Since his brother Jose Perez got him into soccer at the age of ten, Pierce College women’s soccer team head coach Adolfo Perez hasn’t put the ball down.
After graduating from Birmingham High School, he played four years at CSUN where he was named team captain in 1992.
He then went to play professionally for two tears in Guadalajara, Mexico while earning his “A” coaching license.
He came into coaching by accident; needing a part time job he started coaching an all-girls team.
“I really fell in love with it and I’ve been doing it since then.” he said.
Upon his return to the US, he coached El Camino Real High School and Mission College from 1994 to 1996.
As a Pierce head coach his team has won the Western Southern Conference six straight times and eight in ten years posting a 181-27-30 record during that time.
Community College coaching is more difficult than four year schools, every year or two you end up with an entirely different team.
This year coach Perez lost his record breaking scorer, the best keeper to ever play at Pierce College, and the fastest player on the team.
http://info.piercecollege.edu/departments/athletics/coaches.html
“Everyone that saw those losses was saying that Pierce is going to suffer, and we are not suffering.” he said.
He has won the Western State Conference Coach of the Year award five times during his ten year tenure with the team.
“It is a compliment, but for me it is always about the players.” he said.
Coach Perez doesn’t want his players to just look him as their soccer coach.
“I want to guide these girls, not just into being good players but good people as well.” he said.