Originally from Colombia, Quakes head coach Alberto Juan Florez Sarmiento is an experienced youth and professional coach with an impressive list of coaching successes at every level.
As a youth, Florez played soccer, basketball and baseball in various leagues in and around Bogota, attended Universidad del Rosario as a business major, before coming to the United States in the early 1980s. He played in the center of defense for Glendale College in 1983/84, winning a state championship with the Vaqueros, before coming to Cal State Northridge on a scholarship in 1986. Florez subsequently played profesionally for the reserve teams of both Millonarios and América de Cali in Colombia, before returning to the United States in the early 1990s.
Prior to turning his hand to coaching, Florez completed numerous coaching clinics and training courses from prestigious clubs and organizations in the United States, Colombia and Argentina, including América de Cali, National de Medellin, and Estudiantes de la Plata.
At college level, he was the assistant trainer for CSUN’s men’s varsity team in 1992, assistant coach for CSUN’s men’s varsity team from 2000-06, assistant coach for CSUN’s women’s varsity team in 2005, and has coached with a number of notable youth soccer organizations in the Los Angeles area, including California Stars (1989-90), West Valley Pride (1990-91), VUSC (1992-93), Los Angeles Force (1992-94), Fury SC (1995-96), North Valley SC (1998-2000) and the Rovers Soccer Club (2006-07). Juan has also been involved with AYSO Youth Soccer for many years, and has acted as the Director of Coaches for the West Valley Soccer League since 2000.
Florez has prior USL experience, having been in charge of the now-defunct San Fernando Valley Golden Eagles from 1996-98; also, through his association with the company Soft Sport Inc., Florez was involved in computer-based match analysis for the US Men’s National Team in the 1998 World Cup in Korea and Japan.
alberto.florez@verizon.net
Playing Experience
