Jim Gardner, Head Coach, 9th Yearjgardner@lccc.wy.eduOffice: 307.778.4393 Cell: 307.631.7976 Jim Gardner has been sharing his passion for fitness and sports with Cheyenne youth for more than two decades. In addition to coaching the LCCC Golden Eagles and East High Lady Thunderbirds soccer teams, he has taught physical education at Cheyenne elementary schools since 1983. He currently teaches at Jessup and Clawson elementary schools. Gardner has coached for LCCC since 2002, when he helped coach the then co-ed club soccer team. When the LCCC Board of Trustees approved a NJCAA Division I women’s soccer team in 2003, Gardner was named head coach. Over the course of his career, Gardner has been named Wyoming High School South Conference Coach of the Year, Wyoming State Soccer Coach of the Year, National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s (NSCAA) Region VII Soccer Coach of the Year, National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association’s (NFICA) Regional Coach of the Year, NFICA National Coach of the Year, National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Regional Soccer Coach of the Year and NHSCA National Soccer Coach of the Year. These awards are well-deserved. With successes not limited to five high school state championships, three NSCAA national rankings and five club state championships, Gardner is accustomed to leading teams to success. He has coached more than 60 players from high school and club teams who have gone on to play all levels of college soccer. Since 2005, the LCCC women’s soccer team has finished each season ranked in the top 10 in the nation, making it to the NJCAA national tournament four times in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010. The Golden Eagles have won five Region IX titles and four District B titles.
Overall LCCC Record: 111-38-12 (2002-2010)
Overall High School Record: 195-65-37 (1992-2009)
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Rebecca Valdez, Assistant Coach
Rebecca Valdez returns for her ninth season as an assistant coach for the LCCC women’s soccer program. A native of Cheyenne, Valdez played club soccer for the Cheyenne Sting and was a three-time all-state performer at East High School, where the team won three state titles and accumulated a record of 59-1-1 during her four-year career. Valdez was a four-year starter and four-year all-conference performer at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., an NCAA Division II program. She graduated NSU in 2002 as a Verizon/Adidas Region VII Scholar Athlete and an All-America Scholar Athlete nominee.
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Jesse Gallegos, Assistant Coach LCCC soccer. Gallegos grew up playing soccer in Germany in a youth program. He played second division for Nuremburg Football Club and played in El Paso, Texas, and Colorado Springs, Colo. He holds the Advanced National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Diploma and the United States Soccer Federation B license. Gallegos also is a member of the Region 4 Olympic Development Program. He has coached youth soccer in Cheyenne for more than 15 years and serves as an assistant coach for the Cheyenne East High School girls’ soccer program.
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Merv Johnson, Goalkeeper Coach This is Merv Johnson’s seventh year as goalkeeper coach with the LCCC soccer program. Johnson is a soccer manager and former player. During his playing career, Johnson was a forward in England, the United States and Canada. Johnson started coaching in 1970 and has coached soccer for more than 40 years. He was an assistant coach at Regis University and Denver University. He was head coach of the men’s soccer clubs at Colorado State University, Air Force and the University of Wyoming. Johnson also has coached the Colorado Comets (USL), Denver Kickers (NPSL), and the Colorado Crimson FC (NPSL). Johnson holds the English Football Association license, the Union of European Football Associations B license, and the Dutch Goalkeeping license. |