CHICO, Calif. – Felipe Restrepo, the head assistant coach at UC Davis for the past seven years, has been hired to coach the Chico State University men’s soccer team Athletic Director Anita Barker announced Wednesday. He is the seventh men’s soccer coach in the program’s 45-year history. Restrepo will be formally introduced at a press conference at Acker Gym Thursday afternoon at 3:30.
Restrepo has been the head assistant coach at UC Davis since 2001. His primary duties with UC Davis have been training, team management, and recruiting. He helped lead the Aggies to a 70-49-15 record during that time in which the school was making the challenging transition to Division I status. The Aggies went 12-5-3 last fall and earned an NCAA Championship Tournament berth in their first season as a Division I postseason-eligible program. In the process, they ranked among the nation’s top 10 in scoring.
“Felipe is one of the bright young coaches in the world of college soccer,” said Barker. “He possesses all of the qualities in a head coach we were looking for and he’s eager to hit the ground running. There’s no doubt that Felipe is the right person to lead this program into its next chapter.”
Restrepo’s first two seasons at UC Davis were the school’s final two as a member of Chico State’s current conference, the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Over those two seasons, Restrepo helped lead the Aggies to a 26-12-2 record, including 18-9-1 in the CCAA, and a pair of top-five regional rankings. As a Division I school, the Aggies boast wins over California, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, San Diego State, and Cal State Northridge, among others.
“I am excited to start the next chapter of my coaching career and there is no better place for me to do that than Chico State,” said Restrepo. “I want to thank Anita Barker and the rest of the Athletic staff for giving me this incredible opportunity. I look forward to meeting with the current team, rolling up our sleeves, and getting to work. Our goal right now is to improve each day and to prepare for the upcoming season”.
Restrepo takes over for Mike O’Malley, who was Chico State’s head coach from 1996 to 2007. Before that, Don Batie was the coach for all but one season from 1967 to 1995.
“It’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of Don Batie and Mike O’Malley,” said Restrepo. “I’m excited to join the Chico State soccer family.”
Prior to arriving at UC Davis, Restrepo spent three years as an assistant coach at CSU, Monterey Bay while completing his master's degree in education. While at CSUMB, Restrepo helped develop a brand-new program. During his tenure, the Otters made two conference tournament appearances, including a berth in the conference title game.
He was also the head coach of the York High School varsity boys’ soccer team from 1998-2000 and earned Mountain Trail Athletic League Coach of the Year honors in 2000. Restrepo has also been the head coach of a number of club teams in Davis and led the under-17 Davis Legacy Gunners boys’ team to the state final last season. He also holds a United States Soccer Federation national "A" coaching license.
Restrepo was a four-year letterwinner at UC Davis from his midfielder position. He started 52 of his final 55 games and was a second-team All-Northern California Athletic Conference performer as a junior. He has also been a member of the state and regional Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams as a player. In 1999, he attended the U.S. Soccer Festival with the U-23 Region IV ODP team.
“I really want to thank Dwayne Shaffer and the rest of the UC Davis Athletic family for their guidance and support over seven great years,” said Restrepo. “I also want to thank the present and former student athletes I have had the pleasure to work with.”
A 1998 graduate of UC Davis, Restrepo has a bachelor's degree in human development, a master's in education and is currently in the doctoral program at UC Davis in educational psychology.
In 2002, he married another former UC Davis soccer player, Mandi Berman. The couple has one child, Diego.
