University of Regina women's soccer head coach Bob Maltman announced Thursday morning that he will step down after 14 years with the Cougars.

Longtime assistant coaches Astrid Baecker and Rob McCaffrey will serve as interim co-head coaches for the upcoming 2021 campaign. A full search for a head coach will be conducted following the season.

Under Maltman's tutelage, the Cougars enjoyed their best year in program history when they went 8-3-1 in 2012 and defeated Saskatchewan in the postseason to advance to the Canada West Final Four for the first time. Maltman, who was named the Canada West Coach of the Year in 2012, accumulated 39 conference wins and qualified for the conference playoffs five times during his tenure.

"There are so many people that I want to thank both here at the University and within the soccer community," Maltman said. "The great staff involved within our Cougars and Rams athletics department, the amazing academic advisors and student support professionals, the staff at the CKHS - you've all been instrumental in supporting me so that I could in turn support the great women within our soccer program.

"To the many passionate members of Regina's soccer community, thank you for your support and long may it continue. And, of course, to the current student-athletes and alumna of the program, please accept my immense gratitude for your support, drive, commitment, and persistence. You have all helped me become a better coach, person, and leader."

Women's soccer has also earned a reputation as one of the most successful teams in the classroom during Maltman's time at the U of R. The program has boasted an impressive amount of Circle of Scholars entrance scholarship recipients, Academic Gold and Academic Silver scholarship recipients, and Academic All-Canadian selections since 2007.

"Bob's leadership has helped grow this team from what was a relatively new Canada West program into a squad that has consistently qualified for the playoffs in this tough conference," said U of R Director of Sport, Community Engagement & Athlete Development Lisa Robertson. "Not only have his players been competitive on the field, but they have also been one of the U of R's most successful teams from an academic standpoint. Bob will be greatly missed here and we wish him the absolute best as he transitions into the next stage of his life alongside his wife Heather and their family."

One of Regina's most recognizable faces in youth sports thanks to her extensive coaching background, Baecker's involvement with the Cougars dates back to the program's inaugural season in 2001. She transferred home from the College of the Southwest (Hobbs, N.M.) to play in the U of R's first three seasons at the Canada West level, then served as an assistant coach for the Cougars during the 2006 campaign. Baecker started her second coaching stint with the Cougars in 2016.

McCaffrey has spent nearly a decade on Maltman's staff, starting out in 2013 as the squad's goalkeeping coach and quickly progressing to full assistant duties. McCaffrey, whose coaching resume includes working at the NCAA Div. I level as an assistant with the University of Wisconsin's women's soccer team, is employed on campus as a mental health advisor with the U of R.

"I've had the pleasure of getting to know both Astrid and Rob over the past few years and I've always come away impressed with their technical skills, tactical knowledge, and leadership abilities," Robertson said. "Coming out of such a challenging year, we are so fortunate to have two experienced coaches who will be familiar to the players and ensure stability as we prepare for the upcoming season."

Baecker and McCaffrey will lead the Cougars into a year which will see them compete with Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg in Canada West's Prairie Division. The altered conference format will see the teams play each other four times for a 12-game league schedule with the top two teams in the division advancing to the postseason.