GILROY — The Gavilan men’s soccer team has new coach and it’s a familiar face for many Gilroy-area fans.
Ricardo Espinosa, who also coaches the Christopher boys soccer team, was named the head coach of the Rams on April 1.
“I’m really excited, it’s a great opportunity for myself,” Espinosa said. “It’s a program that Justin Johnson, the previous coach, has left in good standing. He’s a young coach who took the program and actually broke some records the last couple years, so there’s a lot of potential for Gavilan.”
Espinosa will take over the program after the departure of Johnson and said recruiting will be his top priority. His coaching staff will include another familiar face, as Armando Padillo—the head coach of Gilroy High—is coming on as an assistant. Vince Monroy will return as an assistant and Jose Flores of Watsonville will join the staff as the goalie coach. Espinosa said he’s pleased with the way his staff is shaping up and is confident they will help the Rams be competitive in their tough conference.
“You have No. 1 nationally ranked teams like Hartnell, you have teams that make the playoffs every year like De Anza and Cabrillo,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s exciting.”
Cougar fans can breathe a sigh of relief, too as Espinosa will remain the coach at Christopher. With both high school’s coaches on the staff, it gives Gilroy-area players the potential to stay in the same coaching system for six years.
Espinosa has been all over the Central Coast in various roles —including being an assistant at Gavilan in 2010 and coaching at UC Santa Cruz in 2001-03—he said he’s glad to finally be settling down. An alumni of the Gilroy High class of 1987, he’s been in the community for 37 years and has no intention of leaving it.
“This is my home and I’m not going to be looking at going anywhere else,” Espinosa said. “It’s a really good time to take over a program that we can think about 10-15 years down the road.”
The Rams will begin their season at the end of August.
