New
coach brings junior college success
Karl Peterson/On-line Forty-Niner
Mauricio
Ingrassia was named the new head coach of
the women’s soccer team at a press
conference Monday. He replaces Peter Reynaud
who coached the 49ers for three seasons.
By
Karl Peterson
On-line Forty-Niner
The
Long Beach State Athletics Department announced
the hiring of Mauricio Ingrassia as the
new women’s soccer head coach Monday.
Ingrassia
takes over for Peter Reynaud who retired
surprisingly in March after a successful
season last fall. Next season would have
been the first Reynaud had a team comprised
entirely of players he recruited.
Ingrassia
comes from Long Beach City College where
he was very successful. He won national
championships the past two seasons with
the Vikings and won five state titles in
nine years as head coach at the junior college
level.
The
transition to the NCAA level from junior
college can be a daunting one, and when
asked about learning the NCAA rulebook Ingrassia
said that athletic director Bill Shumard
assured him that many veteran coaches still
do not know all of the rules.
In
the very next question of the press conference,
the 32-year-old Ingrassia was asked if he
planned on recruiting any of his former
players that brought success at LBCC. He
responded by saying that there were players
he would like to recruit but before he could
name names, the entire audience groaned
preventing Ingrassia from making his first
NCAA rules violation in the first few minutes
of his tenure as head coach. Coaches are
prohibited by the NCAA from discussing potential
recruits during certain time periods.
He
has been on the job such a short time that
instead of using the sports cliché
that he is going to take it one day at a
time, he said “I’m just taking
it one hour at a time.”
Ingrassia
also said that it was only earlier that
day that he had informed his Viking team
of his intention to not return for their
next season and help the team defend its
55 game unbeaten streak that dates back
two seasons.
The
Argentinian born Ingrassia took over the
program at LBCC when it was in dire straights.
On his first day with the Vikings, the team
had only five players. Not even enough to
field an entire soccer team or have an intra-squad
scrimmage. His team at Long Beach State
has 26 players and nine returning starters.
After
only one full season at LBCC he took the
team to its first ever playoff appearance,
won the state championship after during
his third season and the national title
in his eighth season.
Ingrassia
said that he had a chance to watch the 49ers
play this season but still needs to work
watching film over the summer to become
well acquainted with his team.
The
new head coach was happy to be at the Division
I level and said that there is no reason
that a team from the Big West Conference
cannot contend for the national championship
and agreed that is one of the most underrated
women’s soccer conferences in the
nation. One of Ingrassia’s keys to
being successful out of the Big West is
to not only schedule tougher teams, but
also beat them.
Ingrassia
said that the sports culture in America
is changing and that women’s soccer
is becoming one of the top women’s
sports.
“Coach,
it’s okay with us if you make women’s
soccer a religion,” CSULB President
Robert Maxson responded.
Ingrassia
will get his first chance at the helm of
the women’s soccer team August 21
in a scrimmage versus Biola University at
George Allen Field.
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