KENOSHA, Wis. – Josh Alcala, the Graduate Assistant Coach for women's soccer over the last two years, has been hired as an Assistant Coach for men's and women's soccer at Illinois College. Alcala will graduate from Parkside this May with his Master's Degree in Sport Management.
 
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @RangerAthletics
 
Alcala started at Parkside in the Fall of 2018 and helped the Rangers amass 13 wins over two seasons with back-to-back trips to the GLIAC Tournament. He'll now join the NCAA Division III Blueboys and Lady Blues programs in Jacksonville, Ill. 
 
"I'm excited to work at another great Midwest school," Alcala said. "The facilities are fantastic and the college town atmosphere will be pretty neat. Both programs have new coaches so there is a lot of enthusiasm around soccer at IC that I feel fortunate to join at this time."
 
"I'm very fortunate that Head Coach Brittany Nikolic took me in and allowed me to contribute to the program originally as a volunteer assistant," Alcala added. "Then when the graduate assistant position opened, it was my wife that said a master's degree will only help my career as a coach…and again I was fortunate that Coach trusted me to fill the position. There is a lot I will take away with me from the Sport Management program. I hold the program in high regard and the professors were all extremely helpful, especially former professor Sean Dahlin. My time at Parkside allowed me to be completely ready to take on a full-time coaching position. It's certainly bittersweet to leave now, because there are so many great things happening at Parkside…but I'll be streaming games online and keeping up with all things Parkside."
 
Before coming to Parkside, Alcala worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Purdue Northwest. He was also the head coach for the Chicago Fire Juniors and spent three years as a Camp Specialist at the University of Texas.
 
"For our first graduate assistant in women's soccer, I was very fortunate to find someone with great knowledge of the game, a passion to teach, and just an all-around quality individual in Josh," Nikolic said. "His role in many things, but especially recruiting, has been huge which means we will be seeing his positive impact on the program for years to come.  We are all going to miss him and his family but I look forward to seeing him continue to grow in his coaching career and wish him all the best in this next step."
 
Before his coaching career took off, Alcala was a 4-year starter for at the University of South Carolina and appeared in three NCAA tournaments with the team. With the Gamecocks, he received Conference USA First team All-Conference honors as well as being named to the NSCAA All-south Third team. Alcala turned professional in December 2006, signing a contract with USL Second Division expansion side Crystal Palace Baltimore. He made 19 appearances, and scored 3 goals for Palace, before leaving the club in October 2007. He then went on to play professionally for the Austin Aztex from 2008-2010.