Escalera poised to begin first season as Cochise College women's soccer head coach

Ricky Escalera, a southern-California native, is set to begin his debut season as head coach of the women's soccer team at Cochise College. Coach Escalera replaces Bobby Peters, who was hired in a similar role at Eastern Arizona College this summer after three seasons at the helm.

Escalera began his coaching career volunteering with his former high school while he played collegiate soccer at the same time. After his playing career ended, he became a permanent fixture in his local high school program as the head coach of the junior varsity boys' soccer team while assisting with the varsity program. Escalera also coached several club soccer teams, including "Slammers FC" which was an ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) finalist during his tenure. Before accepting the coaching position at Cochise College, Escalera was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Presentation College in Aberdeen, ND, for both the men's and women's soccer programs.

"I saw Cochise College as an opportunity to grow both in my experience as a coach and as an individual," said Coach Escalera. "I chose Cochise Soccer because interacting with and coaching student-athletes from all parts of the world really grabbed my interest."
The first-year women's soccer head coach mentioned the fresh new talent slated to take the field this fall. "We should expect a competitive program that will be winning matches." The Lady Apaches are returning ten players from last season's roster, which the coach explains, brings 'much needed' experience during conference play. Coach Escalera spent the majority of the time he had this summer bringing in new recruits (12 total, including recruits brought in by Coach Peters) that bring in a good mix of high-leveled talent that he says will "drive internal competition."

The first goal for the new coach is to establish a positive brand and culture for the Cochise College Women's soccer team. "We expect our athletes to trust one another on and off the field. Trust their teammates will be able to make the pass, just as they trust they will pass their classes and be eligible for competition." Coach Escalera emphasized the "family" aspect of the team. "We win as a team and lose as a team. When one of our own succeeds, we all succeed."

Escalera brings two new assistant coaches, Santos Rangel and Josh Burton, each with playing and coaching experience. Rangel, a Yuma native coaching at Kofa High School and Arizona Western College, brings a wealth of knowledge. Josh Burton comes from Dallas, TX but resides in Tucson, where he currently teaches and coaches at Sunnyside High School. Coach Burton will serve as a part-time volunteer assistant coach at Cochise while overseeing the team's social media accounts.

Coach Ricky Escalera and the 2022-2023 Cochise College women's soccer season open up their season on Thursday, Aug. 18, taking on Casper College in Henderson, NV.