Good Sports: New era for Fresno City College athletics programs with decades-long success
· Yahoo Sports
It's a new era for Fresno City College athletics.
Head football coach Josh Brown and head soccer coach David Santesteban have big shoes to fill in their new programs, taking over for longtime legends.
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"They're going to have to be on their game to make sure they continue that success," says Associate Athletic Director Derrick Johnson.
Tony Caviglia is retiring after 27 years coaching the Rams, leaving his mark as the winningest coach in the college's history.
Caviglia passes the torch to a familiar face. Brown actually recruited Caviglia's son to play at Cal Poly.
"18:10:37: When I took over this job, he said: I gave you my son to coach and now I'm giving you my baby."
Brown told Action News he's keeping Caviglia's coaching staff and didn't lose a single player to another junior college.
"One thing that I always knew recruiting this area is that you're going to get a tough kid, physically and mentally," he said.
Santesteban comes from Reedley College as the former athletic director, starting his collegiate soccer career with the Rams before transferring to Fresno State.
He'll be taking over for Eric Solberg, who coached men's soccer for 27 years, including two state titles in 2017 and 2019.
"I've had some wonderful experiences in soccer around the country," Santesteban said. "To come back and coach the young men where I started, (Solberg) set the bar high, but my job is to meet it and surpass it."
As Juco products, Brown and Santesteban both know how formative time at FCC can be for student athletes.
"They don't think maybe Fresno City is an option," Santesteban said. "I'll tell you what for me: it was the best option. Changed my life, changed my career, put me on a path and now I get to come back and lead. Again, it's a dream come true."
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