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Coaching Honors
1 NCCAA National Tournament Appearance
1 CCAC Player of the Year
1 CCAC Freshman of the Year
1 NAIA All-American
2 NCCAA All-American
8 All-CCAC Players
Gaining momentum into his fourth year as the women's soccer head coach, Diego Cevallos has put together a team that will push for a CCAC Championship. In three years, Cevallos has competed closely with nationally ranked teams and consistently plays one of the toughest schedules in the NAIA. In the past three seasons, his teams have played 15 nationally ranked teams and defeated one NCAA Division I program.
The 2010 season brought a year of rebuilding after losing the program's all-time goals and points leader in Christina Thornton. Judson played seven teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA National Poll. One of the best matches of the year came vs. #14 Robert Morris which ended in a 0-0 double overtime. Robert Morris went on to finish in the FInal Four of the NAIA National Tournament. Sara Hoffman collected 16 saves and was named the NAIA and NCCAA National Player of the Week for her play. Judson ended the regular season with a 2-1 win that propelled them into the final spot of the CCAC Tournament where they fell to #23 Trinity Christian, 1-0.
In 2009, Judson won 14 games, received votes in the NAIA National Poll, and made the programs fourth appearance in the NCCAA National Tournament where they finished in third place in Cevallos' second season at the realm. He continued to challenge his program by playing atleast nine teams that were receiving votes or ranked in the NAIA National Poll. He also had the CCAC Freshman of the Year (Kamila Marchi) and NCCAA All-American Christina Thornton. The 14 wins were also one shy of tying the program record for wins.
Cevallos took over the program in the 2008 season after the Judson all-time wins leader, Freddie King, decided to just be a professor at Judson. In his first season with the program, he produced the CCAC Player of the Year in Christina Thornton. The team finished 7-11-1, and defeated Judson's first-ever NCAA Division I program, Houston Baptist, 1-0 in double overtime. Three of his players were named All-CCAC while Thornton earned a status of NAIA All-American honorable mention.
No stranger to Judson, Cevallos has been a part of Judson soccer for 11 years as a player and coach. He will also assist men's soccer coaching legend Steve Burke for the eighth season. The success from 2004 through 2007 for the men's team came on his tut ledge as he recruited the players that produced 74 wins and claimed four CCAC regular season, tournament and NAIA Region VII Championships. In his first season as an assistant coach (2004), he was a part of the Eagles' impressive undefeated regular season (19-0) which ended with their only loss in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament to the eventual national champion (Lindsey Wilson).
Before becoming a coach at Judson, he distinguished himself as a soccer player playing for the Eagles from 2001-2003 where he contributed immensely to the program and helped the team claim its fifth NCCAA National Title in 2002.
Cevallos learned the game in Costa Rica, his home country, where soccer is a passion of the people and where it is very prestigious to be an accomplished player. While living in Costa Rica, he was a part of the Costa Rica National Team training program. He, then, moved to the United States and played high school soccer in Rockford earning a wide variety of awards.
For several years now, Cevallos has been involved in the local youth soccer scene and has become a Premier US Youth Soccer Coach who is highly sought out as a trainer for both individuals and club teams. He is currently part of the coaching staff at Crystal Lake Force for the Elite program.
Cevallos is a 2004 graduate of Judson University with a bachelor's degree in Pre-Med. He is currently on hold to finish his medical career at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine in Chicago.