VSN (admin) Published Saturday, January 14, 2023 – 02:00 PM
By Brandon Petersen
It isn’t hyperbole to call new Westcliff men’s soccer head coach Randy Dodge a Southern California soccer coaching legend.
His resume is undeniable.
Dodge started his Hall of Fame coaching career at Vanguard University while still a student and playing for the Lions’ men’s team. After assisting at UC Irvine for three years, he took over as Director of Soccer for both the men’s and women’s teams at Vanguard in 2002.
During that time, he was named the Golden State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year eight times.
His men’s team reached the playoffs 12 times, and he coached 21 All Americans.
On the women’s side, he went 175-55-27 and did not lose a single match for a stretch of over a year, from 2012 to 2013. That year Vanguard was ranked the No. 1 NAIA program in the country.
He took the Lions to seven NAIA National Tournaments, reaching the final site in five of those appearances.
But that’s just Dodge’s college coaching career.
As head coach of Aliso Niguel High School, Dodge went 671-237-184, won 17 league championships and two state championships.
In 2001, after winning the CIF Southern Section championship, Dodge was named the LA Times Coach of the Year, and Student Sports Magazine’s National Coach of the Year.
Eleven years later, Aliso won the 2012 ESPN High School National Championship, and Dodge was named both CIF and Orange County Register Coach of the Year.
Dodge resigned at Vanguard after 20 years in March, after leading the men’s team to a 15-4-1 record and winning both the GSAC regular season and tournament championships.
“My time at Vanguard was all about my relationships with the other coaches and all of the student-athletes,” Dodge said. “Most importantly, it was building men of character within my program.
“My relationships with my players is the most important thing to me. Results will be a byproduct of our culture as a soccer family.”
Dodge takes over a Westcliff men’s program that has stalled in the Cal Pac tournament semifinals in each of the past two seasons. Even though the Warriors have just two seasons of Cal Pac play under their belt, they exceeded expectations in both.
Last year, Westcliff finished 9-2-1 in Cal Pac play and entered the tournament as the No. 3 seeds.
The Warriors return an experienced group in 2023, one hungry to make its first national tournament appearance.
“Westcliff is in a very unique situation and will be able to make some noise across the country,” Dodge said. “Being able to compete with the Top 25 teams in the country is right around the corner for us.
“I am so excited to build upon the program that has already been developed, and keep raising the bar, and the culture that Westcliff is all about.”
After graduating from Vanguard, Dodge went on to earn his Master’s in Education from Cal State San Bernardino.
He says he is taking over at Westcliff with an open mind to what the players have already built, but that ultimately, the past doesn’t matter much.
“I have my own way of doing things and building a program,” he said. “We can all improve in all aspects of building our culture, both on and off the field.”
Dodge is excited to work with a team as culturally diverse as Westcliff’s.
The Warriors’ starting lineup includes players from all over the globe, and Dodge says that’s part of the fun.
“I have worked with many international players throughout my career,” he said. “I embrace all of the different cultures, and learn about them.”
Dodge says he will recruit players who put in the work, and are adaptable.
“I love to win” he said. “And I love the process of bringing a group of men together for that goal. I recruit hard working players to play any style it will take to win.”
Westcliff Sr. Sports Information Director, Chase Dodge, has a unique insight into the kind of coach the Warriors are getting — Randy is Chase’s father, and Chase prepared for his eventual position at Westcliff by learning operations and stat-keeping at Vanguard.
“He coaches to reach the best potential of his athletes — and his kids,” Chase said. “Sometimes, you might not like the way he coaches at the moment, but the result — the knowledge you receive — it’s undeniable.
“Westcliff athletes and coaches alike are going to want to pick his brain about what he has done, and what he knows.”
Chase says Randy treated him like any other support staff when he worked the Vanguard sidelines.
“He told me what I messed up on and what I needed to fix to improve,” Chase said. “He helped me a lot in understanding how athletics operate. How to deal with difficult coaches. How to admit mistakes. How to always look to improve.
“On the field, he is all business. Off the field, with his coaches and players, he is the best to be around. All of his past players hold him in high regard.”
Randy says Chase took his responsibilities seriously from a very young age — 19 years old.
“From the beginning, Chase has always been very professional about his job,” Randy said. “He has grown in his development as a leader and a professional in his field.
“I am very proud of the young man that he is, and how well he does his job. We have always worked well together, and this will be no different.”
Westcliff (CA) Soccer Men’s California Pacific Conference Game Results
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