An era of Iowa State soccer will end Thursday night, as head coach Tony Minatta announced Tuesday he was resigning.

Minatta took to Twitter to express his love for the Iowa State program.

“I am forever grateful for the opportunity that was given to me and will always hold Iowa State and Ames dear to my heart,” Minatta said. “It has not just been where I’ve lived, it truly has been my home.” 

Minatta will coach the final regular season game against Kansas on Thursday.  

The school announced Tuesday morning that Senior Associate Athletics Director Dr. Calli Sanders had been given and accepted his resignation Monday.

Sanders provided a statement in the announcement thanking Minatta for his years with the school. Minatta began at Iowa State as an assistant coach before taking the head coaching job ahead of the 2014 season.

“We appreciate Tony’s committed service and dedication the past eight seasons and wish him well as he pursues other opportunities,” Sanders said. “We will begin a national search for a replacement immediately.” 

The Cyclones are 3-14 overall (0-8 Big 12). This is the second time in Minatta’s eight-year tenure that the team has gone winless in conference play. 

This season is the third straight year of under five wins for the Iowa State soccer program. 

“Although we’ve enjoyed great moments of success on the field, it just wasn’t consistent enough for what this program has the potential to do,” Minatta said. 

Minatta will leave Iowa State with an overall record of 33-71-6 (.327) in six seasons and a Big 12 record of 7-40-4 (.176). He led the Cyclones to one winning season — 2016, when the Cyclones went 10-8-1 and nearly made the NCAA Tournament. 

Iowa State will host Kansas Thursday at 7 p.m. to end the regular season and Minatta’s tenure at Iowa State.