Former student-athlete and staff member Andres Ochoa ’18 is returning to University of the Pacific as the head coach of the men’s soccer program.

Ochoa, the program’s all-time assist leader, was a four-year starter for the Tigers from 2014–17 and a team captain. He graduated from Pacific with a degree in sociology. Most recently, he spent six seasons as an assistant coach at UCLA.

During his time at UCLA, Ochoa helped guide the Bruins to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. This past season, he was part of the UCLA program that captured the Big Ten Tournament title.

“Returning to Pacific is both an honor and a blessing,” Ochoa said. “It reflects the resilience and sacrifice of my immigrant family, whose support made all of this possible. Pacific gave me so much in my four years here. I grew as a man and as a winner. But I’m coming back hungry because I now understand the difference between simply winning and truly being a champion.”

Before his collegiate coaching career, Ochoa played professionally in Italy and Mexico. He earned his master’s degree in sport management and coaching from the Soccer Management Institute in Rome in 2020. While in Italy, he competed for ASD Aranova in the Eccellenza league. His club career also included stops with FC Wichita in the National Premiere Soccer League, the Portland Timbers U-23s in the Premiere Development League and Atlético Capitalino FC, part of a semi-professional football league in Mexico.

Ochoa previously served as an assistant coach at Pacific in 2019 and as a volunteer assistant in 2018.

As a Tiger, Ochoa helped lead Pacific to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. He played key roles in back-to-back NCAA Second Round runs in 2016 and 2017 as a student-athlete, and contributed as a staff member to a third NCAA Second Round appearance in 2018.

“My teammates and I look back on our four years at Pacific with pride for what we accomplished, but we always wanted silverware to prove it,” Ochoa said. “My experience competing in a Power Four environment at UCLA has fueled that drive. I know what it takes to perform at the highest level and to win. My hope is that through hard work and a strong culture, Pacific men’s soccer will compete for championships at every level.”

Ochoa finished his collegiate career with 72 appearances and 18 points (3 goals, 12 assists). Two of his three career goals were game winners, including a golden goal in double overtime against Loyola Marymount University in 2017.

“Coach Ochoa embodies everything we value at Pacific—drive, integrity and an unwavering commitment to developing student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics Adam Tschuor. “His experience competing and coaching at the highest collegiate levels, combined with his deep roots in our program, make him the ideal leader to guide the next era of Pacific men’s soccer.”

In addition to holding Pacific’s all-time assists record, Ochoa ranks second in career minutes played (5,411), third in games played (72) and third in starts (68). He played under former Pacific head coach Ryan Jorden, the current head coach at UCLA.

“I am thrilled for Coach Ochoa to have this opportunity to return to Pacific in charge of the men’s soccer program,” Jorden said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for him to lead his alma mater, a place where he was the first ‘captain’ after the program was restarted in 2014. There could not be a more passionate and invested coach in pursuing program success.

“He brings the same qualities that he displayed as a student-athlete when he drove the team culture to NCAA Tournament appearances, and for him to return to campus in this leadership role is very special.”