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Rob Becerra begins his fifth season as an assistant coach and has helped Stanford establish itself as one of the strongest defenses in the Pac-10, giving up less than a goal per game in the 74 matches since he arrived on the The Farm.
In 2009, the Cardinal allowed just 18 goals in 20 games and advanced all the way to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Under Bercerra's tutelage, John Moore developed into one of the Pac-10's premier keepers, being named to the all-conference teams in each of his four seasons at Stanford. His graduation last spring give Becerra a new challenge to develop the new set of young keepers that will be the final line of defense for the next several years.
Becerra joined Stanford in 2006 after a successful head coaching stint at the University of Redlands, where he also served as assistant athletics director and an instructor in the Department of Physical Education.
During his eight years at Redlands, Becerra compiled a 126-28-8 record, and went 88-15-3 in SCIAC play. He enjoyed his 100th career win when the Bulldogs dismantled La Verne, 7-0, on September 25, 2004.
Redlands was on a dubious streak of 24 consecutive non-winning seasons before Becerra reversed the fortunes of the program in his second season, leading the Bulldogs to a 15-3-1 record in 1999.
A year later, Redlands broke into the NCAA Division III top-25 for the first time in history, with a No. 22 final national ranking. And it got even better.
In 2001, Becerra led the Bulldogs to their first conference title since 1967 and second in the program's history. The team rode the success to its first NCAA playoff appearance, where Becerra led the team all the way to the NCAA Division III final and was named All-Far West Region Coach of the Year.
The successful season was only the beginning for Becerra and Redlands, which won five consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles through 2005 and advanced to the Division III playoffs each season, advancing beyond the first round each time.
Becerra is active with elite club and youth programs and holds a USSF `A' License. He has coached in the Olympic Development Program with the Far West, Cal-South and New Mexico teams.
On the local level, Becerra is the Director of Coaching and Curriculum for the Palo Alto Soccer Club, a 34-team youth organization.
As a player, Becerra starred as a goalkeeper at Cal State San Bernardino and went on to start for the Sacramento Scorpions of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues in 1997 before embarking on a coaching career.
Becerra earned his bachelor of science in kinesiology from Cal State San Bernardino in 1997 and his master's in management from Redlands. He enjoys playing a variety of sports during his free time and is an avid sports fan. He and his wife, Samantha, have two daughters, Emma and Julia.