Oakland Soccer Club announces Oakland native and former pro and Mexican youth national teamer Michael Muniz as Men's team Head Coach - April 1, 2021
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Oakland Soccer Club has appointed Oakland native Michael Muniz as head coach for the 2021 season. Muniz takes over a program with big ambitions and will quickly be put to the test as Spring 2021 men’s soccer quickly gets underway throughout Northern California across multiple leagues. “We are eager to see Mike elevate the level of coaching for our first team and to see him grow as a coach within the OSC family,” said OSC Co-President Edward Stephen, “OSC’s restructuring to provide adult soccer affords Oakland natives, like Mike, an opportunity to gain invaluable hands on experience working with adult players. Our hopes are to help him to one day be in a position where he’s coaching a team at a pro level because of the experience he’s gotten with OSC.”
Muniz joins the club with a rather impressive playing career. Born to immigrant parents who moved to Oakland for a better life, he began play with the Oakland Chivitas before moving on to Bay Oaks Soccer Club and next progressing to represent both San Leandro and Castro Valley at the high school levels. A highly touted youth player, Muniz moved at the age of 16 to southern California to join the professional youth academy of now defunct MLS side Chivas USA, where he ultimately would progress to the 1st team as a reserve player pool trainee. Following Chivas, Muniz spent a similar stint with the Chicago Fire before eventually moving to Mexico to pursue better first team opportunities. He would go on to play close to 5 seasons between Liga Ascenso clubs Irapuato FC and Delfines del Carmen and would also cap several times with the Mexican U20 and U21 national teams. After retiring from professional play, Muniz returned home and has spent the last several years working with California Magic Soccer Club as a boys coach. “I'm very grateful to be able to contribute back to my hometown’, said Muniz, on his appointment as OSC Head Coach. “Oakland is a special place full of beautiful people, with cultures from all over the world and a vibe like no other. Oakland is home.” Joining Muniz’s staff will be David Landeros, also an Oakland native and ex-professional player with the reserves of Club Zacatepec (Mexico). Landeros will work as an assistant coach, overseeing individual player development as well as strength and conditioning.
OSC Technical Director added these thoughts on the hire: “Mike and David come to our club as the perfect fit for what we’re trying to accomplish. First and foremost they’re Oaklanders, with their background affording them the ability to not only know our community from an intellectual perspective but to actually feel what it means to represent this Town. Mike’s playing career is impressive, and his experiences in wearing the national team shirt for Mexico allows him to speak with players from a position of having really been there. He’s motivated to take this next step and in his body of work as a coach he has shown a commitment to a positive style of play where we can seek to dominate games with possession while providing a dynamic attack to keep fans excited for all 90 minutes.”
Please join us in welcoming both Mike and David to the OSC family.
About Oakland Soccer Club: Since 1974 Oakland Soccer Club has provided affordable, high-quality opportunities for underserved youth in Oakland to develop skills for soccer, school, and life. Our goal is to remove the pay-to-play barriers restricting the youth of Oakland from participation in soccer and developing to their highest level.
Check out our website at www.oaklandsoccer.org and give us a follow on social media to see more club announcements including ways you can get involved as a player, coach, or volunteer.
Muniz joins the club with a rather impressive playing career. Born to immigrant parents who moved to Oakland for a better life, he began play with the Oakland Chivitas before moving on to Bay Oaks Soccer Club and next progressing to represent both San Leandro and Castro Valley at the high school levels. A highly touted youth player, Muniz moved at the age of 16 to southern California to join the professional youth academy of now defunct MLS side Chivas USA, where he ultimately would progress to the 1st team as a reserve player pool trainee. Following Chivas, Muniz spent a similar stint with the Chicago Fire before eventually moving to Mexico to pursue better first team opportunities. He would go on to play close to 5 seasons between Liga Ascenso clubs Irapuato FC and Delfines del Carmen and would also cap several times with the Mexican U20 and U21 national teams. After retiring from professional play, Muniz returned home and has spent the last several years working with California Magic Soccer Club as a boys coach. “I'm very grateful to be able to contribute back to my hometown’, said Muniz, on his appointment as OSC Head Coach. “Oakland is a special place full of beautiful people, with cultures from all over the world and a vibe like no other. Oakland is home.” Joining Muniz’s staff will be David Landeros, also an Oakland native and ex-professional player with the reserves of Club Zacatepec (Mexico). Landeros will work as an assistant coach, overseeing individual player development as well as strength and conditioning.
OSC Technical Director added these thoughts on the hire: “Mike and David come to our club as the perfect fit for what we’re trying to accomplish. First and foremost they’re Oaklanders, with their background affording them the ability to not only know our community from an intellectual perspective but to actually feel what it means to represent this Town. Mike’s playing career is impressive, and his experiences in wearing the national team shirt for Mexico allows him to speak with players from a position of having really been there. He’s motivated to take this next step and in his body of work as a coach he has shown a commitment to a positive style of play where we can seek to dominate games with possession while providing a dynamic attack to keep fans excited for all 90 minutes.”
Please join us in welcoming both Mike and David to the OSC family.
About Oakland Soccer Club: Since 1974 Oakland Soccer Club has provided affordable, high-quality opportunities for underserved youth in Oakland to develop skills for soccer, school, and life. Our goal is to remove the pay-to-play barriers restricting the youth of Oakland from participation in soccer and developing to their highest level.
Check out our website at www.oaklandsoccer.org and give us a follow on social media to see more club announcements including ways you can get involved as a player, coach, or volunteer.
