Westmont Magazine From Warrior to Bruin
As a head coach, Ryan Jorden ’95 transformed two collegiate soccer programs into national contenders: California Baptist University and University of the Pacific. In May, he signed on to coach the UCLA men’s soccer team, a perennial participant in the NCAA Tournament and four-time national champion. The previous head coach got caught in the admissions bribery scandal and resigned. Ryan, a longtime Bruins fan, expressed interest in the position and became the 11th men’s soccer head coach at UCLA.
Ryan arrived at Westmont in 1991, Dave Wolf’s first year coaching the men’s soccer team. Excited about competing in college, Ryan played all four years with the Warriors, who went to the NAIA Tournament twice and won 65 games during that time. “I enjoyed blending strong academics with athletic competition at a high level,” he says. “I seek to replicate this unusual experience for my players.”
A kinesiology major, Ryan intended to earn a doctorate in physical therapy but soon decided a master’s in biomechanics would be a better fit. While he worked on his degree at Oregon State University, he connected with the soccer program and served as an assistant coach for Jimmy Conway, who played professional soccer in Ireland, England and the United States. “I got a wonderful education from him as a coach,” Ryan says.
Returning to Westmont, Ryan became an assistant coach for Dave Wolf, taught some kinesiology classes and worked with the biomechanics lab. Stan Gaede ’69, then provost, offered him a tenure-track job if he completed a doctorate, so Ryan earned his degree in exercise science with an emphasis in biomechanics at the University of Northern Colorado. While there, he worked with the women’s soccer program.
Back at Westmont, Ryan juggled an increased teaching load, including upper-division classes, with coaching men’s soccer as an assistant and completing his doctorate. He and his wife, Liz Lawrence Jorden ’93, also had two young sons. “It was a challenging time,” Ryan says. “Liz and I decided the combination of teaching and coaching wasn’t tenable long-term.”
The family moved to Riverside, and Ryan worked full time as the head men’s soccer coach at Cal Baptist. “It was much better for our family life and turned out to be a step in the right direction,” he says. During more than five years there, Ryan guided the team through the transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division 2. He posted a 60-30-10 overall record and won two National Christian College Athletic Association championships.
In 2013, University of the Pacific decided to restart an NCAA Division 1 men’s soccer team after abolishing it 28 years earlier. Building a program from scratch offered a unique opportunity, and Ryan pursued the position. The university gave him tremendous support and autonomy as he began recruiting players. Within three years, the Tigers qualified for the NCAA Tournament despite winning only one game in 2015. The 2016 team, 13-4-2, improved its win-loss record over the previous year by the largest margin ever in Division I men’s soccer history. Jorden earned NCAA Far West Region and West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors. In each of the last three seasons, UOP reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, one of only two West Coast teams to achieve this success.
At UCLA, Ryan seeks to return the Bruins to a top-10 team. “It’s great to be at UCLA and recruit the top players in the country,” he says. “Anytime you take over a new coaching role, you have to help players understand the environment you want to create for them. I’m building a team culture that allows players to maximize their individual growth so the whole team can perform at a winning level. I’m focusing on developing players through teaching and coaching.”