SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Head Coach Chris Brown and the University of San Francisco men's soccer program announced the hiring of Shane Watkins as the program's new assistant coach on Wednesday afternoon.
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"I am thrilled to announce Shane Watkins as our new assistant coach," said Brown. "It has been a goal of ours to hire an alum like Shane as he embodies everything we are looking for in a coach and a person. Shane was a difference maker as a player here and went on to have a great pro career and has been a coach at every level. The expectation Shane and his USF team had in the 90's was to win championships and he has brought that energy and pride to our current team. We are very fortunate Shane is back working at his alma mater and he is already having a positive impact with our talented team."
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A former student-athlete on the men's soccer team, Watkins was a star forward for the Dons from 1993-1997. During his first two seasons, Watkins helped the green and gold tie atop the final conference standings. In 1997, Watkins graduated from USF with his Bachelor's Degree in Exercise and Sport Science.
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"Coming back to the Hilltop for a second time is nothing less than a dream come true," said Watkins. "USF has always been a special place to me and I was lucky to have been a part of the program. Coming back to the program as a staff member after graduating 27 years ago is the realization of a coaching dream that I have had since the beginning of my coaching career. The Chris Brown era is shaping up nicely and we have our sights set on regular postseason participation once again. I hope to contribute whatever I can in pursuit of the success this program is destined for."
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After his first stint on the Hilltop, Watkins played professionally for the Richmond Kickers (1999), Lehigh Valley Steam (1999), Raleigh Capitol Express (1999-2000) and the Long Island Rough Riders (2000-2001) in the United Soccer League, A League Division.
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As a coach, Watkins got his first notable job when he was named the Head Coach of the girls' varsity soccer team at North Hollywood High School in 2003. Serving in this role until 2009, Watkins earned his next varsity job in 2012 when he was named head coach of the boys' soccer team at Cesar Chavez Learning Academies in San Fernando, CA. He would ultimately stay at Cesar Chavez until 2015 when he would become the head coach of the boys' varsity soccer team at Temple City High School in Temple City, Calif until 2022.
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From 2012-2022, Watkins also was the Director of Coaching/Owner of the San Gabriel Valley Seals in Arcadia, CA.
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Most recently, Watkins served as an Assistant Coach for San Antonio FC (USL Championship) from 2023-2024. Currently, he is also serving as the Director of Coaching for the San Francisco Seals.
