STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific men's soccer program has announced its new assistant coach for the upcoming season. David Elias will join the Tigers from UC Santa Barbara, where he was an assistant coach focusing on goalkeepers for the Gauchos. 

"First, I would like to thank Adam for the opportunity to come into this program to make a lasting impact," said Elias. "I am familiar with Adam's determination for his players to be competitive on the field while also pushing them to strive for more off the pitch, as he was my coach in 2014 at CSUF." "I come to Pacific with a persistence to be successful during the season and a continuous energy on the recruiting front."

Elias was with UCSB for five seasons, two as a volunteer assistant and three as the assistant coach. A Huntington Beach, Calif. native, also served as an assistant and goalkeeping coach at Servite High School while concurrently coaching CDA Slammers FC in both Huntington and Newport Beach. Elias served as the Gauchos recruitment coordinator during his time with the team. 

"David is an exceptional young coach that will contribute in many ways to our program, and I could not be happier to welcome him to Pacific and our program," said Head Coach Adam Reeves. "David is passionate about the student-athlete, a relentless recruiter, and an outstanding goalkeeper coach. I was fortunate enough to coach David during our Big West Championship run in 2014 and have a deep understanding of his drive to win." 

As the goalkeeper's coach, Elias's keepers recorded seven shutouts and helped Leroy Zeller to a minuscule 0.99 goals allowed average while collecting 70 saves and ten wins. His goalies allowed two goals just twice during the season. A coach who leads by example, Elias holds the Cal State Fullerton record for single-season shutouts with 12 in 2015.

A standout at Cal State Fullerton from 2014-16, Elias anchored a Titans' defense that won back-to-back Big West Tournament titles in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, Elias was recognized as tournament MVP after tallying eight saves in two matches, including five in a shutout win in the final. He accumulated 121 saves in 42 games while recording a goals-against average of 1.01 in three seasons. A two-time All-Big West Honorable Mention selection, Elias' 12 shutouts during the 2015 season ranks fourth all-time in Big West history, and his 0.89 GAA is second all-time in CSF history.