Offside in the Bay: 2 the Pitch and Beyond - Adam Cooper – Head Coach, St. Mary’s College Men’s Soccer

In this episode, Claudine Wong and Alex Lobban sit down with Adam Cooper, one of the most successful college soccer coaches in the country and the longtime architect of the powerhouse program at St. Mary’s College.  Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Episode 17 02:05 – Falling in Love With Soccer 05:42 – The Youth Soccer Landscape Then vs. Now 09:10 – Getting Noticed by UCLA 12:45 – The Jump to High-Level College Soccer 16:28 – Becoming a Coach 21:20 – Choosing Coaching Over a Pro Career 25:55 – Staying at St. Mary’s 28:18 – Recruiting Today: It’s Complicated 33:14 – The Transfer Portal: “Free Agency Without Contracts” 38:05 – NIL Money and Mid-Major Programs 41:40 – What Coaches Look For 47:55 – Talent, Training, and What Kids Need More Of 53:20 – How Youth Clubs Should Handle Free Play 56:00 – Looking Ahead to the 2026 World Cup 01:04:10 – The Future of Soccer in America 01:08:00 – Final Thoughts & A Thank You to Adam Cooper   Connect With Us Claudine: Instagram @ClaudineWongKTVU, Facebook ClaudineWongKTVU, TikTok @ClaudineKTVU, YouTube ClaudineWong Alex: Instagram @thealexlobban Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices