Estrin to Lead Vulcan Men’s Soccer Team

The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo men’s soccer team has a new head coach.

Garrett Estrin of Cathedral City, Calif., was selected from a pool of nearly 100 applicants in a nationwide search to replace former UH-Hilo mean’s soccer head coach Paul Regrutto, who stepped down from the position in January after four seasons. Estrin has national championship experience as a player and a coach, most recently as head coach of the College of the Desert’s women’s soccer team, overhauling the program through six seasons and leading the team to its first winning season since 1999.

“I am so thrilled and honored to be selected as the new head coach of the UH-Hilo men’s soccer program,” Estrin said in a press release. “I want to thank the search committee for choosing me to move forward in the selection process, as well as our athletic director Patrick Guillen, for having the faith in me to guide the men’s soccer program into what I affirm to be an exciting time for men’s soccer at UH-Hilo.”

Estrin has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University Dominguez Hills and several coaching certificates from the United Soccer Coaches Association, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, California Community College Athletic Association and the Cal Youth Soccer program. He is the all-time leader at the College of the Desert, with 50 coaching victories.

While leading the Roadrunners, he coached 42 All-Conference selections, 14 State Scholar Academic award winners and was the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2018.

“Coach Estrin made an excellent impression on our search committee and set himself apart from the other finalists during my interview with him,” UH-Hilo Athletic Director Patrick Guillen said in the press release. “Garrett is passionate about the sport of soccer but even more passionate about student success and using the sport to nurture and develop life skills.”

Estrin’s coaching career began at his alma mater, Cal State Dominguez Hills, where he was an assistant coach for a men’s soccer team that reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association finals. He was also the lead assistant coach for the school’s women’s soccer team.

“He’s been successful at the Division I, Division II, (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and junior college levels,” Guillen said in the release. “He is a great fit for our program and our community. Coach Estrin is a blue-collar type coach that will hit the ground running and work hard to take our program to the next level. But most importantly, he will be an educator, mentor and strong role model for our students.”

Prior to coaching, Estrin spent two years as a training player after capping his collegiate career for the Toros in 2000. He spent four years as a Cal State Dominguez Hills student-athlete, where he was a three-year starter and team captain.

Estrin led the Toros to an NCAA II national title in 2000 and garnered several awards while at Cal State Dominguez Hills, including being named a two-time Player of the Year and three-time Player of the Week by the California Collegiate Athletic Association and an All-NCAA Tournament Team Goalkeeper.

In addition to being the full-time head coach for the College of the Desert women’s soccer team, he wore several other hats at the college, including as the assistant athletic coordinator for compliance, head softball coach and assistant men’s soccer coach. Estrin also was assistant women’s soccer coach at The Master’s University and the head girl’s soccer coach at Rancho Mirage High School, where he led the Blue Rattlers to back-to-back conference championships and to the California Interscholastic Federation semifinals.

“We in Vulcan Athletics are proud to welcome Garrett Estrin to the ‘ohana,” Guillen said in the press release. “We are excited to see what the future holds for the men’s soccer program under his leadership.”