Cedeno set to take over Whitman men’s soccer
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Athletics Director Dean Snider is pleased to announce the hiring of Jose Cedeno as the new name to lead the Whitman College men's soccer program.
Cedeno will step into the boots left vacant following the retirement of Mike Washington following 17 successful seasons at the helm of the Missionaries.
"I could not be more thrilled to have Jose join our team," said Snider. "He is a proven leader, teacher and coach who will provide an outstanding learning experience for our student-athletes in the program.
"There is an authenticity to Jose that was immediately noticeable during the hiring process," Snider added.
Cedeno comes to Whitman from the Belmont United Soccer Club in Belmont, California, where he has been the Director of Coaching and Player Development since August 2012. During his stint with Belmont Cedeno also traveled to London, England, in the summer of 2014 where he worked as a volunteer academy coach for the U9–U18 boys of the Crystal Palace F.C.
Though most recently from the club environment Cedeno is no stranger to collegiate soccer nor Division III and its philosophies.
At Hunter (N.Y.) College Cedeno headed the men's soccer program from 2005–2011. Tabbed the City University N.Y. Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) coach of the year in 2008 he captured conference titles in 2008 and 2010 earning trips into the NCAA D-III tournament. His squad in 2009 played its way into the CUNYAC championship game, falling one win short of stringing together three consecutive trips to nationals.
Snider likes the experiences Cedeno brings from those successful years at Hunter. "(Cedeno) has built a championship program before and he clearly has the skills and networking to bring a championship to Whitman College."
Cedeno also believes his time at Hunter will be helpful in his transition to Whitman.
"Working at Hunter in New York City with a diverse group of student-athletes taught me that regardless of the player's culture or background, recruiting is about finding the right match," explained Cedeno. "There are student-athletes who will thrive in the Whitman College setting and the coaching staff will be committed to seeking out those players and bringing them into the program and the college."
Cedeno learned about Whitman, his potential players and their program during his interview process and came away impressed.
"It will be an honor to work at an institution with such a highly-regarded academic reputation, and with what seems to be a great group of young men," Cedeno offered. "I believe the men's soccer program has a lot of potential and am excited to begin working on building it into a national contender."
A holder of the United States Soccer Federation "A" license Cedeno earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern languages (Spanish) from Saint Peter's (N.J.) College, now University, in 2002. He went on to gain his Master of Science degree in sport management from Brooklyn College in 2011.
Cedeno has spent time on campus already and will move he and his family to Walla Walla in the summer.
