Men's Soccer
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- msoccer@athletics.ucla.edu
Former Bruin goalkeeper Juan Cervantes enters his sixth season on the UCLA men's soccer coaching staff in 2025. Cervantes was promoted to a full-time assistant position in July 2023 after serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the program for three seasons.
In 2024 UCLA entered the Big Ten Conference and Jorden led the Bruins to a 7-6-6 overall mark, and the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row. The Bruins played an immensely difficult schedule in 2024, with UCLA playing 12 of their 19 games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll rankings. Highlights from the year included a 2-1 win at home over No. 2 Ohio State (it was Ohio State’s only loss of the regular season),and a 6-0 neutral site win over receiving votes Maryland in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.
Cervantes helped UCLA to another strong season in 2023, finishing 9-4-5, won the Pac-12 title in the league's final season, and reached the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. UCLA earned the 2023 Pac-12 title in dominant fashion, going undefeated with a 6-0-4 record en route to their first conference title under head coach Ryan Jorden, the program’s first since 2012, and the team’s eighth overall Pac-10/12 title. Six Bruins were placed on the Pac-12 end-of-season honorees list with Tucker Lepley named to the first team, and Jose Contell, Jack Sarkos, and Tommy Silva each earned second team honors.
UCLA had a strong year under Cervantes in 2022, going 12-7-1 and reaching the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. UCLA at one point held its opponents to one goal or fewer in 10 consecutive games, the program's longest streak since 2005. Starting keeper Nate Crockford paced the Pac-12 Conference in both save percentage (.768) and shutouts (eight).
Cervantes helped the Bruins to an 11-7-1 overall record and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021. UCLA's 11 victories were an eight-win improvement over the 2020-21 season, representing the largest year-to-year turnaround in modern program history. Under his tutelage, senior goalkeeper Justin Garces set single-season career highs across the board en route to Pac-12 All-Conference Team honors. Garces ultimately signed as a Homegrown Player with Atlanta United FC just before the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
Cervantes re-joined the program ahead of the 2020-21 season, helping the team navigate the COVID-19-shortened campaign.
Despite being just four years removed from his UCLA playing days at the time of his hiring, Cervantes brought a lengthy coaching resume with him to Westwood.
He most recently was an assistant coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where he served as the goalkeeping coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2019-20 season. The Gardena, Calif. native has made a number of other coaching stops at various levels, including collegiate (Santa Monica College), high school (Loyola and Santa Monica) and club/academy (Beach Futbol Club).
Cervantes totaled 30 games played at UCLA, 27 of them starts. He made four starts as a freshman in 2012 as the Bruins won the Pac-12 Championship and then was the starter for the 2015 squad which reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Following his collegiate career, Cervantes continued to play, maintaining a roster spot with the United State Beach Soccer National Team from 2017-19, culminating in a spot at the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay alongside fellow UCLA alumni Ryan Futagaki, Jason Leopoldo, and Oscar Reyes.
