STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific men's soccer program welcomes Juan Cervantes as an assistant coach to the staff, as announced by first-year head coach Andres Ochoa on Monday.
Cervantes, a native of Gardena, California, brings a lengthy goalkeeper coaching resume with him to Pacific after most recently serving as an assistant coach at UCLA for the last six seasons.
"I am thrilled to be a Tiger," Cervantes said. "University of the Pacific is an excellent academic institution, and I align very well with the values as we strive to enhance the life of our student athletes. I am eager to lace my boots and gloves and have an immediate impact with our goal keepers and their development. I look forward to being part of a healthy & competitive culture of 'winning' while implementing the core values of our university and our athletic department. There is a lot of potential on this campus, and we will give our best efforts daily to bring back the winning days of this program."
Cervantes worked alongside Ochoa as assistant coaches on the Bruins' staff together, guiding UCLA to a 50-37-20 overall record with five trips to the NCAA Tournament.
"Juan is one of the best goalkeeper coaches in the country," Ochoa said. "He has developed through the years and has proven goalkeepers to be ready at all stages of the season during his tenure at UCLA. He excels in goalkeeper readiness through injuries, performance, and motivation. Juan is also a great recruiter as he is well-connected and respected through U.S. soccer networks at the highest level. I am grateful to have him on staff and continue our winning games in the 209."
During the 2025 season, Cervantes aided the Bruins to another NCAA Tournament appearance after UCLA defeated Michigan by a 5-0 margin en route to capturing the program's first-ever Big Ten Conference Tournament title. It marked a fifth straight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance by the Bruins.
In 2024, UCLA entered the Big Ten Conference and Cervantes supported 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 that year, with 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 and a 6-0 neutral site win over receiving votes Maryland in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.
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.
Prior to his coaching stint with UCLA, Cervantes was an assistant coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where he served as the goalkeeping coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2019-20 season. Cervantes 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 as 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.
Cervantes earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from UCLA in 2016.
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