Coming off its worst conference record in program history and the delaying of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus, the Bruins are making changes to improve the squad amid unprecedented times.
On Sept. 1, UCLA men’s soccer officially hired former Bruins Benny Feilhaber and Juan Cervantes as assistant coach and volunteer assistant coach, respectively.
Head coach Ryan Jorden said he looked for new hires that share the college soccer experience of assistant coach Eric Reed, a former UCLA goalkeeper who has since left the program after one year as assistant coach in 2019.
Jorden leaned on the alumni network of the program to find Reed’s replacements.
“We’ve got a great pool (of alumni to hire from), and because of that pool, hiring alums makes a lot of sense,” Jorden said. “(Cervantes and Feilhaber) are guys that have a great affinity for their own experience, a great affinity for the university, understand what it means to be at UCLA and a UCLA student-athlete, and all of those things really translate to their investment.”
Feilhaber spent 2003 to 2004 in Westwood. Before, the midfielder played in Germany, England, Denmark and then eventually the MLS. He retired in 2020 after 15 years in professional soccer and has 44 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team, including in the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Cup.
A UCLA goalkeeper from 2012 to 2016, Cervantes enters his post with immediate coaching experience as a member of the staff at Cal State Dominguez Hills last season, and has manned the goal for the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team from 2017 to 2019.
The former Bruin goalkeeper replaces Reed in coaching the goalkeepers, with incoming freshman Tyler Kirberg, rising junior Justin Garces and rising senior Aristides Costeas on the roster. Garces said he was enthusiastic to learn from Cervantes.
“It’s exciting, a new adventure for (Cervantes), and it’s obviously great to see him back at UCLA,” Garces said. “(It’s going to be interesting to see) what he has in store for (Costeas) and myself and (Kirberg). In the few sessions that we have had, he’s very excited and eager to get to work, and he’s shown it.”
In Feilhaber, UCLA has a midfielder who played at the highest level of soccer, and he will coach rising junior midfielder Riley Ferch, who tied for the conference lead in assists last season with nine.
Ferch said he is excited to work under Feilhaber and is looking forward to emerging as a team leader this season.
The upperclassmen’s leadership would guide a freshman recruiting class of 11 players, who Ferch said are very high energy and outgoing.
After more than two weeks of socially distanced workouts on campus, Garces said he has forged a relationship with the new recruits despite unique circumstances.
“The chemistry has been difficult (with COVID-19 guidelines),” Garces said. “(We are) trying our best to form a bond as we can in person in a safe way or just getting to know each other through social media. It’s going pretty well; our new guys are great.”
With new coaching hires, a full playing 11 of new recruits and the Aug. 11 announcement of fall sports’ cancellation through the end of 2020, with the potential for a spring season, Jorden said the hiatus could benefit the Bruins.
“We are very excited about the guys that we got in, and the gap now that we have before a spring season allows us to spend more time with the coaching staff getting integrated, but also, our new players (are) really able to grow systematically,” Jorden said. “Six months from now when we are (playing games), they’ll have a much clearer picture about what it takes to play in the manner we want to play.”
