Cayla Ames--Ryan Jorden, head coach of men's soccer, turned the program around in his third season.
California Baptist University men’s soccer head coach Ryan Jorden is the epitome of a player’s coach.
Amidst coaching the team to a number seven national ranking, and leading them to a record of 10 wins and two losses, he gives all the credit to the players, saying, “they are the ones who play the games, we just teach them and prepare them.”
The program has been very successful since Jorden came to CBU. He has led the men’s soccer team to two consecutive playoff berths, after the program had only had one playoff berth in the 22 years before he arrived.
Coach Jorden has been a collegiate soccer coach for 15 years, including coaching in NCAA division 1, and coaching in the Golden State Athletic Conference(GSAC) for 10 years, as an assistant coach at Westmont, his Alma
Mater, and here at CBU.
As a collegiate player, Jorden played on a Westmont team that won 65 games and appeared in two National Tournaments. He cites these national tournaments as his most exciting soccer experiences as a player. This is his third season as Head Men’s Soccer Coach at CBU and the team is performing better than ever. Earlier in the season, the team broke into the NAIA top 25 rankings for the first time in program history.
They have continued their success into conference play and have risen as high as fifth in the nation. The move to CBU was a logical choice that Jorden jumped at when he received the offer.
This is his first collegiate Head Coaching position, and he said it made sense to come to CBU since all his years at Westmont familiarized him with the GSAC.
Jorden said he loves the atmosphere at CBU, because unlike at a state school he has an, “opportunity for real relationships with players, with more personal interactions.”
Last year he was able to lead an International Service Project trip to Africa with soccer players which provided a better opportunity for him and his players to put their faith into action.
Jorden said he, “believes in what a place like CBU has to offer, athletically, academically, and spiritually.
When talking about the on-field success of his team, Jorden continually gives the credit to his players, saying that, “we have a great group of guys, everyone who gets to know them can see that they are fun guys.”
According to Jorden, “obviously winning is the end-goal, but it is about more than that, coaching soccer is about seeing 18-year olds grow to be men, and learn how to work for one another.”
Coach Jorden is a coach, a leader, and a family man. He is married to his wife Liz, and they have two sons.
