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Don’t get nervous yet, Millikan girls’ soccer fans, Tino Nunez isn’t leaving his job as Rams head coach. However, he’s now also the Long Beach City College women’s soccer coach after being hired last week.
“In coaching and playing you want to strive for a higher level,” Nunez said.
It is not unprecedented for local Long Beach soccer coaches to work at both high school and college levels simultaneously. Cameron Beaulac did it while at Long Beach Poly boys’ soccer and current Long Beach State women’s soccer coach Mauricio Ingrassia also coached at Los Alamitos and LBCC.
Nunez has helped Millikan reach historic heights over the last decade, but he knows it’s not going to be easy adding another team to his schedule.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Nunez said. “I’ve got to look into the calendar and work things out to make sure that the college team is a priority in its season, and then have Millican be a priority in its season. It’s just a matter of managing both schedules and making sure I also have a staff in place on both ends that’s going to be able to help through those times.”
Nunez took over the girls’ soccer program at his alma mater in 2013, and has won three of the last four Moore League championships.
“Tino brings a wealth of experience both as a player and a coach, along with a history of success, that makes him an ideal choice to continue our winning tradition,” LBCC Athletic Director Kal Stewart said. “Following our consecutive South Division Conference Championships, a Conference Tournament win, and an Elite Eight appearance, with only four losses in the past two seasons, I am confident that Tino will lead our program to even greater achievements.”
Nunez is taking over for coach Eduardo Nunes, who was on the job for six seasons, and thinks that the local connection is important at the junior college level.
“I’m a Long Beach guy, born and raised, So there’s a little bit more pride in the work that you put into your own city,” Nunez said. “The players that you’re already working with at a young age, you can kind of see them through and help your city and your local schools by doing what you love. I definitely think there’s a little extra that would help the Long Beach athlete being coached by Long Beach coaches.”
After playing for local legend Rod Petcovic and graduating from Millikan, Nunez continued his athletic and academic career at UC Santa Barbara where he helped his team win the NCAA National Championship in 2006. He went on to play professionally in the MLS with Real Salt where he won the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup. He also played with the Rochester Rhinos, NSC Minnesota Soccer and Baltimore Blast.
Nunez currently directs T25 Training Soccer Camp and coached at FRAM Soccer Club where they’ve won Governors, Presidents, and National Championships. He recently was volunteering at LBCC and has other community college experience after short assistant stints with Cerritos and Golden West.
