Ivan Sakou joins the Gaels staff in 2023 after a very successful playing career and youth coaching. The Cameroon native played with the Cameroonian youth national team U14s and U18s, and moved to the United States in 2014 after being offered a scholarship to play soccer for Western Nebraska Community College.

In his lone season with Western Nebraska, his team won the Region IX Conference and was named MVP that season with 16 goals and 8 assists. He became first player out of the WNCC Men's Soccer Program to sign with an NCAA Division I school, as he transferred on a full Athletic Scholarship to Virginia Commonwealth University after his successful 2014 NJCAA season.

At VCU in 2015 he was the starting forward and led the team to an Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Final, which where they lost to Dayton 4 -2. 

At the end of that school year he transferred from VCU to Lipscomb University, and played there for two seasons (2016 & 2017). At Lipscomb he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering (2018), and was part of the team that made it to their first ever NCAA Tournament Appearance in program history. He was named MVP of the ASUN Tournament in 2017, and had eight goals and four assists on the season.

After his time at Lipscomb University, he was scouted to go on trial with Nashville SC (MLS) and Fresno FC (USL Championship), but VISA and international roster limitations kept him from signing.

Sakou was hired as an assistant coach for Napa United (MLS Next), where he helped with various age groups. He has worked with various coaches and academies such Wasatch SC (Ogden, Utah), Nashville United Soccer Academy (Nashville, Tennessee) and Fredericksburg FC (Fredericksburg, Virginia). 

He returned to collegiate athletics back at Western Nebraska Community College and worked as an Assistant Coach for both the Men's and Women's Teams throughout the 2022 season. During his time at WNCC, he was part of a staff that were able to improve the women's record from a winless season to 7-7 record (including 33 goals scored in 14 games) and manage to guarantee a playoff spot for both the Men's and Women's team. 

Sakou moved back to California at the beginning of 2023, and also works as an estimation engineer. He also serves as an Assistant coach for the Napa Valley 1839 FC WPSL team (women's semi-pro team) and is the Head Coach for the Walnut Creek Surf U12 Boys White Team.