On April 1, 2014, Ricardo Espinosa was named the head coach of the Gavilan College men’s soccer team. The announcement came from Dean of Kinesiology & Athletics, Ron Hannon.
Espinosa, a graduate of Gilroy High School (1987) will begin working immediately to continue strides made in recent years by his predecessor, Justin Johnson. Recruiting will be his top priority.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Department of Kinesiology & Athletics at Gavilan College. My long term vision for the soccer program seems to fit right in with the Department’s ongoing drive to build high quality sport programs for all student-athletes,” Espinosa said.
After graduating from Gilroy High School, Espinosa attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on a soccer scholarship. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management (1992).
Espinosa is also the boy’s varsity head coach at Christopher High School in Gilroy. Prior to that, he served as an assistant soccer coach at Gavilan College (2010); UC Santa Cruz (2001-03); and was the boy’s varsity coach at Gilroy High School from 1996-98. In addition to his coaching responsibilities at Gavilan College and Christopher High School, Espinosa is also the Recreational Soccer League Director with the City of Gilroy Parks and Recreation Department, Northern California Director for Catalyst Soccer, and President of NET Fitness Inc. in Gilroy.
Upon graduating from Cal Poly, Espinosa played for the Monterey Jaguars-A League, a semi-professional soccer team in 1995-96. Additionally, the following year, Espinosa was drafted by the San Diego Soccers of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. In 1997 he played for the San Jose Oaks.
“Ricardo brings a wealth of soccer knowledge to our program. He excelled as a collegiate and professional soccer player and has improved local soccer with his involvement at Christopher and Gilroy High Schools as well as his direct involvement with youth soccer at Catalyst Soccer. We are pleased to have Ricardo continue the recent success that our soccer program has experienced over the last few years,” stated Hannon.
Espinosa holds a USSF “E” national coaching license and a NSCAA Junior 6 license. He is also a certified cross-fit trainer. He has also been a member of the Gilroy Rotary Club since 2004.
To contact Ricardo Espinosa at Gavilan College, call 408-848-4793 or email at respinosa@gavilan.edu.
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