Eureka Names Robin Ramirez Head Women's Soccer Coach
EUREKA, Ill. – Robin Ramirez has been chosen as the new Eureka College women's soccer head coach, according to an announcement from Eureka Director of Athletics Paul Bryant, Thursday afternoon. Ramirez owns nearly a decade of soccer coaching experience and comes to Eureka after spending 2010 as an assistant to the men's soccer staff at Division I Manhattan College.
Just the third head coach in Eureka women's soccer history, Ramirez began his coaching career as a youth soccer coach in 2004 before earning his first head coaching job as the junior varsity boys coach at San Francisco University High School in San Francisco, Calif. He entered the collegiate ranks with Manhattan in 2010, assisting the Jaspers as a manager and with operations.
"I am thankful to Mr. Paul Bryant and the Eureka College community for the opportunity to be part of the athletics department," Ramirez said. "I look forward to working hard, recruiting quality student-athletes and along with a great foundation in place, taking the women's soccer program to the next level."
A native of East Palo Alto, Calif., Ramirez is certified by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and the United States Soccer Federation, which includes a Level III/National Goalkeeping license. He has also participated in NSCAA special topics courses with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. In 2008, Ramirez organized and conducted soccer clinics in New York, N.Y. at the Bronx House Community Center. Ramirez has also worked with Sports Domain Academy in Clifton, N.J. as a summer camp coach, assisting with the training of different academy teams.
In addition to his coaching experience, Ramirez played amateur soccer for Penya FC Barcelona in New York. He earned a B.S. in psychology from Fordham University at the Rose Hill Campus in the Bronx in 2007.
"It is with great pride and anticipation we welcome Robin Ramirez to our athletics staff as our new women's soccer head coach," Bryant said. "Coach Ramirez is well-respected by his soccer colleagues and will bring a great sense of pride and respect to our program. I'm looking forward to his positive influence on our student-athletes on and off the field".
Ramirez replaces interim women's soccer head coach J.L. Zapushek, who led the Red Devils to a 4-7-0 record after being promoted on Sept. 28. The women's soccer team will begin its fifth season at the NCAA Division III level in 2011 and can return as many as 14 players from last season's squad, including All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selections Kesli Blankenship (Lowell, Ind./Lowell H.S.) and Lindsay Coffey (Pekin, Ill./Pekin H.S.). Blankenship set the Eureka freshman scoring record last fall with 12 goals, while Coffey became the all-time Eureka leader in minutes played (1,844) and saves (193) after just two seasons.
Courtesy Eureka College sports information
