Missouri State

Kian Yari was announced as an assistant coach for Missouri State men's soccer on May 14, 2024.

In his first year as assistant coach for Missouri State, Yari brought out the best of his former teammates. He helped the Bears achieve their third consecutive 12-win season. Yari's familiarity with the program brought it back to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference standings one last time with an undefeated 7-0-1 conference record to win a record-tying 12th MVC regular season championship and fifth of the last six seasons, all of which he was a part of. The Bears returned to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth season in a row to be one of seven teams to make each Division I tournament since 2019. 

Yari played for the Bears from 2019 to 2023 and helped the team to three consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championships (2020-22) and four consecutive MVC regular season titles (2019-22). He has led the Bears to the NCAA Tournament each of the last five years, a feat only eight other teams have accomplished at the DI level since 2019.

Yari hit the pitch running in his first season in 2019, making the MVC All-Freshman Team. That success only grew in the following years. He made the All-MVC first team three times from 2020 to 2022 and the second team in 2023. His most decorated season came in 2021 when he was named the MVC Midfielder of the Year and a United Soccer Coaches All-American after scoring a career-high eight assists across a personal high of 1,447 minutes played in one season. 

In 2022, United Soccer Coaches once again recognized Yari on its All-Region first team. 

An All-American in multiple ways, Yari’s athletic accolades coincide with his academic ones. On top of making the MVC Scholar-Athlete first team four times, Yari was a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American in 2021. He was also named a College Sports Communicators Academic (CSC) All-American in 2021 and 2022 and a four-time CSC Academic All-District honoree.

Yari’s presence on the team in 2023 was essential to its 12-4-3 season that saw the Bears make the MVC Championship match and win its third-ever NCAA Tournament match in program history against Omaha. Yari’s four assists in 2023 were tied for the most on the team, bringing his career total to 22, the third-most in MSU history. Yari remained with the team throughout Missouri State’s spring 2024 exhibition season that concluded in April where he was an interim assistant coach down the stretch.

He joins Seabolt’s coaching staff which includes Danny Frid, who was promoted to associate head coach in December 2023, as well as goalkeeper coach Dominic Gilespie. 

Yari was part of Missouri State’s spring 2024 graduating class. He completed a Master’s degree in Professional Studies.

Playing Career Achievements

• MLS SuperDraft Eligible List: 2023
• United Soccer Coaches All-American: 2021 (3rd)
• United Soccer Coaches All-Region: 2021 (1st), 2022 (1st)
• MVC Midfielder of the Year: 2021
• All-MVC: 2020-21 (1st), 2021 (1st), 2022 (1st), 2023 (2nd)
• MVC All-Freshman Team: 2019
• CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-American: 2021 (3rd), 2022 (2nd)
• CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-District: 2020-21, 2021, 2022, 2023
• United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American: 2021 (1st)
• United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region: 2021 (1st)
• MVC Scholar-Athlete Team: 2020-21 (1st), 2021 (1st), 2022 (1st), 2023 (1st)
• Dr. Charlotte West Student-Athlete Award: 2024
• MVC Board of Directors Academic Excellence: 2022-23
• MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award: 2020-21, 2022-23
• MVC Academic Honor Roll: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23
• MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll: Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023

Updated: 5/22/2025