Jose Gomez (American soccer)
Jose Gomez is a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the USL A-League. He is the assistant coach of the Liberty University men's soccer team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | March 12, 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Valrico, Florida, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2000 | Liberty Flames | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2003 | Charlotte Eagles | 77 | (13) |
| 2004–2005 | Virginia Beach Mariners | 30 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2005–2014 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | ||
| 2014 | Liberty University (assistant) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Player
Gomez graduated from Lakeland Christian School, where he was a part of four high school state championship teams. His team won two titles and finished runner-up twice. He attended Liberty University, playing on the men’s soccer team from 1997 to 2000. He was the 2000 Big South Conference Player of the Year[1] Gomez graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management and later went back to complete his Masters in Business Administration. In February 2001, the Charlotte Eagles selected Gomez in the first round (twenty-third overall) of the USL A-League draft.[2] He was 2002 Second Team All League. He was the first men's soccer player to ever be drafted from Liberty University. Gomez spent three seasons in Charlotte then moved to the Virginia Beach Mariners in 2004. He played two seasons with the Mariners, then retired from professional soccer on June 2, 2005.[3]
Coach
In 2005, Gomez moved to Palm Beach, Florida where he became the head coach of the Palm Beach Atlantic University soccer team. He was named the new Men's Assistant Coach at his alma mater Liberty University in January 2014.
Family
In 2005, Jose married Carrie Cruciano in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The two met through mutual friends at Liberty University. They have one daughter and reside in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Honors
- Liberty University
- 2000 Big South Player of the Year
- 2013 Named to the inaugural Big South Conference All-Decade Team. Part of the Big South’s 30th anniversary celebration, the all-decade teams were determined by conference administrators and fan voting.
- Charlotte Eagles
- 2002 Second Team All League
References