Southern California native Eddie Soto returns for his fifth season at the helm of Cal State Dominguez Hills' men's soccer program.

After missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Soto brought the Toros back in 2021 and led the Toros to their first 10-win season in four years while reaching the CCAA Championship semifinal. The Toros also cracked the national top 25, reaching as high as 13. 

Soto was named head coach of the men's soccer program on April 1, 2019. He returned home to the South Bay with well over 20 years of coaching experience, including 17 at the NCAA Division I level. Soto's lone head coaching role was with University of San Francisco from 2014-18, in which he compiled 40 wins, including 22 in the West Coast Conference (WCC). He was named the 2017 WCC Coach of the Year after leading the Dons to their first conference title in nine years and a NCAA Championship Second Round appearance in 23 years. During his time at the ‘Hilltop,’ he produced 32 All-WCC selections, including a Player of the Year, and eight Academic All-WCC.

Soto served as the head coach of the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team for 12 years from 2008-20. The team qualified for the 2019 FIFA's Beach Soccer World Cup for the first time since 1997.

Prior to USF, Soto spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at UCLA, helping guide the Bruins to four Pac-12 championships and eight NCAA Tournament berths, including three quarterfinal appearances and two trips to the College Cup (2006 and 2011). The Bruins also compiled a 44-6-10 conference record over Soto’s last six seasons with the program. During Soto's coaching tenure, 17 Bruins were selected in the MLS draft, including seven first round picks.

In 2013, Soto’s final year at UCLA, the Bruins finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the country by the NSCAA and College Soccer News and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins finished with a 12-3-5 overall record and a 6-1-3 mark in the Pac-12 and defeated four top-3 opponents during the course of the season, including top-ranked Indiana and California. Six Bruins earned All-Pac-12 honors, including junior midfielder Leo Stolz, who was named the conference's player of the year and was a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy awarded to the top player college soccer.

In addition to his coaching duties at UCLA, Soto also served as the head coach of the U-18 L.A. Galaxy Academy team. He took over a last place Galaxy squad midway through the 2011 season and in just one year led the team to the U.S. Development Academy SoCal division title in 2012. Soto also helped coach the Galaxy U-17s to the 2011 adidas Cup championship and also served as an assistant coach for the U-16 Galaxy Academy team that won the 2011 National Championship.

Prior to joining Jorge Salcedo's staff at UCLA in 2006, Soto was the assistant men's coach at Cal State Fullerton from 2001-03 before joining the women's staff at Long Beach State, where he served as lead assistant for two seasons (2004-05).

Soto’s accomplished coaching resume includes 20 years on the club level with the U.S. Developmental Academy, Southern California Developmental Soccer League (SCDSL) and the Coast Soccer League.

One of the country's top players as a collegian at Cal State Fullerton, Soto was a two-time All-America selection (1992 and '93) and ranks as the No. 2 scorer in Titan history, totaling 96 points and 38 goals from 1992-94. He still holds Fullerton’s single-season record for goals in a season with 18, set in 1994. In 1993, he led the Titans to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in school history and a quarterfinal appearance the following year.

In 2007, Soto was named to the Mountain Pacific Soccer Federation's 15-Year Anniversary first team.

Following his graduation from Cal State Fullerton in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in kinesiology, Soto was selected in the initial MLS Draft in 1996 by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and again in the 1998 supplemental draft by the San Jose Clash. He also played professionally for the Orange County Zodiac of the A-League and the Los Angeles Cobras of the USISL before ending his career with the USA Pro Beach Soccer Team.

Soto was a two-time Parade All-American and the 1990 CIF 3-A Player of the Year at Cerritos (Calif.) High School. He was also a member of the NHB Futbol Club that won the 1991 national championship and a member of the U.S. U-18 and U-20 National Teams.

Eddie and his wife, Stephanie, have three children, Fabrizio, Wyatt and Isabela.

Soto's Head Coaching Record

Team

Year

Record

Playoffs/Honors/Notes

CSUDH

2022

15-2-5

NCAA Super Region Second Round

CCAA Regular Season Champions

CSUDH   

2021

10-6-1

CCAA Championship Semifinal

CSUDH

2020

N/A

Season Canceled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

CSUDH

2019

4-11-1

CCAA Championship First Round

USF

2018

6-10-1

USF

2017

10-9-0

WCC Champions; NCAA Championship Second Round; WCC Coach of the Year

USF

2016

7-9-0

USF

2015

6-11-1

USF    

2014

11-6-2

Total

8 Seasons

80-70-13 (.490)

At CSUDH

5 Seasons

29-19-7 (.455)