Watching the way Eddie Soto studies his tactics board is like watching a military general plot a campaign. As head coach of the Toro men’s soccer team—a program that has topped the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the past two seasons—he knows every decision must be intentional to keep the team in front.
Under Soto’s guidance, the Toros have become a force to be reckoned with in the CCAA. The team won back-to-back Regular Season Championships, becoming only the second program in three decades to accomplish that feat.
Soto starts training his players early. He told The Bulletin the team is in the gym by 7 a.m. for an hour before taking the field of practice.
“We want them to be prepped. We want them to make sure they’ve had breakfast. We want them to make sure that they’re physically, mentally, emotionally ready for a good 3 hours,” Soto told The Bulletin during a recent interview. “I’m a firm believer that there is no cutting corners. It’s hard work. Hard work is what gets you to where you want to go.”
The squad’s success didn’t happen overnight. Soto told The Bulletin last November his team has worked “very, very hard” over several seasons to reach this point, calling it a “body of work.”
“The staff and I have sacrificed a lot of time away from our families and really committed to bringing some consistency to our program,” Soto said at the time. “But we also have a high standard, and we’re looking to do more than just a conference championship.”
Growing up in the South Bay, soccer was central to Soto’s household. From an early age, he learned the value of discipline, perseverance, and passion—principles shaped by his parents, who immigrated to the United States from Chile and Ecuador.
“In our house, it was all soccer all the time,” Soto said. “I’m very blessed that my family provided me with an upbringing that involved the game.”
Dedication and love of the game helped Soto to become a standout student-athlete at Chapman University and then Cal State Fullerton, where he earned All-American honors.
After a stint in the United States Interregional Soccer League, Soto was selected by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in the inaugural Major League Soccer draft. (The club was renamed the New York Red Bulls in 2006 after being purchased by the energy drink company.)
Soto returned to Fullerton for two separate stints as an assistant coach—from 2001 to 2003 and again in 2006—and credits those experiences with shaping his coaching philosophy.
“I was coaching high school—just really learning a lot about coaching—and it gave me the opportunity to get into a Division I setting, and really understand how a program runs with all facets of a Division I soccer program,” Soto said.
Soto left the Titans in 2006 to join UCLA, where he would help the Bruins win multiple Pac-12 titles.
Former professional footballer Andy Rose, who played under Soto from 2008–2011, said his time at UCLA helped him to prepare for playing in the major leagues. Rose said making sure players enjoyed the season and had a positive experience was among Soto’s priorities.
“I felt connected to the staff and valued by everyone in the building,” Rose said in an email to The Bulletin. “Those are lessons I learned from Eddie and have stuck with me on my journey.”
In 2014, he left Los Angeles for the Bay Area, serving as coach of the San Francisco Dons and becoming the 2017 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year. Dave Romney was playing for the Dons at that time, and he credits Soto with helping him to take his first steps onto the professional pitch.
“I am currently in my 12th MLS season right now, going strong—none of which would have happened without Eddie,” said Romney, now a defender for the San Jose Earthquakes.
The regard Soto’s former players have for him seems to be just another product of his hard work on and off the pitch.
“People from the outside don’t really understand what entails being a college coach,” he explained. “Coaching is such a small percentage of it. There’s so much administrative work that’s needed. … Being out in the field is the easy part and the fun part.”
Soto arrived as head coach at CSUDH in 2019, taking over for interim coach Sean Lockhart. The program had two national championships already in its trophy case, but had lost a step since longtime coach Joe Flanagan left in 2017.
“It was a rebuilding phase, and to try to get us back into that national scene, a national attention—and we’ve done that,” Soto recalled.
Rebuilding the Toro men’s team meant recognizing and building upon players’ shared experiences. “A lot of these guys are cut from the same cloth,” according to Soto.
“They have the same similar upbringing, a lot of these guys are [first-generation],” he said. “This is family—and I know it’s really cliche to say that, but we’re very close here from players to coaches.”
Sophomore midfielder Aldair Marta noted that the professionalism Soto demands discourages complacency. “What [Coach Soto] has emphasized a lot, personally, to me since my freshman year was never just reach the ceiling but break through it, regardless of whatever you do.”
Toro alumnus Sulaiman Bah, named 2022–23 CCAA Male Athlete of the Year, recalled Soto’s intense training sessions, telling The Bulletin that he offered lessons for life after the game. “Off the field, he showed the importance of discipline and carrying yourself the right way everywhere you go.”
As he prepares for the 2026 season, Soto is already at work during the spring slate, using the limited window to integrate returning players and newcomers ahead of the fall campaign. He said the team has already faced some tough competition.
“We have had some great moments in those games that really helps these guys establish the kind of role that they’re going to play for the fall,” Soto said. “Although the games in the spring don’t count, they’re extremely meaningful in regards to the fall.”
As the Toros prepare for another demanding season, Soto’s emphasis remains less on external expectations and more on internal discipline and daily growth. His message to the team continues to center on consistency, focus, and staying grounded in the process
“I always try to keep their feet on the ground. It’s important to just work at the moment,” he said. “We’re a group that really focuses day by day, and we don’t look too far ahead nor do we look too far behind.”