Jose Cedeno was named the head coach of Whitman’s men’s soccer program in May 2015.
In 2016 his squad (8-7-5) more than doubled its win total from the previous year and posted a record of 2-2-4 against the top three teams in the final Northwest Conference standings.
His first squad in 2015 placed a pair of athletes on the all-conference team but that figure doubled in 2016 with four players earning all-league honors.
Cedeno came to Whitman via the Belmont United Soccer Club in Belmont, California, where he had been the Director of Coaching and Player Development since August 2012. During his stint with Belmont Cedeno also traveled to London, England, in the summer of 2014 where he worked as a volunteer academy coach for the U9–U18 boys of the Crystal Palace F.C.
Though coming from the club environment, Cedeno is not a stranger to collegiate soccer nor Division III and its philosophies.
At Hunter (N.Y.) College Cedeno headed the men's soccer program from 2005–2011. Tabbed the City University N.Y. Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) coach of the year in 2008 he captured conference titles in 2008 and 2010 earning trips into the NCAA D-III tournament. His squad in 2009 played its way into the CUNYAC championship game, falling one win short of stringing together three consecutive trips to nationals.
Athletic Director Dean Snider likes the experiences Cedeno brings from those successful years at Hunter. "(Cedeno) built a championship program before and he clearly has the skills and networking to bring a championship to Whitman College."
Cedeno also believes his time at Hunter has helped in his transition to Whitman.
"Working at Hunter in New York City with a diverse group of student-athletes taught me that regardless of the player's culture or background, recruiting is about finding the right match," explains Cedeno. "There are student-athletes who will thrive in the Whitman College setting and the coaching staff is committed to seeking out those players and bringing them into the program and the college.
"It is an honor to work at an institution with such a highly-regarded academic reputation, and with a great group of young men," continued Cedeno. "The men's soccer program has a great deal of potential and our coaching staff continues to work on building a national contender."
A holder of the United States Soccer Federation "A" license Cedeno earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern languages (Spanish) from Saint Peter's (N.J.) College, now University, in 2002. He went on to gain his Master of Science degree in sport management from Brooklyn College in 2011.