Baseball coach is upgraded to full-time position, pro soccer
coach landed
The Gavilan College athletic department made three recent moves
that will add stability to the program and help with the school’s
often-difficult recruitment challenges.
Baseball coach is upgraded to full-time position, pro soccer coach landed
The Gavilan College athletic department made three recent moves that will add stability to the program and help with the school’s often-difficult recruitment challenges.
Just last week the school announced the hiring of two new part-time coaches as well as its desire to elevate the baseball coach’s position from part-time to a full-time faculty position with benefits and the opportunity for tenure.
“I’m excited about it. Not only on a personal level, but for the betterment of the whole program,” said Gavilan Baseball Coach Neil Andrade. “Now there will be more resources for me to take care of student athletes better. I won’t only be involved in baseball but I’ll be more involved in the physical education too.”
Although the decision to elevate Andrade to a permanent staff member of the school’s faculty is still pending approval by the district’s Board of Trustees, it is expected that Andrade will be breeze through the process.
In addition to that decision, Gavilan also announced the hiring of two other coaches to fill the part-time vacancies in both men’s basketball and women’s soccer.
Jorge Espinoza will head the women’s soccer program and Tito Addison will lead the school’s basketball squad.
Espinoza is arguably one of the most qualified soccer coaches in the region – at any level. In addition to playing the sport for 20 years professionally in his native Chile on the Chilean National Team and for a number of other pro teams, including the Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League, Espinoza has an equally impressive coaching resume that dates back to 1992.
He coached in the United States Interregional Soccer League, the Continental Indoor Soccer League and was an assistant coach for two Major League Soccer teams – the San Jose Clash (1997-2000) and the New England Revolution (2000-2001).
Currently he owns and operates the JESA (Jorge Espinoza Soccer Academy) in San Jose where he assembled a boys 13- to 15-year-old team that won the state title three years running.
“I’m very excited and looking forward to working with Ron (Hannon, athletic director) and all of the people of this community,” said Espinoza, who claims to already have upwards of 20 players to fill out the 2006 fall roster. “I’ve lived in the area the past five years and I wanted to coach at Gavilan and help the college out.”
In addition to fulfilling his part-time coaching duties at Gavilan, Espinoza is also the director of the South Bay Area for recruiting for the Chile USA Major League Soccer team, which is based in the Los Angles area.
“My plan at Gavilan is to get committed players that are very excited to come and work. I came to rebuild the program and I know how to motivate players,” said Espinoza. “I also have good knowledge and know enough about the game that if I have enough players I can win (the Coast Conference) right away. I also want them to enjoy themselves and have fun. I know how to make a team good.”
So does Andrade.
In the three seasons since Andrade took over the baseball program, it has steadily improved, winning five games more each season than the previous one.
This year’s 2006 baseball team posted a 15-24 record overall and went 8-17 in conference play.
“It’s really a stability thing,” said Andrade, who up until now had also worked for the Gilroy Parks and Recreation Department. “I’ll be able to get to know other teachers on campus and build more relationships. And I’ll have more resources to recruit and go to things like coaching clinics.”
Eventually those added benefits will result in more wins on the field, he said.
“It’s a good feeling because this could be a lifelong job now,” said Andrade, who recently moved to Gilroy with his wife. “I plan on being here a long time and this will help me to do more things. Hopefully, we will make the playoffs soon.”
According to school policy, once hired as a fulltime staff member Andrade will go through a four-year probation period before he becomes tenured at the college.
Andrade was a former student at Gavilan College before transferring to Portland State where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in sports management.
Prior to coming to Gavilan College, Andrade was the head baseball coach at San Benito High School for three years.
Andrade was also an assistant baseball coach at Gavilan from 1997-2000.
Addision is a graduate of San Jose State University with an impressive track record in community and collegiate athletics.
His most recent coaching experience was as an assistant for the San Jose State Spartans women’s basketball team this past season.
Prior to that, he was the head women’s basketball coach at Mission College in Santa Clara from 2002-2005.
In his three seasons at Mission college, Addison took a dormant program with only four players and turned it around.
By the time his second season rolled around, the team had an above .500 overall record. And the third year they were Coast Conference-North Co-Champions.
He has also held the title of head coach /co-owner of the High School Girl’s Elite Basketball team from 1999 to 2005 and was an assistant coach on the women’s basketball team at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont in 2001-2002.
At the high school level, Addison was the head coach on the Prospect High girls’ basketball team in Saratoga where he guided the school to a league championship.
His accomplishments as a player include being on a high school state championship team, a high school All-State selection, an NCAA Division I player (four years, 1996 NCAA Tournament participant), and a Big West All-Conference honors player.
