Yossi Raz enters his fourth season in 2016 as the Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer head coach. In his three seasons at the helm, he has led the program to an overall record of 41-11-9 and a postseason record of 8-1. Since his hiring in February 2013, Raz has strengthened the men's soccer program with success on the field and outreach within the local community.
Broncos' men's soccer is coming off of two of the best seasons the program has ever seen.
In 2015, the program finished the season 17-3-3, complete with an 8-2-2 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). They won the West Region title and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships in Pensacola, Fla. for the first time ever and secured a national runner-up finish after going 6-1 in the postseason. In the conference postseason tournament, the Green and Gold locked in their second-straight conference championship title. It was also the second-consecutive season that CPP earned the program-high 17 wins.
In the 2014 campaign, CPP soccer amassed a 17-1-2 record, complete with the first ever CCAA Soccer Championship Tournament title. With the program best for wins came a number of other records. CPP tallied a total of 51 assists in the season, a huge leap from the previous number of 41.
The Green and Gold squad proved to be a defensive powerhouse in 2014. They registered numerous program bests, including shutouts (11), consecutive shutouts (6), fewest goals allowed (10), lowest goals against average (0.50). The Broncos took their record for longest win streak from six wins to 14 in 2014, longest unbeaten streak from seven to 16 with a 15-0-1 record, and improved their win percentage record from .658 in 1997 to a stellar .900 in 2014 (17-1-2).
Men's soccer also boasted Cal Poly Pomona athletics' highest team GPA in the spring quarter of the 2014-15 academic year, coming in at a 3.17.
Broncos' men's soccer experienced a four-win improvement between the first and second season under the leadership of Raz, going 7-7-4 overall through the 2013 campaign. In June 2014, the CPP Division of Student Affairs presented Raz with the 2013-14 Rookie of the Year award.
Under the leadership of Raz, the Broncos have hosted numerous ID camps while also partnering with local AYSO teams. CPP has held alumni games and also took time to participate in the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" on-campus event. The program highlighted the important role that men play in preventing and ending violence against women.
On Feb. 12, 2013, Broncos' Director of Athletics Brian Swanson introduced Raz as the ninth head coach in the 31-year history of the program.
Raz previously served as the associate head coach at Cal State Northridge, where he helped the Division I Matadors capture their first-ever Big West Conference Tournament in 2012. Early in 2013, College Soccer News named Raz one of the Top 15 assistant coaches in the country.
In Raz's eight seasons as a coach at Cal State Northridge, the Matadors posted a record of 82-68-29 (.539) with two Big West regular season titles, a Big West Tournament Championship and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
After stepping onto the Northridge campus as a student-athlete in 2001, Raz quickly helped develop the program into a consistent contender on the national stage.
He became the first player in conference history to be named to the All-Big West Conference First Team in each of his four seasons and he also earned Freshman of the Year honors. While playing at CSUN, Raz led the Matadors to three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2002-04 and a second-round appearance in 2003.
He was also named Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2002 and received All-Big West Academic honors each year he was eligible for the award. While at CSUN, Raz received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications in 2005 and a Master of Arts degree in Recreation and Sport Management in 2010.
Raz joined the coaching staff in 2005 and had an immediate impact as CSUN compiled a 15-4-3 record and a Big West championship. In his first year on staff, Northridge made the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament, defeating rival UC Santa Barbara at home in the program's lone Division I Tournament victory.
Outside of the collegiate soccer scene, Raz has also played a key role in the futures of student-athletes at the club level. Most recently, he has served as an academy director at GSI - Steve Sampson Soccer Academy and as an academy head coach for the Real So Cal Soccer Club.
Born and raised in Israel, Raz played for the country's National Team at the youth level from 1993 through 1995.
Raz resides in Sherman Oaks with his wife Shiry, daughter Shyli, and son Sagiv.
| Year |
Overall |
CCAA |
Place |
Honors |
| 2015 |
17-3-3 |
8-2-2 |
2nd |
- NCAA Division II National Runner Up
- CCAA Tournament champions
- West Region champions |
| 2014 |
17-1-2 |
10-1-0 |
1st |
- CCAA Tournament champions
- CCAA Coach of the Year |
| 2013 |
7-7-4 |
5-7-4 |
8th |
|
| Totals |
41-11-9 |
23-10-6 |
|
|
