MILTON-FREEWATER — In a move Jose Garcia himself did not see coming, the longtime McLoughlin boys soccer coach has stepped down to take a job at the collegiate level.
Garcia will take over as men’s soccer coach at Walla Walla University. The Wolves were in need of a fresh start after going 0-13 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference last season, and were outscored 65-5.
“It was time to try something new,” Garcia said. “I needed something else. A little bit more of a challenge. This will be a big challenge. We will work them hard.”
To say everyone at Mac-Hi was in shock is an understatement. When Garcia told his players, several said they didn’t want to play anymore.
“It hurts me, but I have to slowly let it go,” Garcia said. “It took me about a month to get over it. When the boys found out, they were upset. They didn’t take it well. They didn’t want to keep playing. I told them they had to. I understand where they are coming from. For some, it’s family.”
Garcia, 64, said he believes the Mac-Hi program will be in good hands with his assistant Victor Corona.
“I had 70 kids in spring soccer, boys and girls,” Garcia said. “I know there is quite a bit of talent, and talent coming up.”
Garcia said he wasn’t looking for a new coaching gig, but one day a colleague at Mac-Hi handed him a number and said someone wanted to talk to him. That was WWU athletic director Nestor Osorio.
The two chatted, and Osorio finally convinced Garcia to apply.
“I had to do it online and the application wouldn’t go through,” Garcia said. “I didn’t worry about it. Then (Osorio) called and said it was the last day to apply. I told him I couldn’t do it. They did other interviews, then he called me back. I finally got the application to go through and I went in and had a conversation. He convinced me. We shook hands. I made a commitment.”
Garcia already is listed on the WWU website as the men’s soccer coach for the Wolves, who have a very diverse roster.
WWU has players from Turkey, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Ukraine, England, Spain, Mexico, and from states throughout the nation, including Washington and Idaho.
A remarkable legacy
Garcia has been at Mac-Hi since 1992. He was an assistant his first year, then took over the team and turned it into a proud and successful program.
“I was with the program from scratch,” Garcia said. “The first year, we were co-ed because we didn’t have enough boys. We compete against the big schools like Bend, Redmond, Pendleton, The Dalles. There was just one league. There weren’t any classifications for soccer back then.”
An announcement on the school district’s website credited Garcia with putting Mac-Hi soccer on the map.
“He created a culture,” it said. “One rooted in hard work, accountability, and pride. And that culture has carried on, year after year, generation after generation. It's why McLoughlin High School has remained a respected name in Oregon high school soccer — not because of luck, but because of the standard set by Coach Garcia.”
In more than 30 years as coach of the Pioneers, Garcia had a record of 320-97 and 24 draws. He led Mac-Hi to state titles in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2023. The Pioneers were state runner-ups in 2009 and 2022.
The Pioneers won 20-plus district titles, there were dozens of all-league and all-state honors for players, and Garcia won numerous district coach of the year honors, and was the Oregon state coach of the year four times.
Garcia is proud of the number of his players who have gone on to play college soccer, and those who have become coaches.
Garcia will continue his job with the Milton-Freewater School District, and will remain an active member of the Milton-Freewater City Council.
“I will be around,” he said. “I will be watching.”
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