked in the top 20 in the country in the 400-meter dash. At the 1993 NCS Meet of Champions, she finished second in the 400-meter race with a time of 56:65, to advance to the state meet.
Following her stellar soccer career at Carondelet, she moved onto Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she played for the top college program in the country, the University of North Carolina. During her time at North Carolina (1995-98), Tiffany was a three-time First Team Athletic Coast Conference selection, while helping the Tar Heels advance to three straight NCAA National Championship games (1996-98), winning the championship in 1996 and 1997, before a runner-up finish in 1998.
Joining the USA National Team in 1994 at the age of 16, Tiffany was a member of the international squad for 10 years (1994-2004). Her first international competition came in 1995, when she played in the FIFA World Cup in Sweden. Her first international championship came as a member of the United States gold medal squad at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Additionally, she was a member of the United States championship teams at the 1998 Goodwill Games and the 1999 World Cup.
She was a charter member of the Women’s United Soccer Association, the first women’s professional soccer league in the United States. Playing for the Carolina Courage from 2001-03, she was team captain, leading her team to a 2002 WUSA Championship, and was a two-time WUSA All-Star selection (2002 and 2003).
Tiffany is currently the head women’s soccer coach at the University of Central Florida, a position she’s held since 2013. In six seasons with the Knights, she’s a three-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, and led her teams to four AAC championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Prior to her time at UCF, she was the co-head women’s soccer coach (with her husband Tim Sahaydak) at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2007-12. In six seasons at VCU, she helped lead the Rams to three Colonial Athletic Conference championships, while being named the co-conference coach of the year in 2011.
Tiffany is married to Tim Sahaydak, who is a former Major League Soccer player. The couple has two daughters, Layla and Evie.