CARSON – Eddie Soto, who led the University of San Francisco men's soccer program for five seasons, is returning home to Southern California to lead Cal State Dominguez Hills as its fourth head men's soccer coach, athletic director Jeff Falkner announced Thursday.
 
"We are thrilled that Eddie has agreed to be our head men's soccer coach," Falkner said. "He has a wealth of experience in the game and great relationships within the soccer community in the region. I am confident he will lead Dominguez Hills back to national prominence."
 
Soto begins his new post April 1.
 
"This is a homecoming for me so I couldn't be happier to be back in Southern California with my family," Soto said on his return home. "The culture here at Dominguez Hills is one that resembles my philosophy, which is hard work, family and winning. I would like to thank Jeff and the rest of the search committee at Dominguez Hills for this incredible opportunity. I would also like to acknowledge the professionalism of the entire department throughout this process. It's very humbling to have been selected from so many wonderful candidates to lead this historic program."
 
He replaces former Toro All-American Sean Lockhart, who took over the program on an interim basis during the 2018 season.
 
"As a former All-American student-athlete here and a highly accomplished collegiate, club and high school coach himself, Sean was the perfect coach to lead the program through this transition," Falkner said. "I cannot thank Sean and his staff enough for the job they did this past year."
 
Soto brings to the Toros well over 20 years of coaching experience, with 17 coming from the NCAA Division I level. His lone head coaching role was with USF 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.
 
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.
 
Soto served as the head coach of the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team, which participated in FIFA's Beach Soccer World Cup for the first time since 1997.
 
Prior to joining the UCLA coaching staff 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.