The men’s soccer team has welcomed a new face to its program, as Matt O’Sullivan steps in as the new head coach for the Broncos’ 2019 season.
This will be O’Sullivan’s first time back to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) since he played for California State University, Bakersfield from 2003-05. He played for the Roadrunners for three years, earning All-CCAA First Team honors in 2005.
In 2007, O’Sullivan graduated from CSUB with a bachelor’s in exercise science. He continued his education at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, where he obtained his master’s degree in business sports management.
O’Sullivan will be taking over for former head coach Adam Reeves, who spent two years as head coach before. This summer, he accepted a position as head coach at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.
(Courtesy of CPP Athletic Department)
“Matt O’Sullivan is extremely familiar with success in the CCAA, as he competed as a student-athlete at a championship level,” Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Brian Swanson said. “Coach O’Sullivan has served on several highly successful academic and athletic coaching staffs and we are looking forward to him leading our men’s soccer program for years to come.”
O’Sullivan has years of impressive coaching experience that will benefit the Broncos in the coming season. He spent his last two years at the University of California, Irvine, as the head assistant coach for the men’s soccer team alongside former Bronco head coach Yossi Raz.
“Irvine allowed me to see California as a market,” O’Sullivan said. “[Irvine] was able to play against Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Los Angeles, and Concordia Irvine, so we played Division II teams and I was able to see the level and style of play.”
Prior to his time as an Anteater, O’Sullivan was an assistant coach at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, for seven seasons.
“I think the roles that I played in both programs were very different,” O’Sullivan said. “St. Edward’s was doing a lot of the sessions and Irvine was being more of the typical assistant role.”
The 2019 Bronco team has 16 returning players, 10 of which are seniors, who are excited to compete next month.
“I hope that the seniors can help lead the younger guys,” senior midfielder Jordan Jackmon said. “We hope to accomplish some big things this season. It’s going to take a lot of hard work but I know we can do it.”
“It is a senior-driven group and generally the success of the program is senior-led, so that is what I’m most excited about,” O’Sullivan said
The 2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released earlier this month, ranking the Broncos second in the nation.
“We are very excited to get going with coach Matt and the rest of the staff,” Jackmon said. “We finished our first training session and you can tell everyone is on board. Now, we just have to work hard everyday.”
The Broncos are gearing up for their season opener, which will take place in Canada on Sept. 5. They will have some familiar competition as they face off against the No. 13-ranked Simon Fraser.
The two teams battled against each other twice last season. The first game was a pre-season matchup at Kellogg Stadium, where the Broncos fell 3-0. The Broncos later regrouped and redeemed themselves, defeating Simon Fraser 1-0 in overtime in round 2 of the NCAA Division II National Championship.
O’Sullivan and his team are looking forward to the upcoming season and improving as a whole.
“The players have been working hard, on their own throughout the summer,” O’Sullivan said. “I saw them in play in the spring, when they played against Irvine and it gave me a good idea of how they play. I’m super excited to work with them.”